061211 1840 - mm posted:

What would you recommend to refinish a hammer handle?

I have an old ball peen hammer whose owner got it very dirty, with oil
even. Although I'm not complaining. He had the hammer for 20 to 50
years, and I got it free after he didn't need it anymore. I cleaned
all that off with a wire wheel. I'm thinking just rubbing in some
linseed oil would make it nice. What do you think?

If you're going to use it, then the linseed oil would work quite well. You
will still be able to hang on to it when you strike something, as opposed to
glazing the handle with polyurethane, or some other such substance. Ask a
carpenter house framer what kind of hammer handle he likes best. You'll
find that it is one with a rubber handle that he can hang onto, and
especially during cold weather.

If you're not going to use it anymore, and are going to display it in a
display case, then by all means, make it beautiful, like some of the Estwing
hammers I've seen, with the wrapped handles.