Gentlemen, and the 2 ladies who have visited my 'Den of antique stuff' I have watched this thread on stock colour. I have Joe Mantons notes on 'Getting the true colour from English Walnut' Iron Filings,Vinegar, and 'time'.. I've had a bottle sitting around on the bench for 'bleedin years' looks great'Purdey Red'Queen Victoria's lips'Donkey bollocks!..... It stinks worse than the NonComs Karsie in Upper Barracks,Winchester, when the whole battalion had been out on the Beer for a week! after spending hours 'Wet&drying' a finished stock, min. of 8 W&Drys. sanding thru to 600 w&d the time had come to put on the colour....Old Joe's Majic red"Wad of 'Tow" ( Now we all have read about the tradition of not using old rags),,see Des Mills book on gun repairs& 'How To" with Mike Barnes.. Carol has a couple of copies at Gunnerman Books) Tow''' Wonderfull stuff, from English Flax! Its the brown hairy stuff thats in Old leather gun cases, all manner of uses,we heard that the Old Gunmakers..Real Old Gunmakers used to take a 'Wad" with them in to the"karsie'..Yuk!!!Back to 'Stock Colour'as you spread the evil smelling liquid on to your beautifully finished stock, that you had spent at least 50hrs bringing from a block of french walnut into a Majical part of the gun that took a barreled action to a shootable shotgun,this stinking vinegar stuff not only raised the dammed grain,again.it left'blotches'I/ve never mastered the use of Vin/iron , but I;ve seen some finished stocks that had the most beautiful colour,but to keep up with the "Times"I've managed to "DUPE" all these colours with a visit to the local boot repair shop!!!(Know what I mean Vern:!)Keep up the good work,crossedchisles...