What to coat wood tool holders

[PixMan]

If oak is such a bad idea for tools, why has it become the far most popular choice in the Gerstner toolboxes? They do offer walnut, cherry, and hickory though the ones I most commonly see in the used market are oak.

[f350ca]

Oak and walnut contain tannin, when moisture contacts the tannins you get tannic acid. If steel contacts green oak when sawing it you get an almost instant purple stain in the wood, in the cabinet shop a clamp in contact with water based glue gives the same purple stain in the wood and the clamp goes black.
If the cabinet is properly sealed and stays dry you'd be fine. But why take the risk.

[Roadracer_Al]

(10-04-2015, 08:37 AM)PixMan Wrote: If oak is such a bad idea for tools, why has it become the far most popular choice in the Gerstner toolboxes?

Because they're finished inside and out to isolate the tools from the bad effects of the acids in oak.

It would have to be a very durable finish, IMHO.