Talking of Stock Colour....I have at the back of my finishing bench a shelf that has many bottles&jars,there are names that you can just maks out through the layers of "Goop", in fact one says'Mantons stock Goop'It came into my collection of old"Stuff' from my 'Old Gaffer" from my years at'Irongate Wharf Road' Bill O'Brien never let anybody throw anything away!Tom Purdey knew this,as did Harry lawrence! I guess thats where I'Picked up the Habit"I even had all my "Old Stuff" shipped over to Chicago in April 1964. Bottles & Jars,Full of 'Highly Flammable,highly Toxic very Explosive(3 of mypowder-Flasks filled with 3&2'F'Black Powder!!I think the"Old Tub"that floated my "Tea-Chests" crammed with 'Highly Collectable Stuff" had survived many crossings of 'The Pond" during the"BigOne"!!!!Some of these Jars I've not managed to open,several broke when we tried to'Soften' the Goop'Holding the cap or wood plug(stopper)A couple had names of long gone Finishers from Purdeys. There are Photos of several of these'Long forgotten Craftsmen"in Don Dallas's PURDEYS 'Big Red Book",Harry Lawrence gave Myself & Brian Sorrell(Appr. to Harold Delay,Stocker who stocked 99% of all the O/U guns)Gave us the job of sorting out all the Old Stuff from the store room that had been moved to No2 Irongate from the North Row workshops 1899-1900.One of the bottles did have'Dragons Blood" written on its label!!! I used the goop after thinning it quite a lot I had restocked a Parker BHE with a blank from Flaigs,PA. it had the really deep, dark "Red'color. I managed to'Finish' 5-6 stock& forends,1 Purdey,3 Krieghoff PigeonO/U 12b.A 3 bbl Rem mod 32with 3 forends then I knocked the jar on to concrete floor,this was in Melbourne,Fla."All Gone" bye..Never did know what it was made-up with. Have made up Concoctions' since with my good friend Lou Taxiarcus,He made some oil finishes with the stain blended into the oil,very nice colour filled the 'Pores' just like a'New London Gun'Paul Hodgins,Utah,Formerly of Hollands has mastered the art of ;Hand-rubbed oil finishing.My "Bud" in Danbury Conn.See the Latest Shooting Sportsman for a Feature Story:Abe Chaber, Stockmaker, Gunsmith'Extrordinaire' His staining of stocks and oil finishing is of the 'Highest Quality'(BUT donot ask him what he uses for 'Stain'!)I have found this 'thread' very interesting, ..crossedchisles...