Osmo in the US

[HowardH]

Peter Parfitt and others have been singing the praises of Osmo for a number of years. I was going to buy some and found a dealer over here but they no longer carry it stating a new product, Saicos Premium Hardwax Oil, is a superior product. Does anyone have any experience with this product and is Osmo still available somewhere in the states? 

 

[ChuckM]

Check Lee Valley as it offers free shipping for purchases over $40 or so.

 

[rvieceli]

[member=396]HowardH[/member]

Try Leslie at Heartwood Tools. I believe she has stock AND she's a nice person. Another plus is she's a Texan  [big grin]. She's in Georgetown just north of Austin.

Personally I like and use 3054 satin

Ron
https://www.heartwoodtools.com/osmofinishes

 

[HowardH]

[member=396]HowardH[/member]

Try Leslie at Heartwood Tools. I believe she has stock AND she's a nice person. Another plus is she's a Texan  [big grin]. She's in Georgetown just north of Austin.

Personally I like and use 3054 satin

Ron

Thanks!https://www.heartwoodtools.com/osmofinishes

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

I've been using Saicos for about a year or so now, and thus far I've been happy with it. I never tried Osmo, so I can't compare the two.

I have heard it said that the founders of Saicos had previously been at Osmo, but I don't have any info to back up that assertion.

I switch back and forth between Saicos and Rubio, depending on what the project calls for. Rubio has an enormous variety of tinted oils available, whereas the Saicos interior hw oil is only available in "pure", but it is available in a variety of sheens.

I've found that the Saicos oil doesn't "amber" lighter woods (Maple, Birch) as much as Rubio and other oils, so it's handy when matching existing pieces finished with a water-borne finish.

Application is similar to Rubio, but plan on two coats instead of the one with Rubio.

 

[Packard]

I’ve never used hard wax oil, so I did some Internet research.

Rubio and Bona seemed to be mentioned most often.  This purports to be a serious test of hard wax finishes, but it was conducted by a “.com”, a company with commercial interests in the results.  So read with that in mind.
https://napervillehardwood.com/blog/the-hardwax-oil-experiment-the-winner/

 

[pixelated]

Woodcraft carries Osmo, according to their website.

 

[Mortiser]

Rockler also carries Osmo, both in their stores and online. I think "over $40" gets free shipping. Osmo Hardwax Oil (PolyX) qualifies in that regard.

 

[simonh]

I've switched to Rubio from using Osmo for several years. I was very sceptical of the product claims of Rubio as it's very promoted on social media.  However, I've been impressed after using over 1.3litres of chocolate oil 2cplus + cleaning product + maintenance oil (you can calculate how much I invested) on a recent walnut built-in project. Time will tell how well the finish ages.

I recently went on a Rubio training day to try out the entire colour collection. I think it gives the average woodworker who doesn't tend to use stains or anything other than a 'natural' finish many creative opportunities whilst still being easy to apply.