Nice old knife but that handle could use some linseed oil. When the wood on a handle begins to dry, it will shrink and that can cause problems. The rivets on that handle will hold the handle together but once that wood dries out even more, the scales will begin to "rattle". This can be fixed with a little linseed oil on a folded-up paper towel. I've been making knives a long time and Oak is what I've been using for all my handles just because it's plentiful around here. Oil-sanding with linseed oil is my #1 preference because it pushes little pieces of that same wood's dust back into it's pores along with oil. After that, you can wash that wood quite a bit in the sink and it's gonna be a long time before it needs to be oiled again.
Yeah, everything in this place gets dry as the sahara. Most of what I have is horn and it gets the neatsfoot oil treatment when it needs it be it scales or a strop and they stay trouble free. Don't think I have any linseed around but I may have something else to condition wood if I dig. The scales are honestly what let the Russell down, they are quite utilitarian to put it nicely. This knife honestly reminds me a lot of the full size chef's knives you see in us military surplus auctions. Nice steel and well made but a little thin in the full tang and a bit too chunky in the handle-probably in an attempt to retain the rigidity/durability characteristics they took away by saving metal. Little thin in the back of the bolster as well. It's like a cost engineered take on an old sheffield or sabatier knife.
@@kcb5150 Linseed doesn't "dry" and that's what makes it perfect for handles. Other oils will repel water but linseed can go that extra mile. It's the only oil to use on a guitar's fret-board albeit rare that they need to be oiled. I bought a cheap Santoku blade-blank just because it's hard to beat $20 for a decent blade with a decent tang that has a real Oak handle on it. Oil-sanded it once and despite washing it on a regular basis, it's been 6 years and it still doesn't look anywhere near ready to need more oil. I used 1/4" brass pins instead of rivets and because I gave it a heavy oiling, (more than I probably needed), the wood actually expanded a bit and now the pins look counter-sunk. It's not ideal but if those pins ever begin to "catch" a towel or my hand,, I'll know it's definitely time to re-oil it. I'll be surprised if the epoxy is even still holding at that point lol
you don't have to apologize for anything man. Great video, keep up the good work.
Nice old knife but that handle could use some linseed oil.
When the wood on a handle begins to dry, it will shrink and that can cause problems.
The rivets on that handle will hold the handle together but once that wood dries out even more, the scales will begin to "rattle". This can be fixed with a little linseed oil on a folded-up paper towel.
I've been making knives a long time and Oak is what I've been using for all my handles just because it's plentiful around here.
Oil-sanding with linseed oil is my #1 preference because it pushes little pieces of that same wood's dust back into it's pores along with oil.
After that, you can wash that wood quite a bit in the sink and it's gonna be a long time before it needs to be oiled again.
Yeah, everything in this place gets dry as the sahara. Most of what I have is horn and it gets the neatsfoot oil treatment when it needs it be it scales or a strop and they stay trouble free. Don't think I have any linseed around but I may have something else to condition wood if I dig. The scales are honestly what let the Russell down, they are quite utilitarian to put it nicely. This knife honestly reminds me a lot of the full size chef's knives you see in us military surplus auctions. Nice steel and well made but a little thin in the full tang and a bit too chunky in the handle-probably in an attempt to retain the rigidity/durability characteristics they took away by saving metal. Little thin in the back of the bolster as well. It's like a cost engineered take on an old sheffield or sabatier knife.
@@kcb5150 Linseed doesn't "dry" and that's what makes it perfect for handles. Other oils will repel water but linseed can go that extra mile. It's the only oil to use on a guitar's fret-board albeit rare that they need to be oiled.
I bought a cheap Santoku blade-blank just because it's hard to beat $20 for a decent blade with a decent tang that has a real Oak handle on it.
Oil-sanded it once and despite washing it on a regular basis, it's been 6 years and it still doesn't look anywhere near ready to need more oil.
I used 1/4" brass pins instead of rivets and because I gave it a heavy oiling, (more than I probably needed), the wood actually expanded a bit and now the pins look counter-sunk.
It's not ideal but if those pins ever begin to "catch" a towel or my hand,, I'll know it's definitely time to re-oil it.
I'll be surprised if the epoxy is even still holding at that point lol