Stephen achieves the final rich, lustrous look and feel of his finish in all his handcrafted pieces in three steps.

 

First is his careful preparation. Each piece is thoroughly sanded to a very fine grit not only for smooth feel but for clarity. While it takes extra time and an extra step completing with a very fine sandpaper grit the results are worth it. This leaves the surface of the American hardwood clear allowing the depth of grain character to be on full display with a superior chatoyance to his furniture.

 

Second is applying hand-rubbed oil. Oil finish is applied, and the furniture piece is allowed time to drink it up. The handcrafted furniture is then wet sanded to a polish, filing the pores. Excess oil is hand-wiped then the piece is allowed to rest and the oil to cure. This is repeated for multiple coats.

 

The third and final step is buffing and waxing. The furniture piece is smoothed waxed with a blend including carnauba. Then buffed to a pleasing low-sheen and lustrous, natural look and feel.

 

Stephen C. Barlow’s modern formulation of oil and wax finish is highly resistant, durable, and easily repairable. The result is a finish that brings out every bit of depth, character, and shimmer – every nuance of the natural wonder that is wood.