I was a rod building FB page and asked about sealing cork handles and Tru Oil was recommended.
That got me thinking. Tru Oil is basically linseed and "natural oils". I used to finish gun stocks with a blend of linseed and turpentine. That's what the old man used. I found it wasn't particularly durable as I needed to reapply every couple/three years, got tacky and white in the rain though it was easy to work with. I'm sure Tru Oil is a different blend and may not have some of the downside that the homebrew blend had.
However, I "graduated" to using tung oil. No need to blend, has a "harder" finish than linseed when dry and touches up easily and doesn't yellow. Tung is also recommended for marine environments. Might have to try one rod with some tung and see. Maybe I'll learn something
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