Comments about Kirby Kirby Topside Paints - Vintage Colors:

good reason why they've been around for so long... great paint... coverage and flow-out is terrific, a joy to apply... very durable... easy to "spot in" areas if needed... traditional colors that really look authentic... very helpful and friendly "family" business

Comments about Kirby Kirby Topside Paints - Vintage Colors:

This is the real deal. It's what boats looked like before polyurethane.

I've been using this paint for years on my Nutshell Pram, and also for exterior uses at home. It's the most durable alkyd paint I've ever used. It washes beautifully without any loss of color or sheen. I've found no other paint that gives the same "just right" look for a traditional wooden boat. It's fancier than a workboat finish, but not glitzy like an Awlgrip and chrome-plated gin palace.

From the can it's very thick and heavy, so you have to thin it a lot -- maybe 10 to 25%. It's not fussy about thinners. I've used mineral spirits, turpentine, naptha and even kerosene to good effect. I also add some penetrol for flow. For spraying I use Interlux 216, which is a hotter solvent than mineral spirits or turps.

I've applied it by brush and HVLP spray to good effect. I sprayed the outside of my front door with the red gloss over five years ago. Despite southern exposure, it still looks freshly painted. Kirby's will go three years on my pram without needing a recoating, and the pram is stored uncovered outside year-round.

Comments about Kirby Kirby Topside Paints - Vintage Colors:

I used the french gray color to paint the cockpit and pilothouse of a downeast lobster boat. The color match was OK. The paint flowed on very nicely and really was a pleasure to work with. I did it at the mooring and enjoyed a nice afternoon painting. I was a bit dissapointed with the durability of this paint. It is a very tough duty application so I may be expecting too much. It will have to be painted yearly.