Dark checkering can also be a sign of the use of alcanet root stain which is very common for european but especially British stock makes to use to bring out the grain. If the dark "burnt" area has a reddish purple hue to it I would bet it is alcanet root.
Staining wooden stocks is frowned upon by the purist stockmakers of the US especially but accenting the grain with alcanet is very common in Britain. Gives the light wood a nice orange tinge and darkens the dark swirls in good wood to a deep blue/purple.
Rob
|