In all seriousness--ever try coffee? I'm thinking of the way the CrazyShirts folks in Hawaii use such things to dye T-shirts. (For grins, check out their website at crazyshirts.com--they use coffee, beer, money...)

: A while back I began to stain pine with a strong solution of TEA. It does NOT
: alter the color much, just brings it to a more mellow state. Do your
: finish sanding, use the tea solution for the wet out (to remove the fuzz),
: sand lightly, reapply and allow to dry. Do Not soak the wood!

: I've used this method on GLP cedar paddles also, with good effect. Nice and
: cheap and organic!

: FWIW. I did not come up with this method on my own. Saw it a while back on
: (perhaps?) Norm Abrams'show. Works well.

: Leo S.