Well I'll break in this new forum with some pictures of some of the knives I've restored. As most know I run a cook camp, I search the thrift stores and garage sales for decent knives to restore. I often get decent ones for a $1 or so. The best ones I keep for my home kitchen and my cook gear, others I pass on to friends that are seetting up a cook camp.
This is one of my keepers, paid 99 cents for it at a Goodwill, had some rust pitting and broken grips. It is a Russell Forge skinning knife like Dixie gun Works sells.
I put some nice Black Walnut grips on it.
After a summer in my camp the grips will take on a look to match the rest of the knife.
I also have found a perfect product to use on wood grips kitchen knives. I simply put coats of Canola Oil on them till they won't absorb any more. Rape seed oil which is what the stuff was called before it became a cooking oil, was used in some marine applications be cause it provides good protection from water. When washed it dish water it holds up far better tahn linseed oil and just needs a wipe down with a oily rag once it a while to keep the finish up.