Craft fair gloss frenzy has me pushing for satin finishes

All the sellers were proud of their shiny tables. I like a softer look that hides less and shows real craft.

3 comments

3 Comments

My friend Carrie makes these wooden bowls and she always fights with the gloss crowd at fairs. She showed me a cherry wood piece once where the satin finish let you see every little shift in the grain, like tiny waves. The super shiny ones next to it just looked like plastic copies, you couldn't see the story in the wood. She said the gloss shouts but the satin lets the material whisper. Watching people run their hands over her work, they always felt the difference.

kaib861mo ago

Oh man, this hits home. My uncle does the same thing with his walnut cutting boards, @ross.felix. He uses a simple oil and wax mix that soaks in, and you can see every dark vein and knot so clearly. The glossy ones at the store feel like a sheet of glass on top, like you're touching the plastic wrap instead of the wood. It just kills the soul of the piece. Your friend Carrie is totally right about the whisper.

claire8361mo ago

Totally get this! My buddy is a carpenter and he finishes all his live-edge shelves with just oil so you can still feel the raw grain and tiny cracks. Running your hand over it feels like touching a living tree, not some sealed-up plastic coat. That whisper thing is so true.