I've done many finishes using both stain and colored Watco Danish oils in place of stain, and have found, as did Woodworkers Source, that the Danish oils often reveal subtleties, figuring and depth better than stain. I've also done side by side test pieces to confirm this.
Although there are a number of color choices available, I just tend to use the Medium Walnut color on most of my woods and am always pleased with the results. The only downside I find is the additional time it takes to cure before topcoating, compared to realtively quick drying stain.
Steve
Can't say I disagree, it's the oil in "Danish Oil" that makes grain pop. Danish oil, and in particular, Watco is a linseed oil/varnish mix with colorant added. The good is that the oil usually disperses the colorant more evenly than stain, the not-so-good is that it's linseed oil...which has good qualities, but I think tung oil looks and ages better.
FWIW, I rarely reccommend stain unless one is trying to obscure grain. Better choice would be Dyes such as Behlen Solar Lux. They do a great job of bring out the character of grain, and give a really beautiful base for topcoat. This assumes that one wants to color the wood. In the case of Walnut, a slight tint of orange or yellow in oil or topcoat give a warmer tone to my eye and helps resist the whitish fading Randall spoke of.
I may be mistaken, but read the original post as Watco being the sole finish, which leaves a lot to be desired for most furniture. A wipe-on topcoat like Waterlox is easy to apply, not too hard to find, and offers ease of care and protection.
Part of my gripe with Watco is how they market it...as a complete finish. The wood finishing world would be simpler without all the hypebole on the labels. The subject of another post perhaps...
