Kolrosing

Been experimenting with kolrosing recently.

For a tutorial, see Del Stubbs' site.  Basically you cut a line into the wood and drive pigment in (ground coffee works great, though I am experimenting with other effects.)  I am still working out a system so that my left thumb does not hurt so much as I push/lever the blade along.  I want to find a thimble that will fit my thumb, but no luck yet.  When finished you need to remove the excess pigment to reveal the lines beneath.  I have been shaving the surface with my knife, which leaves a nice, crisp line so long as you don't go too deep.  Others sand the surface to reveal the line, but I never got as crisp a result with sanding.  That said, Jarrod Stone Dahl suggested that sanding serves an additional purpose. It folds fibers over the cut and helps keep the pigment in place.  I did have some pigment fall out on the two right-most spoons, so maybe I will try that again.  He also said burnishing would do the same.  Must experiment with that.
Also, I have not tried sealing the wood, as suggested on Del Stubbs' tutorial.  Should try that as well.

Oh, here is another great resource:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/spoon-carving-green-woodworking-and-sloyd/response-by-harley-refsal-to-a-question-about-wood-prep-for-kolrosing/499616256825199