Per Jim Becker's suggestion awhile back, I used a soya-based long oil spar varnish (McCloskey Man O' War) to finish an english longbow and was quite pleased with the result. I doubt if the bow will see much outdoor action, but it's sure ready.

Now I'm curious about soya oil. Is it available and usable in a raw or slightly refined form, like raw linseed oil or BLO? If so, would it be a feasible substitute for linseed oil, say, for finishing a workbench top without all of the darkening that occurs with linseed oil?

I've searched and can't find out much about Soya oil, other than as a nutritional supplement or a varnish base.