Finishing fruit woods

[Kansas Volunteer]

How would you finish a fruit wood stock? I'm thinking pear, apple etc.

I've done a lot of carving of pear. As it ages it takes on a mellow brown shade the color of crust on store-bought white bread. I like it. A fine looking gun would in time result. However, pear is very pale when fresh and stain would be warranted, but what stain? What about LMF Honey Maple?

I don't like subduing wood with forced application of strong stains as is traditional on maple stocks.  On a fruit wood stock I'd want the wood to speak for itself, and be fairly easily be seen as fruit wood and not be taken for maple.

[rich pierce]

I would test stain a piece with dilute lye like in some oven cleaners, or a teaspoon of Red Devil in a pint of water. Apply, let dry, hit it with a heat gun or hold it close to a fire. Works for cherry. Worth a try.

[Jim Curlee]

The pear that I have sawn in the past has had a pinkish cast to it, with the rest being a very light tan colour.
Cool wood, but checks badly, up here anyways.
I've had some pieces split full length, guess I'd look very closely at whatever piece you plan on using.
You sure wouldn't want to go through a lot of work, just to have you're rifle stock split.
I use pear in small projects.

I'm a wood-guy, my questions is why would you take a fine lookin piece of wood, and put stain on it?(I know, I'm nut's) lol
Myself if I want something dark I use walnut, something light pine.
I have about 35 different types of homesawn lumber down in my shipping container, so I can pick and choose the color that I want. lol

Jim

[Jim Kibler]

https://www.jimkibler.net/rifle-3.html

This rifle I built was finished / stained with honey amber transtint dye added to the oil finish.

Pear is a fantastic stock in my view.  I cuts wonderfully with a super fine silky smooth finish.  I actually just cut a woodsrunner stock out of pear and it is one of my favorite stocks we've processed. 

Jim