Do you oil the wood handles of your brushes? It seems like a good idea to me. I have one I picked up a month or two ago, and another just came in this week. I am following an old rule if thumb I heard about oiling wood cutting boards: "once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and one a year for the rest of your life." (Obviously I'm not very far along in that process.) I'm just using olive oil, because I have it around, just rubbing it in with my fingers. I'm somewhat careful not to get oil in the knot.
I was given that same advice about oiling gun stocks, but I use Tung Oil. A trick I learned as a young man, from experienced Duck & Goose hunters is to put a good coat of Johnson's Paste Wax on the metal and wood. I have done with my wooden handle shave brushes and haven't had a lick of trouble over the past few years.
Auto Correction Correct drives me craze care crazy when I try two to type think thin things on my commuter compote computer!
Olive oil is not your best choice. It will go rancid. Also it can build up and get gummy and make the brush look dirty. Mineral oil can be picked up at any pharmacy. It is what is used to oil cutting boards. If you are going to go the oil route might not be a bad idea to grab some. Paste was is great as was mentioned. I use minwax or butchers bowling alley wax. Johnsons is good as well. Honestly if I have a wood handled brush that isnt finished I use a mix of mineral spirits, linseed oil and spar urethane and do about 5 thin coats. Looks amazing and lasts forever.
