Staining the inside of canoes

[ticonderoga]

In most of the photos I see on this forum, the inside woodwork is left natural and just varnished. But i have seen a few with what looks like a darker stain on the entire interior. Is this an option that was offered by companies or is it just a matter of the aging process and the darkening of the varnish. I like the look but was wondering if staining was a restoration no-no. Thanks

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

Some did stain - like Morris. But unless you're really good (and even then, no guarantee), doing a staining job that looks nice is very difficult. Just my opinion, but I've never seen a stain job that looked good to me. It looks like stain. And worse, it usually looks like blotchy or muddy stain. It can look great in photos, but before you do it, look at some stained canoes in person. Even trim. Mahogany decks, thwarts, etc. often get stained, and they always look (to me) like someone spread mud all over everything. And remember, once it's done, it's done. Sometimes you need to stain replaced parts in an old canoe to make them match, so what I'm talking about is wholesale staining of a boat or its trim. Again, just one person's opinion based upon one person's taste.