Got some Old Hickory knives for Christmas. The wood is raw. What finish might I use on the wood after a little sanding?

Lots of choices but I use boiled linseed oil on the handles and mineral oil on the blades. IMO, if you can put up with taking care of the carbon steel, these are still the best value on the planet for kitchen cutlery and the large butcher makes for a decent machete in a pinch. Great gift!

Boiled linseed oil is the correct choice. Resist the urge to buy a large size. A small one will last forever.

Rub it on, wait 20 min, rub some more on. Wait about 10 min and wipe off the excess oil. Done. I have some Benchmade kitchen knives (and some old, old hickorys that look like paces as well, which I use it on. Linseed oil is not poison, nice to not worry about it on a kitchen knife.