König Holz und Harz wood cream

[ChrisMorgan]

Hi everyone,
For a while I've been looking for a food safe finish I could use for things like cereal bowls, mugs etc and I came across this König Holz und Harz wood cream from Simon Hope. Seemed just what I was looking for, if rather expensive. But if it's as good as it suggests I thought it might be worth every penny. So I made a couple of cereal bowls in Beech. Followed the instructions carefully and applied 3 coats. Did a quick test, just pouring some water on and it did seem very waterproof, so yesterday I used one for my breakfast cereal (just cold milk and Weetabix). Rinsed it in cold water (no detergent) and left to dry.
Now both bowls I tried look like the finish has just washed off, with a clear difference between the areas that got wet and those that didn't.
They now look and feel like bare, unfinished wood. Rather disappointed to say the least, especially given the cost of it and the time it takes to apply.
I wondered if anyone else has tried this stuff and had better results than me?

[Twisted Trees]

Don't know what the "tree resin" component is, but raw linseed oil and beeswax will never harden good for chopping boards as long as you re-apply as needed and to be fair the list of applications does not cover cereal bowl which is a whole lot different to a salad bowl.

Only finish I can think of that will give the performance you want is plastic! in the form of Rustins Plasticoat

[Sandy]

Hi Chris,

They now look and feel like bare, unfinished wood. Rather disappointed to say the least, especially given the cost of it and the time it takes to apply.
I wondered if anyone else has tried this stuff and had better results than me?

I'm left wondering whether you've given Simon Hope feedback?  I've found him very honest, very knowledgable on the products he sells and woodturning in general and a really nice guy who's been more than helpful on queries I've had.

If you haven't I'd suggest you give Simon a call as he might spot something you may be overlooking or missing when applying the cream, however I'm not suggesting you have.  .

By the way, I have no association with Simon but I think it would be playing fair to Simon to give him the feedback on the product and the opportunity to offer a response to you

I'd looked at these products but like you felt they were expensive, so would be interested to know if you get a resolution to the issue you've described.

Kind regards

[Les Symonds]

I'm with Sandy on this...speak to Simon, he is one of those people whose heart is in his work and I have always found him to be honest and trustworthy. It must surely be more productive to speak to him than to air your concerns on an open forum.

Les

[ChrisMorgan]

Thanks for the replies.

I haven't tried contacting Simon yet. 

My post wasn't intended as a criticism or a review as such. Sorry if it came across that way. In fact I bought my lathe from Simon and several other things and have been more than happy with them and the service received.

I was simply wondering if anyone else had tried it and what results they achieved.
Chris

[Sandy]

Ah, good to hear that, Chris.

Would be nice to hear how you get on as it seems very strange the cream hasn't worked for you.  Think it's relatively new product for Simon to stock?

[Bill21]

I’d be inclined to do some research and see if you can make your own finish. From what I’ve seen it’s not difficult. I made some abrasive wax a while back and it worked very well and cost about 20% of the commercial stuff. Incredibly easy to make as well, I mixed it up in an old soup can!