Rubio MonocoatOil Plus 2C, 350 Milliliters, Pure, Interior Wood Stain and Finish, Food Safe, Easy One-Coat, Linseed Oil, Plant Based, VOC/Solvent Free, Furniture & Flooring Hardwax Oil

Update 1 year later -- bumping to 4 stars. While it still "micro scratches", I've been pleased overall with durability and it's not as if someone else would view the wood island as totally scratched up. The surface been a workhorse for a year and I've been less careful, and while it doesn't necessarily look "like new", it looks good and most wouldn't know the difference. The early returns on scratches caused me some concern that I might have to abandon the finish, but I'm now planning to stick with Rubio monocoat. The scratches definitely fade over time although I can easily point many out still. Using the surface spray soap and occasional universal maintenance oil helps. And the fact that I did 2 initial layers.In the end, I'm happy with the choice of this for a high use kitchen island with the understanding that's it's higher maintenance and cost than traditional polys (and I'd suggest to use the other Rubio products for maintenance + hand sanitizer spray occasionally if you need to disinfect well), it provides a nicer feel/look with an easier application and less odor than the platicky poly finishes. So, if you're okay with those trade-offs, then it can be a good choice for a kitchen island. The pros/cons indicated below still apply though. I think a matte poly (harder to find) would also be a reasonable choice if someone wants a more scratch resistant surface, but doesn't give quite as nice of a feel/look (and smells much worse at application time) and sacrifices easier repairability.Update 6 months later after using it as a kitchen island/working surface -- liking it overall, still scratches:This finish does a solid job of resisting stains/spills. When I spill a drink on the countertop, it beads on top and is easily wipable. I still tend to wipe things right away so as to not test my luck, but if something small was left overnight, it's not a big deal.It still scratches fairly easily although the maintenance oil does soften the appearance of scratches but doesn't eliminate them. I apply a new maintenance oil coat once every few months. I do like the finish look and feel, and might bump up rating to 4 stars...I use the Rubio Soap regularly to clean it, which works well, but that doesn't disinfect, so I use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer spray when I need it (e.g. raw meat got on it) which seems to work well (Rubio used to sell an alcohol-based product to disinfect).To summarize,Pros:Looks goodFeels goodEasy to applySmells goodResists spills/stains well/beads on top (still, wipe immediately)Repairable (although I have yet to re-sand and apply new coat, but simply applying a new coat of maintenance oil does restore it somewhat)Cons:ExpensiveHigh MaintenancePoor Scratch Resistance compared to more traditional finishesOriginal review: Using for a wooden kitchen island (maple butcher block). Applied it about 6 weeks ago. Did two coats based on recommendations here that it gives extra protection (and followed manufacturer's recommendations) + added Rubio Universal Maintenance Oil for additional durability (and then ANOTHER coat of maintenance oil two weeks later). The maintenance oil replaced the "high traffic" product that Rubio used to sell for hotels and commercial flooring applications. I figured all that would give it as good of a shot of durability as I could.This stuff smells nice, is easy to apply, looks really nice after application, and all that. It does seem to resist water/spills/stains although I've been fairly careful to wipe things up quickly so haven't fully tested sitting water or if certain products would stain it.However, my island now scratches ALL THE TIME. Maybe a kitchen island that is heavily used isn't the best use case for the product. Move a plate? Scratch. I knew it wouldn't be as scratch resistant as a poly, but figured it would offer at least some scratch resistance and the repairability/look was worth the tradeoff. I also got the Rubio Soap so I've bought into all the product line (3 different products) and spent a fair amount of time and money.Right now, I'm undecided if it was a wise choice to go with Rubio Monocoat or if I should have simply done a matte oil-based poly for a similar look with much less maintenance/cost. I am hopeful that after several months or a year, I can simply re-apply product or sand and re-apply and a "like new" surface will be there for me without too much effort. If I can do that, perhaps it's worth the extra maintenance but certainly, it's not close to a maintenance-free product like a poly would be (of course, poly is much harder to "start anew.") Depending on how that turns out, I am debating sanding it off and simply applying a poly, which would totally negate the benefit of Rubio Monocoat in the first place (easy repairability and look/feel of nature wood) and make it just a really expensive clear stain, which would have been silly.The kitchen island is a working surface that I use frequently (although I never cut/work on the surface directly), so perhaps going the traditional route would have been much easier and lower maintenance going forward for this type of use case. I saw some scratches in the first couple of weeks and applied another layer of maintenance oil and it did somewhat diminish the sight of the scratches, but didn't eliminate them. We'll see how the surface looks after several more months of wear and how applying more maintenance oil "brings it back to life" (or doesn't).So, I think Rubio is a great product for the right purpose. If you're planning to use a surface a lot and don't want to deal with maintenance, a poly solution might be a better fit depending on your particular wants/needs.

Alright so it's no secret that this is the "best" stuff for our wood projects. That being said it's expensive, like hella expensive. There are other options that are much cheaper and give a similar result. I knew that and still chose this product and honestly would again in the future as it did such a nice job. For the average project it's probably not needed though and understand that it doesn't give the highest shine (this is expected). I recommend this product if you can swallow the bill.

Easy to use and finishes beautiful

First time using this, always seen it used on YouTube and it's an amazing easy application, love the way it finished. Butcher block top came out amazing.

I initially thought of it as a gimmick being promoted by a bunch youtubers, but decided to give it a try just out of curiosity. Tested it on furniture and rifle stocks. After several months, I have to say, this stuff is actually durable and quite beautiful.Compared to linseed oil (BLO) or Danish oil, this stuff is a lot more viscous. So when you apply and wipe off, it retains a relatively thick layer compared to other oils, which is what make this a "mono coat". Once dry, one coat of this stuff is equivalent to about 3--4 coats of BLO, and it dries quick, about 12--24 hours.This stuff dries a lot harder than BLO. I can tell by the dried residue left in the container. After about a week, it dried almost as hard as polyurethane paint. And on finished wood surface, as far as I can tell, is much more water and wear resistant than any oil I have used in the past.The finish is a very low sheen satin finish if you do only 1 coat (after 180 grit sanding). You'll get a look similar to just a sealing coat, which is barely there. You can get it close to a true satin sheen if you do a second coat after 24 hours, and buff with 00 steel wool in between. To get to a semi-gloss finish, I do a third coat after a week. It gives you this authentic old school European furniture look. But for projects that requires higher sheen and more wear resistance, stick with polyurethane.Here is another tip, since 90% of the stuff will be wiped off after applying, and it's quite expensive, it's better to plan your projects to have a few "secondary" small projects on the side. I set aside two rifle stocks and a small chair when I was working on a diner table. The wipe off on the rag from the table was able to finish all the side projects plus some more. The walnut rifle stocks looked especially good with this finish after 2--3 coats.

I didn't pay attention to the size of the can. It looked like a quart to me. It is NOT a quart. 275ml...less than a pint (half quart).I really hope it's as good as they say, because it's EXPENSIVE

I was surprised by how little you get for the money, but I decided to try it anyways and I am glad I did, very nice finish. 2 part however requires mixing.

The product goes on very easily and looks great. I'm not sure how durable it is yet but time will tell. I used it on an acacia butcher block countertop and I love how it turned out. It's not sticky or gummy and though you should wear gloves it wipes right off after use. The smell isn't bad. My wife didn't love it but it didn't bother me or my kids at all. I did have a couple of issues with the packaging and the hardener though...I added the hardener at 1 part hardener for every three parts finish and I ended up running out of hardener with around 1/4 of a can of finish left. I measured very precisely with a syringe in every case. My best guess is that the can wasn't completely filled. I can't imagine they would short you on purpose.The hardener comes in a little can attached to the main can and you have to pop out the spout that's supposed to allow you to pour it. The problem I had is that once you got down to the last bit it wouldn't pour. I had it completely pulled out and could turn the can upside down but there was still 10ml or so left in the can. I was able to get most of it out with a syringe but I ended up having to open it up with a can opener to get the last bit.

Loved this product. It didn’t go as far as I had hoped for, but loved the end result.

IT ADDS A NICE NATURAL SHEEN TO THE WOOD.

Used on walnut kitchen slab, keeps out water and stains.

works well with epoxy tables.

Yes, it's expensive but if you're finishing a flat surface, it's remarkable how a little goes a long way. You do absolutely need to apply it with a plastic scraper to maximize the coverage area because at this price you don't want to waste any having it soak into a brush or rag. I've only used it on walnut but the finished product was absolutely gorgeous.