# To color or not?



## Markus (Mar 18, 2013)

I'm getting ready to finish a new stick and was going to leave it natural as I often do, and at the last minute wondered about dying it deep brown. The wood is crab apple and has nice color on its own, but was thinking about doing something different. What do you think?


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## Rad (Feb 19, 2013)

I'm a sucker for natural colors, but sometimes i will add a little stain if it will highlight it's natural characteristics..


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## CAS14 (Dec 28, 2012)

That's really pretty the way it is, but if you've done a lot you might just want something different.

Have you ever done a sort of two-tone with the stick stained except for the grip/root? One day, I might try that, but for now I have to focus on making a decent hiking stick.


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## Markus (Mar 18, 2013)

When I leave the bark on the shaft I usually stain it dark and leave the knob light or natural.


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## CAS14 (Dec 28, 2012)

Markus said:


> When I leave the bark on the shaft I usually stain it dark and leave the knob light or natural.


Just saw your Pyracantha in your gallery. That's very pretty.


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## Markus (Mar 18, 2013)

Thanks, I made that one kind of as a joke after I made someone a more realistic sized shillelagh, a little bit of " who's got the biggest shillelagh."


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## Sean (Dec 29, 2012)

Looks great just as is however if you have access to more of that wood why not try a darker stain?


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## JJireh (Feb 7, 2013)

I'd vote for staining it darker, right now the contrasts are very bold, it might be nice to mellow it out with the stain. Either way it will look good.


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## Markus (Mar 18, 2013)

Thanks guys for all the input! But old habits die hard and the more I sanded the better it looked. So I am going to leave it natural, but I know I need to expand my horizion in the future. I think if I'm working a piece with less character I definitely will have to color it. This is the last piece of crab apple I have for now, but will likely get more next winter. I had a deal to take down a pear and two apple trees that unfortunately fell through at the last minute this January that would have kept me stocked for a long time. Now I mainly just have a lot of peach, which has good shape and form but not as strong as I would prefer. I hope to have this finished this week and will post pictures as soon as I can.

Thanks, Mark


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## Paul2281 (Apr 10, 2013)

I`ve used a propane torch to get the effect I wanted on some of mine....Sometimes I`ll lightly burn the whole stick and rub out highlights with 00 steel wool...Gives a good effect....


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## Markus (Mar 18, 2013)

Paul2281 said:


> I`ve used a propane torch to get the effect I wanted on some of mine....Sometimes I`ll lightly burn the whole stick and rub out highlights with 00 steel wool...Gives a good effect....


Paul, I have seen this technique used on some coarser grained woods like ash and oak, but wonder how it appears on tighter grained woods? Have you had any experiance with such woods?


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## Paul2281 (Apr 10, 2013)

Markus said:


> Paul2281 said:
> 
> 
> > I`ve used a propane torch to get the effect I wanted on some of mine....Sometimes I`ll lightly burn the whole stick and rub out highlights with 00 steel wool...Gives a good effect....
> ...


Oh hell ya...I usually sand mine down to bare wood(white/yellow)...If there is a nice grain flow or a knot to high light you can,with the torch..And use the steel wool to rub out where you want the high light to stand out...You have to just braze it and not char it...It`s just practice,practice...I`guess NO I haven`t had much experiance with very coarse woods,yet...Mostly fine grain is what I`ve been finding down here...


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## Paul2281 (Apr 10, 2013)

Markus said:


> I'm getting ready to finish a new stick and was going to leave it natural as I often do, and at the last minute wondered about dying it deep brown. The wood is crab apple and has nice color on its own, but was thinking about doing something different. What do you think?


Wow,thats thats MY style of walking stick...And gotta agree it looks better with natural grain popping out like that....WTG...


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