Some Finishes and Colours are Back, and I Couldn't Be Happier
I've been sitting on this one for a while, and I'm thrilled to finally say it out loud: some of the most-loved products from the old Hampshire Sheen range are back. The Danish Oil, the Cellulose Sanding Sealer and the full Intrinsic Colour Collection have all returned, now made under my own name, and they're every bit as good as you remember.
If you worked with these before, you'll know exactly why I'm so pleased. And if you're new to them, well, you've picked a lovely moment to arrive.
A Little Bit of History
Hampshire Sheen started back in 2015, and for the best part of a decade these finishes found their way onto benches all over the world. They became part of how a lot of us work, the quiet, dependable stuff you reach for without thinking. When Hampshire Sheen wound down last year, I knew I didn't want these particular products to disappear for good. They were too useful, and too many people still wanted them.
So I set about bringing them home. It's taken some doing, but they're now produced under my own name (why not? I developed them!), unchanged from what you knew before. Same formulations, same results, same trusty tins and bottles. The only thing that's different is the name on the label and where you go to find them.
What's Back?
A quick reminder of what's returned, in case it's been a while.
Danish Finishing Oil
The Danish Oil is the one I reach for most. It's a blend of natural tung oil and a low-odour, biodegradable solvent, and it sinks deep into the timber rather than sitting on top of it. That means it won't chip, flake or peel, and it leaves a soft satin glow that you can buff up to a gloss if you keep going. It's food contact safe too, so it's right at home on the fruit and salad bowls that so many of us turn.
Find At Yandles
Cellulose Sanding Sealer
The Cellulose Sanding Sealer is the unsung hero of a good finish. It's a thin formulation that soaks into the fibres, firms everything up and gives you a smooth, solid base for whatever comes next. Get your sealing right and the rest of the job just falls into place. It's one of those products you don't notice until it isn't there.
Find At Yandles
Intrinsic Colour Collection
And then there's the Intrinsic Colour Collection, which is where the fun really starts. Eleven water-based dyes, from a deep penetrating Black through to Sky Blue, Ruby, Honey, Forest Green and the rest. They're built to be layered, mixed and thinned, so you're never stuck with what's in the bottle. Work them on pale timbers like sycamore, maple or ash and the colours absolutely sing. I've lost many happy hours just playing with combinations, and I suspect you will too.
Find at Yandles
Demo at Yandles in 2017
Why Yandles?
Here's the part I'm genuinely chuffed about. The whole range is now available exclusively through Yandles.
If you don't know them, Yandles are one of the great names in British woodworking. They've been serving makers for well over a century and have supported me as a turner and demonstrator for almost a decade.
Bringing these finishes under their roof means they're in the hands of people who really know their stuff, with proper sales and shipping sorted out behind the scenes. For me, that's an enormous weight off, and for you, it means the products are easy to get hold of.
It feels like the right home for them. These finishes were always about supporting the work of makers, and now they sit alongside everything else a maker needs.
A New Chapter
I won't pretend this hasn't been a big move for me. Watching Hampshire Sheen come to an end was a strange and slightly sad thing, so being able to carry the best of it forward, under my own name and with a partner like Yandles, feels like a proper new chapter rather than a goodbye.
Mostly, though, I'm just glad they're back. These are the products I use in my own workshop, day in and day out, and I've missed being able to point people towards them. Now I can, with a big grin on my face.
So if you've been waiting, the wait is over. Go and have a play. I can't wait to see what you make.