Who does english oil finishes?
 

Any suggestions on who does a traditional english oil finish to get the reddish color i like so much?

Kurt,
I normally use 10-40 High Detergent for that kind of work.
I'll do it for you.
Payback time!
Bob Jurewicz

Good one, Bob!

Kurt, the oils, by themselves won't give you the reds. Stockmakers won't tell you this, but get a bottle of Fiebings dark brown leather stain. That will give you the red you're after. Get an old busted stock to test it on. You can put it on right over a few coats of cured oil. Wear latex gloves!!!

With all due respect to Edgar: Please don't use leather stain! If you can manage it, get a bottle of Pilkingtons English Red stain from Brownells. IF you're doing things yourself. Otherwise, I'd contact Chris Dawe on this board. He can do English red colour and the proper oil finish.

Vh
 

Didn't you do that on the 16ga you sold me?

As a rule, I respect most everything you say, so I won't mention what well known stockmaker told me about Fiebings. These first two pictures show the color I was after, after fiebings. Highest praise I can think to say for Chris, as he stocked this gun, but it was too brown for me.
The third pic is a W&C Scott, which I also colored. I can't see any issues, and this is several years after I did them.
What is your concern? It's an analyne die, just like many wood stains use.

Edgar:
Nice stocks. Although a bit "brown" to my eye. I've used the leather dye you mention. But on leather. It is too oily for my taste, but seems to work well for you. As I'm sure you know, alkanet root is the basis of classic English stock stains. But difficult to acquire/mix and manage for the novice. Pilkington's does well with a bottled made-for-stockwood formula.

Stock finish is like politics. I should stay out of the discussion...

I definitely am a novice and would like to find someone with the experience and know how to do it

The leather dye in its various colors does have good effects on wood for certain things. I personally have not used it to replicate an english red. And it would not be my first choice for it really. Any finish with alkenet root in the mix will do the trick. Some more than others.

Discussions on wood finishes can go in so many directions. And there is no right or wrong answer. Just what gets the right results for each job.

Here's a Grade 2 that Edgar refinished using the Fiebings product he mentioned above.

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