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THE
DECEMBER 7, 1918
MUSIC TRADE
39
REVIEW
DEMAND FOR STAINED FINISHES IS RAPIDLY GROWING
Mahogany, Circassian Walnut, Figured Gum and Birch Are Now to Be Seen in a Wide Variety of
Stained Finishes—When Staining Is Advisable and When It Is Not
Finishes which disguise one wood and make
it look like another are not new things in the
cabinet industry to-day, but for all that they
are not justified by the precedent of previous
use. Staining one wood to imitate another has
been practiced for many years, and has been pro-
tested against many times. So many times, in
fact, that one would hardly expect to see a thing
of this kind in connection with our most valu-
able cabinet woods.
However that may be, there is noticeable to-
day much staining of mahogany to brown tones
which makes it resemble walnut so closely that
even an expert cannot distinguish the difference
from outside appearance. In some instances the
idea of deceptive appearance has been carried
so far as to include the facing of furniture parts
with sections of burl figure so that the finished
set of furniture at a glance, though made of
mahogany, carries every appearance of black
walnut with burl facing on parts here and there.
The furniture looks good, but this practice of
finishing mahogany to resemble walnut will
lead to confusion and possibly serve in a man-
ner to discredit both walnut and mahogany,
which are our most important cabinet woods for
really fine furniture. And the pity of it is there
is no excuse for it, because each of these woods
finds plenty of favor in the distinctive color
tones natural to it.
The natural color tone of mahogany is red.
While it may be advisable and desirable to vary
the shading with stains, there is nothing com-
mendable about disguising its natural shade by
altering the general appearance of the wood. To
deprive mahogany of its red tone either by run-
ning to greenish shades, as was the practice a
few years back, or by turning it brown to re-
semble walnut, is to destroy its one distinguish-
ing characteristic of reddish color. In time, if
this practice is persisted in, the general public
may lose its regard for mahogany along with
the loss of its distinguishing color.
If brown tones are what are wanted walnut
is the natural wood to use. There is really not
much choice between walnut and mahogany as
to physical qualities or as to figure and appear-
ance generally, nor is there much difference in
cost. Therefore there is but little excuse for tak-
ing mahogany and staining it like walnut to get
the brown effect. Walnut is the dominant wood,
or rather the highest ideal of woods in the
brown finish. Next come Circassian and figured
gum. There is reason and excuse for staining
gum to deeper brown in keeping with walnut,
RUBBER BELLOWS CLOTH OF EVERY DESCRIPTION
OUR SPECIALTIES
Rubber Cloths and Tubing
For Automatic Piano* and Piano-Players
L. J . MUTTY CO.
BOSTON, MASS.
Refer all Inquiries to Dept. X
because it has a natural nut brown color, and
And when you're satisfied
this tone prevails even in staining it to walnut,
and there is the advantage of having a less ex-
that we've the best punch-
pensive wood which cannot be claimed in the
ings on the market, cut
matter of mahogany.
»
clean and accurately from
There has been so much staining of birch in
imitation of mahogany that the birch people
the best of material in cellu-
have set about promoting this wood in its nat-
loid, cloth, felt, fibre,
ural color and figure, and while this is being
done on the one hand, we find on the other hand
leather, paper, rubber or
a pretty wide disposition among furniture manu-
whatever you want, give
facturers to disguise mahogany by staining it
us credit and send your
brown until it resembles walnut. While the
design and the finish of such furniture is attrac-
orders to
tive, and the quality of the wood is beyond ques-
tion, there is no escaping the feeling that this
is bad business. Staining one wood to resemble
another is only excusable when the substitute
wood offers decided advantage in the matter of
price or it is necessary to combine different
woods to get one piece of furniture. There is
T
really no logical excuse for staining mahogany
in imitation of walnut any more than there is
NEW YORK
a logical excuse to redden walnut so that it looks
like mahogany, and the sooner the practice is
shows that no foreign wool was exported in Sep-
discontinued the better it will be for the trade.
tember.
There was, however, an export of
14,969 pounds of domestic wool, valued at $16,-
TENTH LESS WOOL IMPORTED
423.
During the nine months of 1918, 476,661
Figures for Nine Months Ending With Sep- pounds of foreign wool and hair valued at $305,-
380, and 24,833 pounds of American grown
tember, 1918, Show Loss in Wool Imports
wools, valued at $298,915, were exported. The
Imports of raw wool into the United States total quantity of wool, both foreign and domes-
are much below the entries recorded last year, tic, exported in the period was 724,996 pounds,
according to a statement given out recently by of which the value was given as $604,295.
the National Association of Wool Manufactur-
ers.
The tabulation prepared by the big or-
INQUIRIES FROM JAPAN
ganization of manufacturers shows that during
the nine months of the calendar year ending
Geo. W. Braunsdorf, president of Geo. W.
with September the imports of Class 1 wools Braunsdorf, Inc., New York, has received an
revealed a decrease from those in the like inquiry for his line of punchings, bridges, .bridle-
period of 1917 of 8,489,952 pounds; Class 2 wools, straps, felt and cloth from as far distant a point
including mohair and others, a decrease of 18,- as Japan. This serves as an additional indica-
794,561 pounds, and Class 3 wools a decrease of tion of the great export possibilities ahead of
6,873,936 pounds. The total decrease in imports the trade.
of wool in the 1918 period as compared with the
1917 period is 34,158,449 pounds.
Consult the universal Want Directory of
The total imports of wool were 364,548,653 The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
pounds in the nine months of 1917, and 330,390,- free of charge for men who desire positions
204 pounds in 1918, divided in 1918 as follows: of any kind.
Class 1 imports, 267,742,873 pounds; Class 2 im-
ports, 4,113,653 pounds; mohair and other va-
rieties, 1,583,852 pounds, and Class 3 imports,
56,949,826 pounds.
While large stocks of Australian, South
American and African wool are known to be
held in those sections, the British and American
Governments up to this time have been unable
There is both profit and satisfaction in
to allocate adequate shipping tonnage to move
the supplies overseas to the various consump-
the use of Behlen's Varnish Crack
tion markets.
Eradicator on your refinishing jobs.
The export side of the association's report
C.F. GDEPEL&CO
137 E A S T I3 -* ST.
WESSELL, NICKEL & GROSS
MANUFACTURERS OF
Profit because it eliminates the trouble
and expense of scraping off the old var-
nish and shellac. Satisfaction because
the finished job is better, because you
have had a better surface to work on.
PIANO
ACTIONS
HIGHEST GRADE
ONE GRADE ONLY
n. Behlen * Bro
OFFICE
457 WEST FORTY-FIFTH ST.
FACTORIES—WEST FORTY-FIFTH ST.
Tenth Avenue and West Forty-Sixth Street
Anilines ^<£N^ Stains
Shellacs " ^ V * Fillers
3 7 1 PEARL'ST., NEW YORK
NEW YORK
Write for sample can today and try it.
A. C. CHENEY PIANO ACTION CO.
off
oi
PNEUMATIC ACTIONS FOR PLAYER-PIANOS
HIGH-GRADE PIANOFORTE ACTIONS
CASTLETON, NEW YORK