Colour of Dark Oak Priory Dressers

[maverickone]

Wonder if anyone can tell me the colour and maybe what was used to polish the very dark oak priory dressers etc. made around the 30s/40s.

Tried Jacobean Dark Oak stain and its no where near dark enough

http://www.diynot.com/network/maverickone/albums/

 

[Norcon]

It may have been fumed with ammonia originally. Nice stuff.

 

[Dave54]

It may have been fumed with ammonia originally. Nice stuff.

Yes it looks as if it might have been fumed. Various reports online of using ordinary household ammonia for fuming instead of the concentrated stuff, although it takes longer. You need to make up a plastic "tent" to seal the stuff in.
A dark French polish may also have been used either with or without wood dye.