le tonkinois varnish

[ltcom]

Le Tonkinois

Anyone used it? Any good? Thinking of buying a litre for a gift for someone with a boat with lots of wood on it .

 

[robmcg]

Very shiny finish, smells nice, quite soft so no good for high wear areas.

 

[greeny]

Varnish like many things on a boat, can be a very personal choice. Many people have their favourites that they will never budge from. If they are not one of those people then fine, otherwise I would say it's a "risky" purchase. You could always ask them first.

 

[jamie N]

20,000 Frenchmen can't be wrong. I use it on topsides, and am impressed with it in every way.

 

[[70521]]

I won't use anything else, bloody marvelous stuff and does not disappear into thin air unlike some modern stuff I've used.

 

[Pye_End]

lovely stuff. Sticks to teak better than most. Smooth finish. However I havn't tried it on high traffic areas - tend to use Epiphanes for that.

 

[LiftyK]

It works well for me. Very pleasing results and seems to last well. As a gift - I would go ahead.

 

[zoidberg]

Me, too.

It's a pleasure to use. And the finish is most pleasing.
It is very thin, so be aware of possible 'runs' when applying it.

Edit: And the ould fellah who sells it ( at Boat Shows ) is a delight - and blerry helpful!

 

[ltcom]

will purchase tomorrow. Firm only deals by phone.
thanks everyone.

 

[mikegunn]

will purchase tomorrow. Firm only deals by phone.
thanks everyone.

The recipient of your gift will be forever grateful. They will appreciate the ease of application and freedom from brushmarks. A caveat however. Like all varnishes the success or otherwise lies in the preparation. Also tell your friend to let each coat dry before overcoating. It is slow drying compared to varnishes with volatile carriers. About 24 hours seems to be about right, in my experience.
Mike

 

[sarabande]

Using the proper thinner in the base coats is also critical. Turpentine evaporates after it has done its job of carrying the tung oil into the wood. I don't like th eidea of thinning tung oil with a mineral based thinner.

 

[Stemar]

Another vote for. I even used on the stairs in my house. It lasted several years of teenager abuse

 

[pcatterall]

Varnish like many things on a boat, can be a very personal choice. Many people have their favourites that they will never budge from. If they are not one of those people then fine, otherwise I would say it's a "risky" purchase. You could always ask them first.

+1 If they have 'lots of wood' then possibly they have a strong preference. (perhaps a 'marine' voucher?)

 

[Concerto]

I also use Le Tonkinoise after trying a number of other varnishes. For a good finish I would recommend 8 coats and then every couple of years apply a couple more coats. It is also very easy to touch in any place that have become damaged, unlike the modern varnishes. If the varnish does get rubbed back to wood, you will find very little black staining from water damage unlike modern varnishes that cover the surface and allows water to travel along the wood and break the bond with larrge black stains.