OSMO Top Oil Satin

I am so happy with OSMO top oil! We have oak butcher block countertops in our kitchen, and I had been oiling/waxing them with a combination of mineral oil and beeswax. I loved the look and the ease of application, but if a drop of water wasn't wiped up immediately (within 30 seconds to a minute), it would soak through the wax, leaving a faded mark and actually raising the grain. I would then have to sand the spot and reapply the oil and wax. It was a pain, and I was constantly nervous about setting anything down on the countertops, and following behind everyone with a towel in case they splashed, dripped, or spilled anything. The osmo oil keeps the look of the oiled and waxed wood. It's really natural looking, which is what I wanted, and has a very soft sheen. Best of all, water wipes up like a dream, even if it gets left for several hours!! I was still nervous at first, but tentatively began "testing" it by not wiping up around the sink until I was actually done with the dishes, instead of lunging for a towel every time I saw a drip. My kitchen is now functional again, but still has the warmth and beauty that the wood countertops give it. Since my original application, I've touched up a spot where I had a pretty good scratch: it took about a minute to lightly sand and apply to the scratch, and it blends right in. This product has been such an awesome find. I wasn't sure that I would be able to use it, at first, since I had already oiled and waxed my countertops, but one of the distributors had a little note on their website that said you could apply over existing oil or wax, but just had to sand lightly first. I sanded with 150 grit and 180 grit. The instructions on the can aren't super clear, and I made the mistake of applying the product too thickly on the first coat and it dried with brush marks in it. I then had to sand it to smooth it. When the instructions say "remove excess", it means wipe it well with a lint-free cotton cloth.Here's what I found worked best for me: First, I taped off my backsplash and around my sink and stove, etc. I applied the oil quickly and thinly using a white 3M finishing pad I purchased from Lowes, just tipping it onto the pad when I needed more. (They came in a pack of two pads, and I cut them into quarters so I they were smaller and so that I had a fresh one for each coat). As quickly as possible after applying a section, I wiped down the area with a lint free cotton cloth, almost buffing it in so that it's only a very light coating. I applied in the evening so it could dry overnight. This oil has a rather long drying period between coats, but the end result is worth having your kitchen upended for 24 to 48 hours. I ended up doing 4 coats because I messed up the first coat, but I think I would have been fine with 3. I just wanted to be extra sure I wouldn't have trouble with water. I wiped down the surface with a tack cloth between coats. You could also sand with super fine sandpaper if you want to make it extra smooth. I wore rubber gloves, because it is sticky on your hands and doesn't wash off easily. The smell isn't too strong, but you will want to have adequate ventilation. The coverage was much more than the specs said. I still have a third of a can, and hopefully it will still be good in 6 months or a year when I give it a quick maintenance coat if it needs it. I don't normally leave reviews, but I am very pleased with this product and when I was researching it I couldn't find a lot of information or personal experiences, so I wanted to give mine in case anyone else is wondering about it. I highly recommend it!

This is a wonderful product. I used it on a walnut butcher block bar top and shelves made from the same material. It transforms the unfinished grayish dry wood into a gorgeous and warm wood that looks absolutely natural. I cannot believe how easy it was to apply, and I have no experience with this type of thing.The product support is also excellent. I talked to both the seller and directly to someone at OSMO in their Seattle office, just to get advice and make sure I would know what to do. First we prepared the wood by sanding it lightly. This has always sounded like a lot of work to me, but it was very quick. We used the finest sandpaper and applied only minimal pressure.The OSMO rep advised me that walnut is different from other woods and to make it impervious to water, we should also apply using sandpaper to seal up the pores. (The seller did not think this was really necessary in his experience, but we did it anyway to be on the safe side.) To apply, I would shake the can, pour some into a paint tray, wet the sandpaper, and then sand the wood with it. I used a sandpaper holder to make it easier. Application was so easy that the hardest part was replacing out the sandpaper. The finish gets sticky, so wipe off excess from the sander. We did this for 2 applications. For the 3rd coat, I applied with cotton rags, using the same method of dipping it into a tray with the finish. After that, we buffed with dry, clean rags.Here are some tips I wish I knew before:- Don't put too much into the paint tray at once but also not too little. When you add more, mix it in. Otherwise, as it dries you get a thick film covering the tray.- Clean tools between applications otherwise same issue with dried finish.- A few times I dripped some onto the wall or the floor and just wiped off with a rag. This seemed fine because it looked transparent. But it left a faint residue that was been impossible to remove. This was my fault though and I do not fault the product. If anything, it gives me confidence about its protective properties.- We had a butcher block that I was applying it that had been sitting around unfinished and had become quite dry. When applying, I tried to put an even, equal amount of (thin) coat everywhere but actually different parts of the wood requires different amounts of the finish depending on how dry it is. Sometimes it didn't look completely even to me but I thought that it was drying at different rates and would look even after it was all dry. This did not happen. The better way is to make sure it looks even AFTER it's had a few minutes to soak which means some parts might require more finish.- Make sure to buff with clean cloth after final application. This made a big difference.It has been 2 months. Every time we do the dishes water splashes all over the bar. We just dry it off with a towel. It has not affected the finish at all. Everyone who has come over has commented on how beautiful the wood is. Picture with the level is "before".