The best Antique waxes, compared.
Top pick: Libéron Georgian mahogany 150 ml Best value: Libéron antique pine 500 ml – Lowest 400–500 ml price, about £15.30, with 4.6 from 672 reviews. Updated October 2026.
Antique wax is a tinted or dark furniture paste you buy in the UK to warm bare pine, refresh interior wood, or put a mid-brown cast on new shelves. It is a thin film that you buff, not a waterproof coating and not a stain you can wash. A suitable tin is one you can ventilate, and in a shade you have tried on a scrap. Check that the listing is for interior, dry wood. Kitchens, bathrooms, floors, outside, worktops and certified food contact sit outside a normal furniture paste. Bare or stripped wood may take colour. A sealed surface, or an early finish whose patina should stay, is a different job: dust it, or use a clear unstained beeswax rarely. Those limits are set out in the [antique wax buying guide](/hub/paints-and-varnishes/antique-wax/sub/antique-wax-buying-guide). Open a window, and read the flame and drowsiness lines on the tin. Buff only after the wait that paste states. If the wood is veneered, inlaid, or an early surface you are unsure about, stop and ask a conservator. This category was not lab-tested.
Antique wax is a tinted or dark furniture paste you buy in the UK to warm bare pine, refresh interior wood, or put a mid-brown cast on new shelves.
28 products checked · 58 hrs invested · +21,400 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
How should the wood look?
Libéron Black Bison Georgian mahogany is the small tin at £9.65, and the star line is 5.0 from one amazon.co.uk review, dated 8 July 2026. That review calls the wax a great finish if you put the effort in, and it names no fault. The title says 150 ml, while the unit count and the item weight both say 205 g, and the listed size is 10.8 x 10.8 x 3 cm. The bullets name beeswax and carnauba for new and antique interior wood, including furniture, doors and panelling. The antique-furniture question on the listing is unanswered. The uses field says interior. A single five-star line cannot outrank 4.8 from 633 reviews on the rugger brown tin. It is a way to try a mahogany shade on a scrap of interior wood, not a proven tin for a run of doors.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A hidden test patch in Georgian mahogany when a 400 ml tin is more wax than you need.
Less suitable: Anyone treating one five-star review as proof, or a whole set of doors.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the tin 150 ml or 205 g?
The title says 150 ml. The unit count and item weight both say 205 g. The listed size is 10.8 x 10.8 x 3 cm.
What do buyers say?
There is one UK review, from 8 July 2026. It calls the wax a great finish if you put effort in. It names no fault.
Is it for antique furniture?
The question is unanswered. The bullets include antiques, and the uses field says interior. Beeswax and carnauba are named on the bullets.
The Fiddes Supreme rugger brown tin is 400 ml at £16.49, listed as made in the United Kingdom, and it scores 4.8 from 633 amazon.co.uk reviews. Fifty UK texts in this file are often new-wood jobs: sanded scaffold board, pine shelves, beading and a dining table, alongside older oak, antique pine and mahogany. Reviewers say each extra coat darkens the timber, so a first wipe is lighter than the finish you will keep, and the colour goes patchy if the wood is not sanded first. The included line is the tin only. One buyer still had about a third left after shelves, beading and a table; another used one tin across several boards. Smell splits the file: some call it low odour, one pine-table user wanted windows open for a couple of hours, and one compared the scent with strawberries and cream. The floor question is unanswered, and none of the sampled reviews is a floor finish. It is the top pick here when you want a mid-brown on bare or stripped interior wood and you will test a scrap.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Bare or stripped interior pine and scaffold-board shelves when you want a mid-brown that builds with each coat.
Less suitable: An early finish you must not darken, or a wooden floor.
Specifications
Common questions
Is Fiddes rugger brown only for antiques?
The listing use is wood antiques restoration. UK reviews also describe new scaffold-board shelves, pine tables and beams. Each extra coat darkens the wood.
Does the 400 ml tin include a cloth or brush?
Included components are the tin only. The applicator question on the listing is unanswered. Reviewers use a cloth, a brush or 0000 wire wool.
Can this tin go on a wooden floor?
The floor question is unanswered in the saved listing. Nothing in the sampled reviews describes a floor finish.
This second Liberon Black Bison antique pine listing is 500 ml at £17.77, with 4.7 from 41 amazon.co.uk reviews, which is £2.47 more than B007ABZVCE and a much smaller count. The bullets claim resistance to finger and water marks and a glossy finish on small surfaces. Beeswax and carnauba are not printed on this ASIN. Sixteen stored UK texts often name Medium Oak, teak or Tudor oak, so the star line is not clean evidence for antique pine. The aroma is strong, and one reviewer says the room should be ventilated. Another found a hole in the middle of the lid. One review describes garden teak left outside all year; the bullets do not say the paste is for exterior wood. If you want this shade, the £15.30 listing has the larger review file, and this ASIN is the same colour name at a higher price.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A spare only if this exact ASIN is the one in stock and you accept a shared review set.
Less suitable: A buyer comparing it with the £15.30 antique pine tin on price and review count.
Specifications
Common questions
How is this different from the other antique pine Black Bison?
This is ASIN B01B7XCW8G at £17.77 with 41 reviews. B007ABZVCE is also a 500 ml antique pine paste, at £15.30 with 672 reviews. They are separate listings.
Do the reviews describe antique pine?
Several of the 16 stored reviews name Medium Oak, teak or Tudor oak. Treat those sentences as a shared review set.
Does it resist scratches?
The scratch question is unanswered. The bullets claim resistance to finger and water marks, and a glossy finish on small surfaces.
Libéron Black Bison antique pine is a 500 ml paste at £15.30, the lowest 400–500 ml price in this set, with 4.6 from 672 amazon.co.uk reviews. The bullets name beeswax and carnauba for new and antique interior wood. One reviewer says two coats turned a light pine table an antique colour; another says two coats on pine were still too light. The 50 stored texts also name Neutral, Clear and Dark Oak, so some sentences belong to a shared Black Bison block. Smell is the complaint that keeps returning: pungent or like incense, with buyers airing the room for days, though others like the beeswax scent. One dining-table user stopped because wax came off on cleaning cloths and varnished the top instead. A small hole in the lid is described as normal by one reviewer. It is the best value here for a large interior pine job you can ventilate, and Liberon says this paste is not for kitchens or bathrooms.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Bare or stripped interior pine doors and furniture when you want the lowest 500 ml price and can open a window.
Less suitable: Kitchens, bathrooms, and tabletops you wipe with water.
Specifications
Common questions
Will antique pine darken new pine?
One UK review says two coats turned a light pine table an antique colour. Another says two coats on pine were still too light. Test a hidden patch. Reviews on this ASIN also name other Black Bison shades.
Can I use it on a dining table I wash?
One reviewer stopped and varnished an oak table because wax came off on cleaning cloths. The floor question on the listing is unanswered.
Is the hole in the lid a fault?
One reviewer says a small hole is normal. The saved listing does not show a manufacturer note either way.
Fiddes Supreme antique brown is a 400 ml cream at £16.00, with 4.6 from 189 amazon.co.uk reviews, sold for bare or sealed wooden furniture and listed with a United Kingdom origin. Reviewers call it soft, with little waiting between coats. Three thin coats built a warm brown on sanded wood for one buyer; another found the result close to a clear wax and not as dark as the name. The same file includes old pine, a bare wood fire surround and a tired table, plus a trade reviewer who says they have used Fiddes since 1983. One of the 50 stored reviews says the container arrived about half full. No applicator is listed. Wet-room use is not stated on the listing. It is a mild brown for interior furniture when rugger brown would go too dark, and you should check how full the tin is when it arrives.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Sanded or sealed interior furniture when you want a warm brown that can stay light.
Less suitable: A job that has to match rugger brown in one coat, or a wet room.
Specifications
Common questions
How dark is antique brown?
One reviewer built a warm brown with three coats on sanded wood. Another found it close to a clear wax and not as dark as expected.
Is it for antique furniture?
The antique-furniture question is unanswered. Recommended uses say bare or sealed wooden furniture. Reviews include old pine and a tired table.
Does every tin arrive full?
One of 50 stored reviews says the container was about half full. That is a single report, not a rate.
Ronseal Colron refined beeswax in antique pine is £16.16, with 4.5 from 335 amazon.co.uk reviews, and the bullets limit the claim to untreated interior woods. The title and the unit count say 400 g; the item weight says 222 g, so those two figures are not the same measurement. Reviewers who expected a solid block found a fluid cream, and one tin opened in a padded envelope and leaked. On the wood, a little goes a long way: one coat coloured raw internal pine doors, a second coat was easier, and one tin covered more than 40 stair spindles as well as oak beams. Too much wax dries streaky, and one buyer scraped the streaks off with a nail. The smell in the tin is compared with Palmolive and is said to fade once it is on the timber. The outdoor question is unanswered. It suits untreated interior pine if you spread a thin coat before the cream skins.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Untreated interior pine doors and stair spindles when you want antique pine and will keep the coat thin.
Less suitable: Varnished or painted wood, and outdoor furniture.
Specifications
Common questions
Can Colron antique pine go outside?
The outdoor question is unanswered. The bullets say the paste protects untreated interior woods.
Why does the tin feel like a cream?
Reviewers describe a fluid cream, not a solid block of beeswax. One tin opened in a padded envelope and leaked.
Is the tin 400 g or 222 g?
The title and unit count say 400 g. The item weight field says 222 g. Both figures are on the listing.
Briwax teak paste, model BWTK400, is 400 g at £19.94, the highest shelf price in this set, with 4.5 from 40 amazon.co.uk reviews and Rustins named as the manufacturer. The bullets say the paste suits wood, leather, metal and paint. The 12 stored reviews describe wood, including old pine doors and plywood wardrobe shelves, and none of them describes leather. The scent field says almond, and reviewers call the smell strong: one opened the windows, and another moved the job outside under shelter. Two tins failed in opposite ways. One was too soft and marked as soon as it touched the wood. Another was so dry the buyer added white spirit and suspected old stock. Nothing in this file shows that BWTK400 is the discontinued toluene Original, and it is a teak-coloured furniture paste only when the tin is a normal consistency and you can ventilate.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Interior wood you want in a teak shade, after you check the paste is neither liquid nor dried out.
Less suitable: Floors, outdoors, worktops, or anyone who needs the old toluene Briwax.
Specifications
Common questions
Can this teak tin go on leather?
The leather question is unanswered. The bullets say wood, leather, metal and painted surfaces. The 12 stored reviews describe wood, not leather.
Why are buyers talking about a dry or soft tin?
One review says this tin was too soft and marked as soon as it touched the wood. Another says the wax was so dry they added white spirit and suspected old stock.
Is the smell mild?
The scent field says almond. Reviewers call the smell strong and suggest an open window or working outside under shelter.
Tableau dark wax is a 100 ml silicone-free soft wax at £9.55, with 4.3 from 318 amazon.co.uk reviews, beeswax and carnauba on the bullets, and sandalwood on the scent field. Reviewers treat the tub as enough for a coffee table or a cabinet, which is a different job from a run of doors. People who wanted a darker mahogany often got a shine without much colour, and one buyer moved on to a dark oak stain. A sun-faded coffee table showed no change after buffing, against the bullet that says the wax counteracts sun fade. One kitchen-table review says it was not water resistant and the wood marked. A pleasant smell, set against harsher polishes, is a repeated plus. At least one stored review is about scratch cover on UPVC, so that text is not this paste. It is a finger-mark polish for dark wood you already like.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A small refresh on dark furniture when you want shine and fewer finger marks.
Less suitable: Pale wood you need to colour, a kitchen table, or several doors from one 100 ml tin.
Specifications
Common questions
Will Tableau dark wax stain pale wood dark?
Bullets say it enhances dark wood and counteracts sun fade. Reviews disagree: some see a darker cabinet, others see little change after buffing and one buyer moved to a stain.
Can I use it on a kitchen table?
One reviewer says it polished easily but was not water resistant and the wood marked. The listing does not claim a kitchen or food-safe use.
Does the listing say silicone-free?
Yes. The bullets say a silicone-free soft wax made with beeswax and carnauba.
Eight amazon.co.uk antique wax listings were scored from the stored listing files, read on 19 October 2026, not in a lab. Stars contribute (amazon rating divided by 5) times 55, then that figure is rounded. Under 20 reviews subtracts 18, 20–49 changes nothing, 50–199 adds 4, 200–499 adds 8, and 500 or more adds 12. Reviews that name a different colour subtract 6. A title size that disagrees with the weight or unit count subtracts 8. A tin described as too soft or too dry subtracts 4. The weights below scale those checks to shares of 100. The top pick is the highest score. The best value is the lowest 400–500 ml price with a large review file. Prices move.
Star line
60%Stars are (amazon rating divided by 5) times 55, then rounded. That is the largest part of the score. A 5.0 line from one review can still finish last once the review-count check is applied. Stars are the amazon.co.uk average, not a lab test of colour or water resistance.
Review count
20%Under 20 reviews subtracts 18. From 20 to 49 reviews the score does not change. 50–199 adds 4, 200–499 adds 8, and 500 or more adds 12. A 400–500 ml tin with hundreds of reviews is preferred to a 5.0 score from one review.
Pack conflict
9%Eight points come off when the title size and the weight or unit-count line disagree. A 400 g title against a 222 g item weight, or a 150 ml title against a 205 g unit count, is that conflict. The listing does not say which figure to trust.
Other-shade texts
7%Six points come off when the stored UK reviews name a different colour from the title. Those sentences are a shared review block, not evidence for the shade on the tin. A clean file for the named colour is not reduced.
Paste consistency
4%Four points come off when stored reviews describe a tin that is too soft or too dry to spread. A normal paste that buffs in a thin film is the check. This is not a lab measure of hardness.
Start with interior and dry, then whether the wood is bare or only needs a sheen, then the shade on a scrap, then smell and the pack. The notes below follow that order. None of these listings was lab-tested.
Antique wax, for a UK shopper, is a tinted or dark furniture paste used to warm bare pine, refresh interior wood, or put a mid-brown cast on new shelves. It is a poor match for a valuable early finish that should only be dusted, or given a rare coat of unstained beeswax. Quality here is a thin film that buffs, a shade you have tested, and a label you can ventilate, not a waterproof coating. Icon says wood does not need feeding and that silicone spray is the wrong habit.
Liberon says Black Bison is not for kitchens and bathrooms. Rustins says furniture Briwax is not for floors, outside, worktops or certified food contact. One dining-table review said wax came off on cleaning cloths.
Antique pine reviews disagree on how dark two coats go. Fiddes rugger brown darkens with each coat. Tableau sometimes shows almost no colour change. Try a scrap before a whole door.
The sources give about 20 minutes for Liberon, about 3 minutes for Fiddes, and 15 minutes for Colron. Buffing earlier leaves a sticky film. Do not use methylated spirits on shellac.
A normal furniture paste is for interior, dry wood. Liberon says Black Bison is not for kitchens and bathrooms. Rustins says furniture Briwax is not for outside, floors, worktops, or certified food contact. Colron’s bullets say untreated interior woods, and the outdoor question on that listing is unanswered. If the job is a wet table or a floor, stop. Bare wood may take colour. A finish you only want to sheen is a different job.
Test the shade on a scrap before you commit a whole door. Antique pine reviews disagree on how dark two coats go. Fiddes rugger brown darkens with each coat. Tableau is a soft dark polish, and some reviewers saw almost no colour change. A 100 ml tin can be enough for a coffee table or a cabinet and still be the wrong pack for a run of doors. Open a window, and read the flame and drowsiness lines.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a mid-brown on bare or stripped interior pine, and you will test a scrap because each extra coat darkens the timber. Fiddes rugger brown is the top pick, 400 ml at about £16.49, with 4.8 from 633 reviews. The tin is the only thing in the box, and the floor question on the listing is unanswered.
You have bare or stripped interior pine doors or furniture, you can open a window, and you want the lowest 500 ml price. Libéron antique pine is the best value at about £15.30, with 4.6 from 672 reviews. Liberon says this paste is not for kitchens or bathrooms, and wax can lift off a table that is washed.
You are refreshing modern dark wood and you want shine and fewer finger marks, not a strong stain. Tableau dark wax is a 100 ml silicone-free tin at about £9.55, with 4.3 from 318 reviews. It is the wrong pack for several doors. An early surface should be dusted, or given a rare coat of clear beeswax, which is not this tin.
The top pick is Fiddes rugger brown, 400 ml at about £16.49. It has the highest score: 4.8 from 633 amazon.co.uk reviews, a United Kingdom origin line, and no pack conflict. Extra coats darken sanded pine, and the tin does not include a cloth. The best value is Libéron Black Bison antique pine, 500 ml at about £15.30, with 4.6 from 672 reviews, the lowest 400–500 ml price here. Its score is not the highest. Liberon says the paste is not for kitchens or bathrooms, and some stored reviews name other Black Bison shades.
Libéron antique pine 500 ml
Lowest 400–500 ml price, about £15.30, with 4.6 from 672 reviews.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public sources from the research digest, last checked on 20 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file, read on 19 October 2026. The price band is this set, not a market average. No listing was lab-tested.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the stored amazon.co.uk figures, not a live crawl. We did not lab-test these pastes.
