Originally Posted By: PA24
Originally Posted By: wingshooter16
In furniture making, the "formal" woods (such as walnut, rosewood, and mahogany) are open grained and had to be filled. The job was not considered finished or proper unless this was so. One may think that unfilled pores bespeak the realities of wood, and hold an opinion contrary to centuries of serious woodworking. Filling the pores and achieving a quality finish is time consuming and tedious- but unlike quality inletting, cutting corners here is out front and center stage. I have seen London best featured on magazine covers that were an embarrassment to fine finishing.

Mr. Hughes posted a close-up of his work that forces scrutiny, and screams quality. Simply astounding work at a level which I could never attain, but can certainly appreciate.


Since we are speaking of guns and not dining room tables:

This would be an opinion that like so many others will run from "lightly oiled military finish" to "high gloss plastic all filled finish" and everywhere in between.......therefore....TO EACH HIS OWN I WOULD SAY....If you like the filled bowling pin plastic look, or the modern satin finish look, go for it........whatever blows your dress.........


I like these and this is how I finish the stocks and always have and always will, top pic is one of mine, bottom pic is a factory new gun........."beauty is in the eye of the beholder".....


New 25K factory Kriegoff........




The point is that juglans is an open grain species that for centuries has been seen as needing the pores filled, whether it graces a gun, the cabinet in which it resides, or the table on which it is laid. And one should not confuse sheen with the filling of the pores: a low sheen or satin finish looks best with the pores filled, and the higher the sheen the worse unfilled pores appear. Taste in levels of sheen goes in and out of style, but few who have seen his work would turn their nose up at the French polish painstakingly applied to a cabinet by Riesner.

The bottom line is that you finish the stock the way you like and are content with the result. Your taste should triumph. On this we agree.

As to skirts, I've never worn one, and will defer to your experience at the thrill of having it blown up.

Mike

Tolerance: the abolition of absolutes

Consistency is the currency of credibility