So much better than wood stain. I make mostly hickory bows and a few Osage. Hickory does not take stain well. As I want it darker, I just put on additional coats of Annaline. It dries very quickly in alcohol. I use warm water when I use water.
On my Osage bows I seldom use dye. I like the bright yellow color of the wood at the start and the “chocolatizing” as it ages. Snakeskins look great on Osage.
You’ll like the annaline dye. It’s a little runny so be careful. Sometimes I darken the outside 8-10 inches of the limbs with black or dark brown dye for looks. Easy to mix too. I like yellow with just a tint of red mixed in. Makes a hickory bow look like Osage…but doesn’t darken like Osage.
Honest Jon