Wood question

[brickman]

So i have access to some Red oak and White oak, and i was wondering, if i use this for knife handles and such does it need stabilized? Since it's a harder wood i wasn't sure, and then to piggy back on that, do you finish the wood first (i use linseed oil) then stabilize, or stabilize then finish?

[Steve Sells]

did  you miss the knife making class section,  also

 

[brickman]

15 minutes ago, Steve Sells said:

did  you miss the knife making class section,  also

 

Honestly overlooked it because i assumed it would be more about the blades than handles. Thanks for the redirect though, looking now.

[ThomasPowers]

Note too that some folks like stabilized handles and others don't like stabilized handles.  So your question is answered YES or NO depending on what the end user likes and wants. Also: What kind of use the item will get.  What kind of care it will get---kitchen knives I make tend to get micarta or corian handles as do other knives expected to use in and around water.  I tend to use stabilized materials when the starting material is friable or needs to be stabilized.  I'm more likely to stabilize red oak than white oak due to the grain and in general I just prefer a nearly infinite number of tung oil applications for my natural wood handles.