Hi Hacksaw,
Actually the D.H. Russell knife story turned out OK, I applied some type of oil to the bleached wood (it was at the work camp, I cannot remember what kind of oil it was) and kept right on using the knife with no ill effects.
Speaking of D.H. Russell #1's I bought a used one on an internet classified ad site last summer for $15.00, so I retired my old one from the Boy Scout Jamboree.
Later,
Mike