Minwax Phantom Gray vs Varathane Carbon Gray
Minwax Phantom Gray and Varathane Carbon Gray are both deep charcoals with a gray rather than brown base, and the measured difference between them is tiny.
Pick Phantom Gray for a modern near-black that still reads as a stain, from the Minwax line with the widest color range.
Pick Carbon Gray when a same-day project matters, since the Varathane fast-dry formula shortens the wait between coats.
How close are they?
Delta-E (perceptual color distance) between Phantom Gray and Carbon Gray is 0.9 (close enough that most eyes will not tell them apart on the same wood).
Side by side
| Phantom Gray | Carbon Gray | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand and line | Minwax Wood Finish | Varathane Premium Fast Dry |
| Color code | 1089 | |
| Stain type | oil | oil |
| Hex (approx.) | #4C4844 | #4A4744 |
| Lightness (L*) | 31 | 30 |
| Undertone | deep cool charcoal-gray | deep charcoal-gray |
Phantom Gray is the lighter of the two by about 1 points of lightness on a 0 to 100 scale, so Carbon Gray will hide more of the wood's own grain and color on the same board. Hex values are on-screen approximations of each published swatch; confirm on a test board of your own wood before committing.
How each behaves on pine, oak, maple and cabinets
Pine
Phantom Gray: Pine's grain runs soft and uneven in density, so Phantom Gray (a thin, deep-penetrating oil stain) is prone to blotching here unless the wood gets a pre-stain conditioner first.
Carbon Gray: Pine's grain runs soft and uneven in density, so Carbon Gray (a thin, deep-penetrating oil stain) is prone to blotching here unless the wood gets a pre-stain conditioner first.
Oak
Phantom Gray: Oak's large, open pores soak up an oil stain like Phantom Gray unevenly in a good way: it settles into the grain and makes the natural texture pop rather than looking flat.
Carbon Gray: Oak's large, open pores soak up an oil stain like Carbon Gray unevenly in a good way: it settles into the grain and makes the natural texture pop rather than looking flat.
Maple
Phantom Gray: Maple is dense and tight-grained with almost no texture to hide unevenness, so Phantom Gray blotches badly here without a conditioner or a test board first. This is the wood oil stains struggle with most.
Carbon Gray: Maple is dense and tight-grained with almost no texture to hide unevenness, so Carbon Gray blotches badly here without a conditioner or a test board first. This is the wood oil stains struggle with most.
Cabinets
Phantom Gray: On cabinet doors, an oil stain like Phantom Gray can lap-mark where one panel overlaps the next during application; wipe fast and work one door at a time to keep the color even.
Carbon Gray: On cabinet doors, an oil stain like Carbon Gray can lap-mark where one panel overlaps the next during application; wipe fast and work one door at a time to keep the color even.