Well, it's been a while and there is actually some progress on this one (had other boring household projects to get done).
Cleaned the binding up as good as I could but my way of applying the coats of stain meant it bled into the cracks around the upper horns, my preparation wasn't good enough.
Sanded the sealer with 400 grit and then sprayed 4 thin coats of acrylic lacquer. I am going for a gloss finish at the moment but that could still change. Pics are a bit flattering as far as the contrast between light and dark shades goes but you get the idea.
If you can't get a clear pic of the flaws, does that mean they don't exist?
Will let this dry for a month and then sand and spray more clear coats.
Grant