This Doctor's Woodshop Pens Plus is a walnut oil and shellac friction polish combined with microaggregated microcrystal wax – Cosmolloid 80H. The microaggregation process produces wax particles so small that they behave like a liquid. The heat of the friction polishing drives the oil into the wood, sets the shellac, and melts the wax, allowing it to flow over the surface of the wood and produce a high luster shine. This microcrystal wax topcoat has superior light transmission. This all translates into a bright shine and greater water resistance, which makes it a great finish for pens, pepper mills and anything else that will receive incidental water contact and needs a hard durable finish.