Customer Reviews for HARDWOOD REFLECTIONS Half Pint Oil-Based Satin Interior Butcher Block Wood Gel Stain in Dark Walnut

Gray goes on very dark (which I liked) however after letting dry over 72 hours this stain lifted right off the butcher block when gel applied (of the same brand) Now reading other reviews/company responses that say dry time is days and days (7-10) So which is it? 2 days or 10? Product label and Home Depot site both say “min 48 hours dry time” logic would say 72+ is enough. It’s not. Looking for different product.

Beautiful color and the oil base allows an even color

Both the 1/2 pint gel stain, and the 1 pint satin top coat are 237mL. Vellly interesting. Ebony stain sucked into HR birch top very quickly. I wiped onto 2' by 5' piece in small sections, rewiping with clean rag as I went. Blended well.

I used this to seal and put a nice smooth finish on my butcher block desktop that I built to work from home. It's a great product. I've bought two cans actually to finish two desks. Definitely recommend it.

This is by far the best stain I have ever used made our countertops look amazing very simple to apply and wipe off

Gorgeous finish. Easy to apply.

So easy to o work with! You think it's not enough but it covers a lot!

Used this satin top coat along with HD's dark walnut gel stain on the below Ash Butcher Block also from HD: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hardwood-Reflections-Unfinished-Thermally-Modified-Ash-4-ft-L-x-25-in-D-x-1-5-in-T-Butcher-Block-Countertop-1525HDFJEGTA-50/311324662 Results were amazing (see pictures). Note again that I used both the stain and the satin top coat to get this result. I would highly recommend purchasing the two together. Especially, if purchasing one of HD's butcher blocks. I applied the satin top coat after allowing the walnut stain to dry for a full week. To apply, I ended up using a white t-shirt, rubbing on liberally and rubbing off excess almost immediately. After each coat cured for 24 hours I would sand with fine grit sandpaper and then reapply. I repeated this process 4 times. I waited one week before attaching the butcher block to a work desk base. The surface was cured enough for use after this wait period. Two months later and the desk still looks great. Highly recommend!

Used this gel stain on the below Ash Butcher Block from HD: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hardwood-Reflections-Unfinished-Thermally-Modified-Ash-4-ft-L-x-25-in-D-x-1-5-in-T-Butcher-Block-Countertop-1525HDFJEGTA-50/311324662 Results for amazing (see pictures). Not that I also purchased HD's Satin Topcoat from the same line of Hardwood Reflections line of stains and finishes. I would highly recommend purchasing the two together. Especially, if purchasing one of HD's butcher blocks. Stain was easy to apply. I ended up using a foam brush to apply and an old white shirt to wipe off excess. I would recommend wiping off pretty immediately after applying. The wood soaked in the stain quickly and only required one generous coating. Don't be afraid to over-apply as long as you are wiping off excess thoroughly and are uniform in your approach. I let the stain dry for a full week before applying the satin topcoat. For my application, that much of a wait period was sufficient. The end result was perfect and exactly what I was looking for. Highly recommend.

Easy to apply (use a cloth), no mess, and beautiful, even color.

I figured with it being butcher block stain it would have been food safe, nope says it right on the container i should have read closer before i ordered. Returned it and used mineral oil instead. Picture is with mineral oil.

Great product and it smells like cherries.tou be able to tell the difference between it and chemical based stain.

This stuff looks amazing could not believe the results..and its FOOD SAFE!!! .would recommend to anyone hands down

We purchased this as well as the same brand gel stain for butcher block counter tops. Both products worked very well. We were concerned as the can was so small but it did cover 3 coats of the top and side of an 8 foot butcher block counter top. Seems to be holding up well after a couple weeks.

After reading mixed reviews I was a little nervous to try this on my new butcher block countertops, but they turned out beautiful! I had zero issues. I wish that they sold the sealer in stores though, I live in a major city with multiple HD and none carry the product in the store. I chose not to stain mine and just seal them. So don’t hesitate, it’s a wonderful product!

I needed a lighter shade but luckily it’s in a spot that is Hidden by a plant.

Very nice stain to work with, covers a lot for a small can. Definately recommend if your staining butcher block counters! Fast shipping

Doesn’t penetrate well

Love this!! I only had to put one coat on and looked so amazing!!

Yes but it is disappointing that the top coat that is required is not available.

I bought this stain trying to darken a hazelnut stain that wasn’t quite hitting the shade I wanted. I followed sanding and application instructions to a tee. While the color added the darkening effect i was looking for, the stain was sticky to the touch more than a week after application and constantly rubbing off on things. I finally sanded it off and went back to the watco brand i had the other color in. Much happier with that!

To dark pictures show light grey but way to dark

Easy to use great color

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Applied easily. Good directions

This is the best stain I have ever used. Each coat handles well; applications are even and burnish with rubbing. The color is deep and rich, while still showing wood graining- very good finish.

I liked this after applying. It went on smoothly, easily and looked really pretty as it was drying after I wiped off the excess. Then the next day, to my horror, it was very blotchy. I don’t what happened? I flipped the countertop over and tried again on that side (the wood had some imperfections, but the superior side looked so blotchy I had no choice). After carefully applying it again to the second side, I had more blotchiness issues once dry. I’ll be sanding it off and using something else.

Dark for sure. Fairly easy to use.

I used a clear gel on our black walnut butcher block countertop. It was absolutely beautiful. It brought out the natural color and deep grains. I was excited just applying it, because I could see the changes immediately. I got a larger can for some of my other wood projects.