Examples of the aging and maintenance of wooden tableware (oil finish)
Wooden tableware can be used continuously without regular maintenance. However, with oil finishes, maintenance helps the wood maintain an appropriate level of oil and moisture, preventing warping and cracking, as well as making it more resistant to stains and discoloration. The owner's favorite finishing method is this oil finish. Glass paint finishes, which have a thin coating, can also be maintained in the same way.
(Please also see " How to use wooden tableware .")
Please take a look at the photo of a spoon with an oil finish made by Nakatsuka-san, which the shop owner personally uses. (Currently, this product is finished with a glass coating, but the maintenance method is the same.) The photos show the spoon at two different stages: one taken about 10 years ago when it was first purchased (first photo), and another taken after about a year of not having been maintained (photos 2-5).
It was a little fuzzy, so I sanded it with 320-grit sandpaper on this day. (If it is not fuzzy, sanding is not necessary. Just rub in oil as described below.)
If you want an even smoother finish, increase the sandpaper number.
Rub the oil into the surface. If wood dust is a concern, wash it with water and let it dry first. Here, I used perilla oil. The amount of oil needed for maintenance depends on how much the wood absorbs, but if you rub it in with your bare hands, just a little is enough. This time, I used about one drop per spoon. The amount shown in the photo was enough to maintain two spoons.
After rubbing in the oil, the maintenance is complete. Let it dry for about a day before using it.
This spoon was probably blackened on the bottom because it was left in the sink after the oil had worn off. Stains like this cannot be removed by sanding the surface with sandpaper, but since it is for personal use, the shop owner doesn't mind.
The next photo shows Hirota-san’s bread plate (large). (Our product, the “Square Serving Plate,” is based on this design.) This plate has also been used for nearly ten years. The shop owner maintains it about once a year (if you can do it more frequently, that's even better), but some areas have dried out and turned white.
For plates like this, oil is usually rubbed in without sanding. The corners tend to lose oil more easily and turn white, but applying oil helps strengthen the entire piece.
Depending on the wood species and finish, the wood may become fuzzy soon after you start using it. The following photo shows the wood in a fuzzy state. The photo shows Miyazono-san's baby, made of oak. Oak gives off a heavy, dignified atmosphere, but it is also a material that is prone to fuzzing.
Protect the urushi-coated areas with masking tape or something similar before sanding with sandpaper.
The following photo shows the item after lightly sanding with 400-grit sandpaper and washing it with water. After this, as mentioned earlier, apply oil and the process is complete.
Depending on the wood species and finish, stains may appear soon after you start using it. The next photo shows stains caused by simmered food. The photo shows Takasu-san's bowl, the first one is Kaba (Japanese birch) and the second one is Sen (Japanese Kalopanax).
Since it was not fuzzy, I did not use sandpaper but simply rubbed in perilla oil. This alone made the stain almost invisible. Also, by continuing this kind of care, the wood will gradually develop a glossy, rich appearance and become more resistant to staining.
The following photos show another piece by Nakatsuka-san, a spatula. The photos compare its condition at the time of purchase and after years of use. Since the spatula is coated with cooking oil during use, the shop owner rarely performs maintenance on it. If maintenance is needed, the procedure is the same as for the spoon mentioned earlier.
This kind of aging process is the charm of wooden tableware with an oil finish (or a thin glass coating finish). The edges tend to dry out or wear down, turning whitish. The same goes for scratches. Also, if the tableware is left in contact with metal while absorbing moisture, it will turn black. The whitish parts can be restored with care, but the darkened parts are difficult to restore because they have already discolored. However, I think this is actually a character that comes from continued use.
This time, I took care of the tableware in order to take the photo, but even if the oil has worn off, it can still be used without any problems. As a rather lazy person, I continue using it for quite a long time in the state it was in before maintenance.
If you like to take care of your tableware, I recommend wooden tableware with this finish. If you take good care of it, the color will deepen over time, and you will grow to love it more and more.
I hope you enjoy watching it age gracefully.