laminate kitchen knife handle refinish

[troyboy]

I have some laminate wooden knife handles that were not properly cared for. They are Chefco brand from the 70's and are good quality. What would be the best way to refinish/reseal these handles? They are not cracking shrinking or coming loose. I was thinking about sanding then waxing but am not sure what to use/ do.

[MaryB]

sand and seal with butcher block oil... or a good marine varnish

[Charley]

I use several coats of boiled linseed oil on my knife grips. Don't let them it in dishwater! Wash, rinse, and dry them after use. I use Green Rivers for all my kitchen work, as well as for my hunting knives, inexpensive and good.

[fryboy]

laminate usually means phenolic impregnated ,aka wonderwood/diamond wood/etc ,usually birch with some color added and the resin
there isnt much that will actually refinish it persay , most any light oil ( even bacon grease ) will soak into the worn spots a wee bit ,lacking butcherblock oil mineral oil will work and be food safe , so will crisco , keep in mind that most oil finishes need a bit of elbow grease eg; rubbing the heck out of it , not sure i'd sand it unless really bad ( tends to scratch the rivets ) , steel wool and then buff it perhaps ( with a close colored compound ) followed by oil of choice ( or whatever's handy ) and more rubbing :P

[quickdraw66]

Give them a decent sanding with progressively finer grit sandpaper, and finish up with an oil finish. That's the easiest way. Try to use an oil that is food safe. While this is not imperative since the wood shouldn't come into much contact with the food, it's still a good precaution. Butcher Block Oil, or Mineral Oil are good choices. I would do one of those and finish up with either Bees Wax or Carnauba Wax to make the finish a little more water resistant. The good thing about an oil finish is that they are easy to repair. The bad thing is, they are not very water resistant at all. The wax will help that a bit. Just don't soak them for awhile or throw them in the dish washer.

Do not use anything with varnish in it. Some oil finishes have varnish added to them to make them tougher. That's fine for furniture, but not for something that will come into contact with food. Varnishes can have some nasty chemicals in them. Minwax Tung Oil Finish is just one that comes to mind.

Here's a guide to help you pick a finish.

http://www.cuttingboard.com/blog/what-type-of-oils-are-safe-to-use-on-your-cutting-board/

[Elkins45]

JPW or mineral oil. Peanut oil is also a good choice.

[MaryB]

And no sharp knives should ever go in the dishwasher. They get banged around and it dulls them.

[Wayne Smith]

And no sharp knives should ever go in the dishwasher. They get banged around and it dulls them.

Actually Mary, its the changes in heat that does most of the dulling of a sharp knife. If this truly is phenolytic impregnated wood all it really needs is a good polish. There is no finish needed for plastics.

[M-Tecs]

Dishwashers are hard on sharp knives but changes in the heat from dishwashers has zero effect on the edges. Home dishwashers operate in the 130 to 170 range. The water with the detergent is abrasive and the normal banging around does the most damage to the edge.

[smokeywolf]

If the handles are a hardwood, coconut oil is one of the few oils that won't go rancid.