It looks stunning with the oil. Where did you source it?

This is coming from someone with lots of experience in this area. By the way - gorgeous countertop!

Do not mix an oil finish with a film finish, if not done properly and with the right products, it is a disaster. Choose one or the other. I am a fan of oil or oil like finishes because they enhance the beauty of the wood, and don't put a layer of film between my hand and the wood. I like to feel the wood not the finish. Plus, I am lazy and oil finishes are dead easy to maintain, the kids can do it. I had my daughter doing it when she was 7. Also any scratches and gouges can be easily repaired with an oil finish: sand, re-oil, done!

1) Mineral oil is food safe. But it evaporates rather than 'bonds' with the wood, so it needs to be reapplied pretty regularly. Pretty simple, I keep a rag in a jar under the sink with some mineral oil in it, and wipe down my chopping blocks now and then.

2) 100% pure beeswax when gently and lovingly rubbed into the wood will slowly soak in and provide a smooth silky finish on top. Plus the smell is pretty nice. Beeswax will need to be reapplied periodically as the top layer will wear away.

3) 100% pure tung oil (not the stuff at your local hardware store which is adulterated) is food safe. It bonds to the wood, it is highly waterproof, and requires the least amount of maintenance. It will darken the wood over time. But, you cannot store it. Buy and use the amount you need and then dispose of the rest.

4) You can use any other oils and film finishes you like, if the countertop will not come into direct contact with food. I'm not sure if black walnut should come into direct contact with food, as I recall it has a higher toxicity level than other woods like maple. Research that if you plan to use it for any chopping.

IMHO you definitely want to stay away from a "surface finish" such as polyurethane, lacquer, etc...

A natural oil, as you've started with is probably your best approach because of it's reparability and ease of maintenance.
Tung oils are one approach, however some definitely have a less than attractive odor, and can be costly to boot.

Obviously, I'm in the floor biz... but we manufacture a lot of walnut flooring and are familiar with it's tendencies.
Even though it's a HARDWOOD... it's not the HARDEST hardwood... but it's unequaled in the sheer beauty department. I'd recommend treating it like a fine piece of furniture.

The key to ANY of the oil approaches is to develop a good saturation through several heavy applications... and keep it up with periodic re-applications. (as needed)

I think that by using simple "mineral oil", you'll find it cost effective as well as easy to apply... which will take the sting out of more frequent applications.
The real plus to this approach is that you can easily change your mind later on, if it's not to your liking.
Repairs= easy
Maintenance= easy
Cost= reasonably painless
There are several other options to consider, and I can suggest them if you wish.
david@selecthardwoodfloor.com

Good luck... the top looks great, BTW!

These are STUNNING! I'm ordering my character walnut butcher block today...my samples look like the OP's first photos. I hope it turns out half as gorgeous as these! I was planning on waterlox, which is a tung oil. Any opinions on that product?

I've heard good things about waterlox. I do think the application is far more complicated than pure tung oil. Applying the tung oil is a no brainer. Wipe it on, wipe it off. I save my husbands old cotton socks to use as applicator and to buff. Food safe and very durable. Water just beads right off. Good luck!

I am ready to seal my IKEA walnut counter top...I have read a zillion reviews and I am so confused. Do I need to sand top before I seal? What grit do I use? Do you sand between each application? If I apply tung oil will it prevent water warping around sink? Arrrrrghhhh.....please help, thanks, Jennifer

Hi!

Beautiful island top! I had great results with satin finish Waterlox. It is completely foodsafe and did not dry cloudy. I purchased it on waterlox.com.

Good luck!

JB

I have heard good things about Waterlox - but it depends on how you want to use the wood. If you want to be able to cut directly on the butcher block, I believe you can't seal it with anything other than mineral oil or beeswax (not sure about tung oil). If you don't want to cut on the surface, then you can go with anything you want!

We did not care for the satin finish Waterlox...didn't find it easy to use. But we loved the original finish, and did find that to be user friendly. Actually, after 2 years of use as our island counter (where we eat every meal and do homework, but do not cut directly upon), we just decided it was time to refinish it. There was a lot of scuff marks and some sharpie marks we wanted to remove, as well as a spot where some solvent had done a little damage. It was a pretty easy job to lightly sand and then apply two coats of the Waterlox. Looks great!

WOCA Worktop Oil is a penetrating oil finish designed for untreated or previously oiled/sanded wood counter top surfaces. The oil makes the surface highly water and dirt repellent. Use Worktop Oil Natural for dark and light wood species to enhance the beauty of the wood. Use Worktop Oil White, to lighten up the wood or give it a whitewashed effect. FDA approved for food safety. Application instructions

like it light

Where did you get the black walnut butcher block countertop? It's beautiful and exactly what I want for my island in new kitchen.

beautiful countertop I'm doing similar with Brazilian Oak I am curious what did you use for your other countertops? My kitchen cabinets are the same color . I'm using cork on the floor