Finishing hickory and osage? I'm getting ready to finish 2 hickory and 1 osage.  I've used regular polyurethane in the past.  Works OK n hickory, but what about on the osage?  How long will tongue oil last on osage?  Thanks, friends.

Most guys use tru oil. I'm gonna start using a massey finish. don't know about tung oil but someone will be along shortly that does.

Poly works fine on osage but not as durable as other finishes IMO

I use Tru Oil on all my bows and Tung oil on my shafts. I am finishing a bow right now with Tung Oil. So far so good. Lots of people finsih bows with Tung Oil already, Im no pioneer!

I've used wipe on poly, tung oil, and tru-oil.  Tru-oil is my favorite.  Just wipe it on with my finger and burnish with steel wool if I want the shine reduced.

The Massey finish is near impervious.  Applying it is tricky though.  The several times I have used it, it came out a bit funny looking from me double wiping it.  Mostly this is a problem of the user and not the finish!

I like tru oil also.  Don't think it has near the moisture resistance that some others have.

I've used only Teak oil and i love it.  It is mostly tung oil, with a few additives.  It gives the hickory white wood a little color and a nice glow.  Done right, it can waterproof your bow, though i still put wax over it.  Easy application and almost foolproof;)

I use the Formby's brand as well. Never knew there was a diff VB. Thanks for the learnings.

I've used everything from paraffin to various "oils" to polys to high end Thunderbird Endurance Epoxy sprayed on with an HPLV gun.  As a do-it-yourselfer, though, I've come full circle and prefer Minwax Helmsman spar urethane in the spray cans.  Durable, fast and easy to apply, and no cleanup.  I use 5 or 6 coats of gloss, followed by 2 coats of satin.  Looks smooth and lovely with osage and hickory.

I like to use a mix of 50/50 poly/mineral spirits.  I wipe it on in thin coats.  Very easy to apply.

I use tongue oil only. The type you wipe on, wait 6 - 7 mins then buff off. Dry 24 hours and recoat. I do 4 or 5 coats. No dust, no runs.

I am a rank beginner, but here goes. I have used tung, poly and Tru-Oil. Like poly the best for being tough.

I recently read that John Strunk uses 5-7 coats of varathane.

Shellac gives a great finish. Very easy to apply, fast drying ( only a few minutes), and is an excellant moisture barrier, and is east to repair if scratched or chipped.