Old Masters 84108 Gel Stain Pint, Crimson Fire

I live in a vintage 1931 Sears Roebuck catalog home. I have a hemlock Dutch door that is the focal point of the front of the house. It was in desperate need of refinishing for several years, but my fear of ruining its woodgrain beauty scared me. I sanded the door, but many of the details were impossible to sand ... so I had a door with all stages of sanding from bare wood to just minimal scuffing and barely touched. I watched a YouTube video of a professional woodworker who showed that the secret of gel stains is to "feather" with a clean paint brush after applying.Oh My Goodness. The parts of the door that were sanded to bare wood and the parts of the door that were barely sanded at all blended beautifully. I did one coat of stain followed by feathering with a clean brush and could have left it at that.... bit I wanted a slightly darker penetration of color so I did a second coat using the same technique. The door has never looked better - the Vintage Burgundy brought a rich and majestic appearance back to my front door I wish I could give this product 10 stars.DO NOT LOOK FURTHER .... I have used other gel stains which resulted in tears over the less than lovely result. Old Masters is far superior in quality and ease of use. The Vintage Burgundy is so regal and has a lovely deep rich depth of color.I promise you will not be disappointed in the beautiful finish of these stains. Next ... refinishing all the cabinets in my kitchen. Apply and feather with a clean brush. Thankful for discovering Old Masters.

My first real experience with Old Master's Gel Stain. Loved how it went on (I used a soft cotton cloth) and thou I topped it with two coats of Watco Danish Oil and many coats of Arm-R-Seal, I'm very pleased with the results. For me it w much easier to work with on complex pieces; no drips or runs to contend with. Will be using this product again on future projects.

I refinished an old coat rack that was an orange tone (not appealing). I think it was pine that somebody stained an unknown color. Anyhow, I removed all hardware and sanded my piece because it had a significant amount of wax on it. Then, I cleaned it really well while removing the debris from sanding. Once everything was super clean and smooth, I noticed the wood was extremely porous. This had me slightly concerned so prior to staining, I used a combination of 3 parts denatured alcohol with 2 parts Zinsser Seal Coat 100% wax free shellac. This helps to condition the wood for a more uniform application. Anyhow, I am glad I took this additional step because the Spanish Oak is soooo dark! I ended up with a beautiful, deep dark brown with almost black edges (like the black tones of charred wood) since the lighter spots really grabbed the blackish tones. And, I did try to take a photo, but the camera alters the coloring so I didn't post it with this review. Perhaps, I need different lighting to capture an accurate photo. Therefore, all I can say is it is very, very dark brown with the blackish highlights - Super Gorgeous! Love it! :)If you like dark woods like dark walnut or something along those lines, you'd probably like the Spanish Oak. And, if you are avoiding all red/orange hues, then Spanish Oak is a good choice. Also, it does matter what color wood you are covering - yes, even with gel stain - because the base color will alter final results. Therefore, don't expect the color swatch on the sample color images to be your exact result. A test spot or even a test on a scrap piece of wood similar to your project wood is advisable.Also, some reviewers stated that the gel stain isn't messy - that's not really true. I managed to have some occasional drips and mess so be prepared for this by using adequate drop cloths, tarps. etc.**This product goes a very, very long way so don't over purchase! I bought a pint and will have more than enough for a larger project (i.e. dining table). Consider coverage dimensions prior to purchase.In addition, I used the Blue Hawk 4-in x 5-in Cotton Floor Stain Pad to apply the stain, and it was worth the few dollars to purchase this application tool as opposed to using a wadded up t-shirt or whatever. For me, this was a good choice - use what works best for you.Lastly, I found that I did not need a top coat for this project. The finish is fine for a coat rack. Now if I were doing a dining table, then I'd probably use many layers of top coat product(s).That said, I am actually considering my dining table for the next application of Spanish Oak. :) We have white, wooden upholstered chairs so the the Spanish Oak would be a magnificent contrast. We'll see! :)(Note - I will see if I can manage an accurate photo for this review)

This is my favorite, go to line of stains. They're versatile because they're oil based products,Check the Old Masters website for comprehensive videos and color charts.THEY ARE DIFFICULT TO STORE, HOWEVER. They sell a gadget on the old masters website to remove air from the can for storage.

Excellent product Easy to refinish your own wood cabinets, etc. SAVE a LOT of MONEY doing yourselfI highly recommend for bath cabinets, kitchen Not a lot of steps to followI had a company that wanted $1,200.00 to refinished my kitchen cabinets and they were in bad shape.Using this product, I spent about $100.00

I use no other brand. Professional with 30 years of quality jobs completed. Works perfect on fiberglass doors which are hard to get right

I have a love hate relationship with this stuff.. I used a sponge brush to apply it and I have to apply 3-6 layers per side. I did 3 doors, all fiberglass.. the wiping method doesn’t work on these doors but in the end I love them and I kind of wish I could have used it on the garage door vs purchasing a “wood look” one. I finished the sides with the same brand poly exterior and interior.

Incredibly thick and doesn't thin out when it gets warm. I used this over a lighter stain, over several coats of paint to create a faux wood finish. Good ventilation isn't enough. Wear a respirator made for working with solvents or get a major headache.