See, I genuinely like Edgar Russ and his videos and I see nothing wrong with his processes (and by the way, what he's doing with his videos is not to be compared with Davide Sora and Davide's absolute service to humanity as he shares his processes and techniques). I don't know the trade like a lot of you here do, but Edgar's just great entertainment and you'll learn something, absolutely true if you're a beginner, and it's SAFE to be learning from him. Probably not everything is done the same way by everyone but he's not a charlatan.
I must say this: I like the idea of violin varnish cologne much better than I like the idea of a transcendent and eternal romance between...a couple of kids and some trees and a Master Luthier...made into a book.
May I refer you here:
https://www.amazon.com/Trees-Luthiers-Diary-Kevin-Luthier/dp/0970491344
and to this delectable quote:
Critics have referred to "Two Trees" as "Very hot, yet clean and morally uplifting."
How can anyone resist?