I received some material finish samples from Kent this week. I was looking at the hand rubbed Tru-Oil sample of Wenge and comparing it to the oak finishes that are typical in craftsman oak pieces. The 3-dimensional quartersawn grain of the Wenge despite being a darker hue actually works very well in simulating the semi-gloss finish associated with these pieces.
The test top piece is Sitka and not Engelmann but the Tru-Oil finish again looks nice providing an ever-so-slight golden cast to the wood with a semi-gloss finish.
I would be interested to hear from others as to their experience with the durability of a Tru-Oil finish compared to a typical nitro or poly finish?
Here is the Wenge finished in Tru-Oil on the left and sanded with a wax application on the right. I am not so sure that I like the contrast mismatch. We will need to think about this. Keep in mind that the photo may be exaggerating this a bit based upon lighting and exposure.
