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I don't have any experience with olive oil, but the research done some years back and read to the Ameircan Institute for Conservation (conservation-us.com) showed that linseed oil, in time, blackens wood irreversibly.
It leaves a great finish on gunstocks, but in time it degrades and damages the surface.
On ethnographic materials I would not use any oils. A light wax, if anything. Renaissance Wax has been the go-to for museums world wide for decades and has proven to be the most benign and is easily removable.
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I prefer not to use any substance that is irreversible. My shields will likely outlive me and so my personal preference on their appearance (for the purpose of display) does not affect my decision on matters of conservation.