Dave, That was an outstanding video presentation! So simple and easily understood. You could not have done any better. Senior outdoorsman... Ronald, Orlando FL.

I apologise in advance for the length of this comment & I'm sorry to contradict you & the info you shared on your video but... I'm certain it may be worth your while to read my comment in its entirety. Take it from an older dude like myself. I've been a carpenter for over 30 yrs & have been messing in the woods since I can remember. You pretty much have it backwards. The raw linseed oil which is just flax oil will penetrate the deepest into the structure & fibres of the wood. This is because it takes far longer to dry & thus has more time to penetrate. Boiled linseed oil is not really what it sounds like. It is not flax oil that has only been boiled. It contains harmful chemicals & petroleum based products & that is why it mixes so well with mineral spirits like paint thinner. By mixing boiled linseed oil with paint thinner, you are not only diluting it & its effectuality but you are causing it to evaporate much more quickly & as a result it doesn't have the time to penetrate the wood very deep before it dries. You are basically applying a surface coating. Boiled linseed oil on its own dries slower & thus penetrates deeper & provides more protection & a longer lasting finish. Raw linseed oil which again is nothing more than natural flax oil takes far longer to dry & ultimately provides more protection through deeper absorption due to the extended drying time. It also gives you that "buttery" old school grandpa's finish you mentioned. So many KZfaqrs espouse their use of boiled linseed oil but are not aware of these differences & the toxicity of what they are using. Mind you, I have used it for years on many wooden handle tools but have been aware of this just as I am about other products on the market for preserving & finishing wood. You will also want to & actually need to apply several coats of either choice for adequate protection. The only difference in application is to let boiled linseed oil or any blend thereof with paint thinner to dry between coats & lightly sand with very fine grit paper or steel wool between coats. With raw linseed oil, you do not want to let it dry between coats although this isn't prohibitive in the process as it takes so much longer to dry. What you want to do is keep applying coats until the wood no longer appears to be capable of soaking in any more oil. When this happens, let the last coat completely dry & then use steel wool or very fine sand paper & apply another coat. Let completely dry & then just use steel wool & re-apply & repeat one or two or three more times. It is very time consuming but the end results will be a beautiful, luxurious finish that has almost turned the wood to a solid resin that will provide years of protection. Don't get me wrong, I like & still use boiled linseed oil on most of my wooden handled tools but reserve the true gems & heirloom quality axes, chisels, wooden planes etc for raw linseed oil. Sorry this was so long but I trust perhaps shines a little light on this matter for you & your viewers. You may also want to check out Skillcut's channel here on KZfaq. He is the only other person I have come across who is also in the know about these oils. Search for his videos about how he oils his handles. He has a few different ones. Just know that he is a little eccentric in a harmless "Techno Viking" sort of way but also very knowledgeable. He also has some good things to say about the thickness, length & shape of axe handles which I agree with. If you are not familiar with "Techno Viking" just google him & you'll see what I mean as far as a slight resemblance & it may bring you a little chuckle. My work here is done. All the best wth your axes. I quite liked the classic True Temper ones. Cheers.

I forego the boiled, mostly because of the toxic metals, but also theoretically at least, because of the reduced curing time. I use raw and sometimes sun thickened. For me it's about both penetration and saturation. Deep is one thing, but to have the wood filled with oil pretty deeply, which then cures is my ideal. It takes time and also very temperature dependent. to get them where I want them takes pretty large amounts of oil, but I don't do it that deep on all tools.

I've been using boiled linseed with some paint thinner (70% oil/30% thinner approx) for years and I like the results on old handles and new.

Well, I am five years late to the party, but axe handles (and a bow saw) are the questions I walked in with, and you answered them very nicely. Thanks!

I like these random but super handy kind of videos that you upload. about the chainsaws, the knives and even fixing the cars.

Really cool channel ! Axes videos are always welcomed

I do a fire finish with a torch prior to boiled linseed oil. The hot handle soaks it up. Fire finish looks better and helps seal the handle.

Now this is how a quality video is supposed to be! Thank you sir!

I switched to RLO after the BLO kept gooping up in my wood polish mixes. I absolutely love it. Takes a little getting used to in the application, but I think it's worth it. Plus, no more gooping up. :)

Great video. My grandad taught us to used boiled linseed oil applied to a new handle once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and then once a year.

Thank you for testing this so I didn't need to.

Loving your videos man! They are unique and informative. Keep up the good work 😎

Great comparison, thank you!

Very pragmatic video. Funny to watch a video where someone does NOT give you an answer to the question .... but at the same time provides all of the solutions you need. Thank you.

We've only ever used BLO, we'll have to try out the 50/50 mix. Great video Dave!

Bob Ross wud be proud of ur brush stroke skilz! Thanks for the tips!

Love you vids my friend, thanks.

Enjoyed your video and didn't realize there were so many different opinions on this simple task. I have been restoring/preserving old handles for years as well of taking care of the occasional new one. What my main go to is boiled Linseed oil cut with Thompsons water seal. Seems to soak in better than the thinner and does a great job. The other things I don't hear much talk about but work great is Orange oil which is like a furniture cleaner and restorer. It really soaks in. The other is pine tar. Really works good for handles that see alot of outside elements. Thanks for the great video.

Great stuff!

Thanks this is exactly what i needed. and along with Imightberiding's input, which essentially agrees with your final assessment but for different reasons, i'm confident i'm doing the right thing.

started using a similar mix, boiled linseed, turpentine, and pine tar all in equal parts. great finish.

Been using raw all my life and always find it the best for this job. And I been doing it 60 years

I use choji oil. It does the job. A few coats in a few days. And watch the handle shine and become and feel more sturdy.

by the way if you ever use raw tung oil, make sure and warm up the handle a bit (like a few feet in front of a heater/fireplace or about a foot above an electric oil radiator heater) and warm up the oil a little to help it soak in and penetrate better. It’s the absolute best finish though IMO. Make sure to wipe it until there’s basically nothing left each time. There’s still an extremely thin coat even if you think you are wiping it all off. and some sinks in. Less and less sink in obviously with additional coats. Eventually you can use a fingernail sized bot of tung oil to do a coat once it’s built a decent coat on in already. And then you have something that you simply can’t buy in a store period. The brand I happen to use is called “The Real Milk Paint Co.”. It’s amazing stuff.

I've used boiled linseed on anything from a hammer handle to a AK furniture. I do add more about every 3 months or so, because it can go rotten after awhile

Thanks Dave. I just did all mine last week. Keep'em coming brother! -Stephen, Ohio

Raw flaxseed oil is all I've used through the years, and love the final product!

Pure tung oil (not tung oil finish; it usually contains NO tung oil) it the best, and must durable. Best looking too. First coat cut 50% with turpentine, then full strength the next day. Rub it off fully after 30 mins. 3rd day see if it will take more; if it does, it will be a tiny amount. Same process for raw linseed works well too. 1 part oil (either type) 1 part turpentine, and on part bees wax heated together makes a great handle, steel, and leather protector.

Nice comparison. Well done! I’m a boiled man, myself.

Old grey hair I know he would take the pommel end and stand the handle up in raw for about half a day. Swore by this with the idea that it would suck oil way down deep into the core of the handle. No clue if there is a gram of truth to this but the guy knew his shit about more things than most folk I've known. I did change from boiled to raw after splitting with his axe for a day. Jeez Louise you ain't kidding about it feeling like grandpa's old axe. Like a Werther's Original in front of a fireplace and a good story sitting on pa pas lap level of comfort

I’ve always thinned the first coat of boiled linseed oil 50/50 with mineral spirits to get it deep into the wood, followed by a seccond, and maybe a third coat with progressively less mineral spirits. Do you think there is much of a difference with the paint thinner?

A follow up this summer to see how they held up would be interesting.

BLO already has thinners in it. Typically thinner is usually added to the raw oils to aid drying and penetration.

Boiled Linseed Oil has some accelerant in it that might be harmful with continued contact with the skin. I now use raw cut with Bio Turpentine and Pine Tar (equal parts). Pine Tar is an old Scandinavian treatment typically what they used on Nordic Skis and tool handles. I use this on axes hammers and vintage shovel handles. I apply it when the weather is hot and dry and leave it to air dry for best results. Some woods are more absorbent than others, I rub it in with a rough cloth.

Thanks for the comparison. Very interesting. Have you tried thinning either linseed oil with turpentine?

I used 50/50 ( boiled linseed oil and extra virgin olive oil) on a carpenter's axe and it looks amazing.

I've recently discovered and have been using a 50/50 mix of Boiled Linseed Oil and Pine Tar. A little goes a long way. This mixture provides a little darker finish and leaves a non slip, tactile but not sticky grip. I wipe it on with my fingers, not to excess, let it sit a few hours and then wipe off all the excess again with my fingers, finishing with rag. It's a great non slick water repellent finish.

Hey Dave and yt people, so I I am a doctor practicing natural medicine and for me I would so much rather just use the substance with the least amount of added solvents and chemical compounds in favor of the initial chemistry of raw linseed oil which of course is so much better for the human body when absorbed through our skin. Granted nobody is going to send them self into severe illness just by holding and swinging an ax handle and absorbing the chemicals in the so-called boiled linseed oil or other solvents, but of course we also know the things add up, including toxic stressors to the body. Anyway, I found some raw food grade quality flaxseed oil, which as we know is linseed oil, and used this on an ax handle I had restored. In terms of its finish on the handle, it performed flawlessly. I also found that it did not take a prolonged period of time to dry. I applied it once per day for a week, once per week for a month, and a couple of times thereafter, and i felt it dried and sealed just like it should.

A+ for the Boss Ross reference.

Thanks Dave. I'm gonna try the raw linseed oil. I've used it boiled and mixed 50/50 with pine tar thinned with turpentine (pine tar being not just for horses' hooves, but for baseball bats, also, I guess...got the idea from Logcabinlooms, if you're unfamiliar). I love the look and the feel of it (and the wonderful pine tar smell, of course). But I think I'll be trying the raw linseed like you've shown us on my next cheapie Collins (20 dollar axe becomes a gem, lol). Thanks so much for the schooling. :D Always appreciated.

The darker it is, the deeper it went. And the faster it dries, the least time it gets to soak in. I finish my rifle stocks with raw linseed for this very reason. I like them a little darker too.

Thanks a ton for this video...I was going to finish an axe handle now and had only raw linseed oil at hand. Glad that I made the right choice!

Dave. Excellent video. What oil would you use on other weathered shovel, rakes and spade wooden handles that have seen exposure to the elements. need best choice that will not necessarily restore the wood but preserve the remaining wood. Thanks for the best learning vids I've seen.

The raw linseed works best for soaking the axe. I do it with all my new axes. It has no additives to make it cure so it continues to soak into the wood for maximum penetration. I usually soak mine new for about a week. Take it out, let it drip dry then rub the hell out of it. Time consuming but long lasting and awesome results every time.

Can you do a combination where you use the 50/50 BLO mix first to get it to soak in deep and then use the raw on top of that before the 50/50 mix dries?

I've never used anything but the boiled, I might just give the 50/50 a shot though, if it has a wooden handle I coat it, lol, just wish a lot of manufacturers would stop varnishing their handles, way too much sanding for my liking, thanks for the video.

I used turpentine/linseed mixture to coat a thin wooden bow. Starting with 90/10, to really let it soak in. I ended up with a 0/100% for the final finish. it takes a lot of time, but it gave me a perfect finish

I have used raw linseed oil for years. It takes longer to apply. Use several light coats, too thick an application just gums up the surface. Let it soak in and dry a bit then rub it in with a course lint free rag. Rub hard enough to heat it up a little and smooth it out. Then put on another coat. Feels good to the hand and blisters less. Renew atleast once a year. Put a little linseed oil on the part of handle that goes into the tool when you assemble it helps it slip in and protects the hidden part of the handle. Linseed oil rags and brushes can start a fire don't wad them up. Spread them out to dry in a safe place or keep them covered with linseed oil in an air tight container.

Don't neglect the top of the axe...keeps the head tight.

great vid, thanks

Big fan of boiled linseed oil, I use it on all my handles once a year. I feel like the only reason to cut it with thinner would be if the handles were on tools that could be exposed to grease/oil. But I may be wrong. Thoughts? TFS

Really useful video and comments. Answers everything I need to know, so thanks ....and BTW, who's the soundtrack?

I have been watching lots of your and Mrs. Radical’s content for two months now. Super great stuff!!! You were my favorite team on season 4 of alone. So I bought an axe off Craigslist for $15 (he only want $10 but he seemed nice). The axe is just a used Lowe’s axe. Nothing special for a guy that only use wood in my fire pit. Question is, why does the axe head look wet and smell like motor oil? I wiped most of it off. Is that a good thing? I also just watched this video and wanted to ask how to clean up the handle (or not) before putting raw or boiled linseed oil on the handle. Up where the handle enters the axe head there is some motor oil form the axe head. Will that affect anything?

I have 3 different style axe heads to do.I trust your test because I have never done it. My question is why not coat the handles before putting the heads on? Rot, or create a bad fit between wood and steel? Thanks. Love your videos. Seems like your a no b.s. guy. Refreshing. Dave

Raw for me I think. Did use Teak oil as well but that ran out and I thought I'd try the raw linseed and the drying time isn't actually a huge amount longer as in days rather than weeks. Also raw Linseed is the classic in England as it's used for Cricket bats.

Here, boiled linseed oil is easier to get - any hardware store. I always figured anything is better than nothing, and the boiled linseed oil has always delivered for me.

Bathe/soak wood in raw linseed oil and thinner mix first 1:1, then 2:1, 5:1, 10:1 mix ratios (always add more oil to the mix) for as long as you can bathe the wood in it. If you canmot bathe the part then rub in and layer the mix thick onto surface with a brush, when it starts to gum the surface wipe it off immediately. Wait to dry, then get the next more oily mix treatment until the wood cannot soak in any more. Before oiling it's better to treat planed material, if sanded, do not go to fine sanding before the first oiling, leave the wood fibres more open to hidration. After 1-2 treatment and complete dryout you can sand it fine and do the oiling again.

Bob Ross! I love it!

I was wondering if tung oil is a good thing to use on axe handles. I have used it on furniture that I have made. Thanks!

Is that Ash or Hickory? Leave oils days, weeks to dry. I do my handles end of season then a couple of weeks before start of season.

Raw linseed oil needs couple days at LEAST to dry properly

I scrolled down a bit and didn't see these questions so I guess I'm gonna be the dumb one, You sealed these AFTER you put the head on, and you DIDN'T SEAL the head end, so what keeps the wood from rotting inside the head? I get that a lot here in the humid Mississippi air.

Dave, what brand of handle do you like to buy, and where do you buy them?

Which one would you recommend for my cheap guitar kit. It's basswood body and maple neck?

Would raw with paint thinner be a good choice

Hi Bushradical, I am thinking using Raw Linseed Oil but am not sure if I will have a sticky handle after applying it. Do you know of any ways to avoid a sticky handle with Raw Linseed Oil?

how often do you have to do this to walking sticks (Blackthorn)

One flaw in this test is that you're using the same method and giving the same curing time for 3 different mixtures I imagine to reach their full potential they'd each need a different treatment

Great experiment and much appreciated . I'll send you a pint of my top secret wood treatment . It's only $500 per pint .

I like boiled for any wooden handle.

Paint thinner with boiled or raw linseed oil?

Try Birchwood Casey's 'Tru-Oil' - it is a very thick BLO with dryers - you can get it at any gun shop or sporting goods shop that handles guns - You will love the hard, strong finish.

"beat the Devil out of that brush"

Did you find you Raw Linseed Oil being sticky

I wonder how long raw linseed oil takes to dry to the 100% polymerized point.

I have used boiled linseed oil for many years. Probably since mid 70s. I have used it to preserve wooden tools and some metal items, such as, old spurs that I've found, and hung on the wall. Mostly I've used it on fancy gunstocks that I've made. But on a gunstock you only run in a few small drops, at a time, and wait 12 to 14 days, then do it again, at least 5 times. Sometimes 10 or more. The finish it all in the wood. No build up. It is fantastic. I have used a few synthetic finishes, and even tung oil. But boiled linseed oil is the best, bar none.

does wood stain provide any protection to the wood? and like LIN OIL, would stain also cause the wood to expand a bit, tightening up a loose head ?

I tried to buy raw linseed oil today and was told it can’t be sold in California any longer! Plenty of BLO though.... but that’s about right I guess!

when you have put the boiled linseed oil on. mix 40% linseed oil, 40%beeswax, and 20% parrafin wax. heat in a pan and mix. leave to cool then apply, leave for a short while then buff with cloth!

7:55 that's what wife said now I got three kids

Next time make sure you coat the axe heads also!

Raw linseed oil for me. One coat, set it aside to dry for a full day. _Maybe_ a bit longer. I don't mess with boiled linseed oil. Raw is safe. Boiled, isn't. Those with more than a bit of experience using it, know what I mean.

I cut my boiled linseed oil with mineral spirits. Thin coat that dries fast!

Did you prep and sand the handle whatsoever?

From this perhaps this would be the ideal way to treat a new handle: 1) apply linseed oil mixed with paint thinner, 2) after that dries, apply a coat of boiled linseed oil, and 3) apply a coat of raw linseed oil.

the thinner each coat the better.

Canadian?

Show them after 1 year of use

i think what made the real difference is you was singing while aplying the raw linseed oil

I allow the handle to drink up as much raw linseed oil as it will take!!!

Now why is paint thinner even considered???

Well Dave when I was a young teenager we did something different. 1/3 raw linseed oil, 1/3 turps, 1/3 boiling water. Weird isn't it? I thought so but who was I to argue with my beloved Grandfather. In any event by the time I was tasked with caring for the tools, he had been doing it for 20 years. The method of application was 0000 steel wool dipped in the solution and then rub the handles of the axe, adze, scythe, high wheel cultivator, shovels, spades and rakes. By the time I got to the end of the row I only had to wait a half hour and then I took a piece of old Turkish towel and wiped everything down. The tools were as smooth as a baby's butt. I was scolded the first year when I pulled out a pair of gloves: "What's the problem? Didn't you properly treat the handles in the fall and spring?" Back on the bench went the gloves. I NEVER got a blister. I think the hot water was to enable me to get the dirt off the handles. I don't know, it was 60 years ago. But I really thank you for the video. I am retired and partially disabled so I have new tools that need the handles to be sanded and then oiled. I will use raw linseed oil and turps to cut it a bit to start and then just raw -- but I will stick with 0000 steel wool. I built a 12' bookcase unit and finished it with Danish oil. After 10 years we had to do some work on the room so I disassemble the unit and moved it to the garage. There was sun fading on it but I took that Danish oil and, yes, 0000 steel wool and put three coats on it. WOW!!! Not really good for tools but great for furniture. As to the fellow who would not use boiled linseed oil, I thank him for his comments. The beauty of these "teaching" channels is the warm exchange of ideas an opinions. Thanks again.

try doing it in a warm place and cure it a week................

why paint thinner and not turpentine? why not fix'n wax, bees wax, turpentine and linseed oil, an equal mesaure of each has been used as a wood finish for a very long time. linseed oil takes 3 days to dry .. i bet if you use a thin mix to get the finish to sink in deeper, then raw on top.. will give you a good finish..then if you need it to be a little sticky,, after it is all dried out.. a little bees wax on top .. now you are water resistant.. all 3 finishes work.. seal up those end grains...

Just remember, it's an axe handle and not your decking so no need to oil the thing every 5 minutes. People are taking this axe oiling thing waaaay to far.

Tung oil, i put that sh1t on everything

Cringe. Uses a brush on the two oils that aren't poisonous and gets the nasty boiled linseed oil all over the hands. Dude, wear gloves when you mess with that stuff. Better yet, don't mess with it at all. It's full of solvents, heavy metals and various other unhealthy shit. Use the raw linseed oil or raw flax oil. Same same.