The leather spirit dyes work really well. Cherry Minwax wood stain did not work that well. I got some color out of it, but it took repeated coats. Walnut Minwax did really well. The leather dye was fantastic. I used some cordovan dye which is close in color to cocobolo or darker rosewood or deep mahogany.

Once this stuff is dry, it does tend to rub off and needs to be sealed. Working with leather, I would use a very light clear lacquer. Tandy Leather's brand name is "Neat Lac". I used a couple of coats of wipe on poly on this grip and it did not seem to change the way the cork looked anymore than U-40 Rod Seal would. It did not add any sheen to the grip, either.

Pics when the rod is finished.