In a word excellent!
For some reason I can't reply to my original 6(!) year old thread but it is available Google searching thr+lollysmith.
The stick I purchased had black latex paint I didn't care for. I still loved the stick but I recovered from my injury and after taking it on a few walks I eventually stuck it in a closet.
A few months ago I got injured in a car accident (pretty bad but I will be fine ultimately ) and drug it out again. I checked the lollysmith site and they've doubled in price and apparently no longer come with latex paint. I hear blackthorn is more scarce now.
I stripped the paint, expecting a lot of ugliness underneath. To my surprise the bark was perfectly intact and pristine.
I mixed some stove charcoal dust and natural amber shellac, applied two coats where the paint had been, then two coats of plain shellac sans dust.
I also attached some bone beads (the outside two are dice) to the bottom with brass wire. It gets tons of compliments now; I think this finish works perfectly and it also feels great, grippy yet smooth in the right ways and places.
The knob area and its finish are unaltered from its original state. The rest had no changes other than beads and a new finish.
For some reason I can't reply to my original 6(!) year old thread but it is available Google searching thr+lollysmith.
The stick I purchased had black latex paint I didn't care for. I still loved the stick but I recovered from my injury and after taking it on a few walks I eventually stuck it in a closet.
A few months ago I got injured in a car accident (pretty bad but I will be fine ultimately ) and drug it out again. I checked the lollysmith site and they've doubled in price and apparently no longer come with latex paint. I hear blackthorn is more scarce now.
I stripped the paint, expecting a lot of ugliness underneath. To my surprise the bark was perfectly intact and pristine.
I mixed some stove charcoal dust and natural amber shellac, applied two coats where the paint had been, then two coats of plain shellac sans dust.
I also attached some bone beads (the outside two are dice) to the bottom with brass wire. It gets tons of compliments now; I think this finish works perfectly and it also feels great, grippy yet smooth in the right ways and places.
The knob area and its finish are unaltered from its original state. The rest had no changes other than beads and a new finish.
