If you're looking at a product made of wood, the basic question is whether or not you want a product that is "top-coated" with some kind of protective resin, commonly called "lacquer" in the furniture industry. Why not always choose the "protected" product?

     Well, for one thing, that protective layer generally doesn¹t come "for free"-- it raises the cost of the finished product between five and fifteen per cent. Secondly, although it¹s true that the top coat reduces the risk of damage to the wood, it doesn¹t reduce it to zero: even the best top-coating in the world cannot turn wood into stainless steel. And this is where the advantages non-top-coated finishes kick in: although they¹re a whole lot easier to damage, they¹re also a whole lot easier to repair if and when they get damaged: it¹s a whole lot easier to buff out a water spot with steel wool and restore the color with a little stain, than to do both of those things and then try to blend in a lacquer top-coat from a spray can that you bought at the local hardware store.....

     Really, there is no scientific answer to that question, it¹s just a matter of your own very personal choice. But.....

     If you¹re leaning toward the Non-top-coated side, you should look for a finish that is oil- based as opposed to water-based. Why? Because the Number One Enemy of Wood is water. And as you know without me telling you, oil is to water as, well..... as oil is to water!

     A finish that has, say, linseed oil as one of its components will obviously resist water damage (by keeping the water away from the wood) much more effectively than a finish that has no natural oils in it..... ³just common sense², no?