More on Contrast Staining

taharris · Post by **taharris** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 8:22 am

I have a customer who wants a contrast stain that is basically black/brown and cream.

I have been trialing several different techniques with black and dark brown as the base coat (Febings) and yellow as the top coat (water based).

Every trial has resulted in a nice dark and reddish finish. I can't seem to get the nice creamy color that he wants (and has sent me pictures of).

This morning I had an epiphany. Briar comes in a range of natural colors from creamy to reddish and the Briar I have is reddish.

So, am I right in thinking that one cannot achieve a really nice high contrast stain without very light colored Briar?

Have you good folks had the same experience or am I missing the boat completely?

Todd

Ocelot55 · Post by **Ocelot55** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 9:52 am

Bingo! Did you see the 4 bent billiards I posted. Two of them were supposed to be blue, but one is obviously more blue than the other. Sas described the colour of the other pipe as "poop." The stummel that didn't take the blue dye very well was some of Zavvos' stuff on ebay. It has a natural reddish colour. Some think it could be Algerian. The other briar was from Samantha on ebay. I can only assume that it is Italian. It took colour just fine.

Massis · Post by **Massis** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 10:14 am

I'm no expert, but from my experience you are completely correct. I have 2 batches of briar: one decent from Jaume hom, one big bag of cheap precut from an unknown origin.

The jaume home ones I can give pretty much any colour I want to, while the other batch gives me a really hard time staining and colouring...

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:56 am

Jaume Hom's briar has the advantage of being all different colors in the first place!

I had the same thing recently - had a HELL of a time getting anything even remotely like a tanblast color on an old piece of greek stuff that was basically a dark red-oak color already. Duh.

But I'm curious - what the hell is "creamy"?

PS I know where you can get super duper white briar if that would help. It's snow white.

The Smoking Yeti · Post by **The Smoking Yeti** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:54 pm

Sasquatch wrote:Jaume Hom's briar has the advantage of being all different colors in the first place!

I had the same thing recently - had a HELL of a time getting anything even remotely like a tanblast color on an old piece of greek stuff that was basically a dark red-oak color already. Duh.

But I'm curious - what the hell is "creamy"?

PS I know where you can get super duper white briar if that would help. It's snow white.

Dude- where are you getting snow white briar? Do the dwarves sell it at the market?

No really, I'm curious.

taharris · Post by **taharris** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:20 pm

Sasquatch wrote:Jaume Hom's briar has the advantage of being all different colors in the first place!

I had the same thing recently - had a HELL of a time getting anything even remotely like a tanblast color on an old piece of greek stuff that was basically a dark red-oak color already. Duh.

But I'm curious - what the hell is "creamy"?

PS I know where you can get super duper white briar if that would help. It's snow white.

Creamy is less white that white and more white than tan. (I thought everyone knew this.

)

And, I would like to know where you get snow white Briar, thanks.

Todd

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:52 pm

My girl Sammy on eBay. I don't know what mill the blocks are out of but they are all just white as snow. Contrast stains incredibly well. But of briar from Mimmo, Jaume, 3 sources out of greece, and algeria... this is the whitest I've ever seen when you cut into it.

Anyway that's Samantha0296 on eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/9-BIG-BRIAR-PLA ... 3f1f94ecc6

Here's a shot of a freshly cut block (right side) vs "ordinary" brownish sort of briar.

taharris · Post by **taharris** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 3:52 pm

Thank you Sas.

You're not such a bad guy after all.

I don't care what Ernie says about you.

Todd

Sasquatch · Post by **Sasquatch** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 4:17 pm

taharris wrote:
I don't care what Ernie says about you.

That makes 2 of us.

mredmond · Post by **mredmond** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:17 am

I've based my entire approach to pipe making on the Ernie/Sasquatch conflict. I'm still trying to figure out how to shape pipes by throwing them at myself...

taharris · Post by **taharris** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 6:13 am

Well, be sure and let us know how that works out for you.

Todd

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