JJ, I had a bit of a hand in the Sitka Deer Vs. Atkinson debate. For what it is worth all the above mentioned finishes work as do their applications. Some are just better suited to wet climes than others.<BR>I use a bone from the leg of a beef to finish prep my wood. This is done with a large diameter bone about 4 inches or so long. The bone is rubbed on the wood to close up the pores and polish the wood. This takes some practice to get rite. Go easy it is not difficult to leave lines in the wood from too much pressure, the results are outstanding when done. Linspeed makes a very good stock finish, expect to spend several weeks finishing or even months when using oil. Oil finishes are durable and water resistant when bone properly, look at firearms from the past century. It just can't be rushed. I am currently into my third month of finishing two rifles. Custom gun makers just can't afford to use oil due to the time it takes to do it rite. Thus the many finishes to make a finished stock in the shortest time possible.
