General Finishes Black review

Black General Finishes · Gel Stain

Black on pine, oak, maple and cabinets

How a stain looks depends as much on the wood species as the can: pine and maple are prone to blotching, oak's open grain amplifies whatever penetrates it, and cabinet doors have their own even-coverage requirements. Photographed swatches for Black on each species are still being shot; the notes below are what to expect from this stain's formula.

Pine

Black is a gel stain, which sits on the surface instead of soaking in, so it's the standard fix for pine's usual blotching problem.

Oak

On oak, a gel stain like Black mutes some of the dramatic grain contrast a thin oil stain gives, trading grain pop for a more even, controlled color.

Maple

Maple's tight grain is exactly where a gel stain earns its reputation: Black rides on top instead of penetrating unevenly, which is the difference between a blotchy maple project and a clean one.

Cabinets / exterior

Black is a common cabinet-refinishing choice for this reason: gel stains give the most even, repeatable color across many doors, which matters more than grain drama on a large flat surface.

Coats and drying

Coats: One thin coat is usual; add a second for more depth.
Application: Wipe on and wipe off with a lint-free cloth, or leave a thin layer for more color.
Drying: Typically slower to dry than an oil stain, often overnight before a topcoat.

General guidance only: the label on your can sets the real times. The color on this page is an on-screen approximation of the published swatch, and screens vary, so confirm on a test board of your own wood.

true opaque black.

An opaque black gel stain used when the project wants full black coverage but still needs a stain's thinner build than paint.

Closest match in other brands

Ranked by Delta-E (perceptual color distance) between Black and every stain from other brands on this site: nearest first.

True Black Minwax · Wood Finish Ebony Minwax · Wood Finish Jacobean Minwax · Wood Finish