Didn't read all the advice but what I am doing is oiling then varnishing or sometimes a varnish shellac mix like Parker and other shot gun companies used. The fill coat is sanded back to almost bare wood. Then I go with what Art has advised an oil/spar varnish mix. I also add some Japan dryer or cobalt as these help the oils to dry from the inside. As you start to get a build up wait longer and longer each coat. I like James Howes method on "Modern Gunsmithing" of using a rotten stone & oil felt buffing wheel to apply the coats after the filler is done. This starts the buffing process and can take weeks off the finishing time. The wood is burnished in the process. It develops a fair amount of heat and you can actually burn the wood if you over do it.

A final couple of coats are Slacum which is oil, turpentine, Carnuba/Bees Wax, and some dryer. This is for the final buffing out and the Beeswax adds a soft luster better than anything else I have tried. The final slacum coat is not very durable for several years but is easy to re-apply. It eventually gets quite hard and the Carnuba speeds this up but doesn't buff out as satiny as the Beeswax. You can skip all this and just buff any modern finish and wax and then one final buffing for a similar result which is more durable.

"When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred." Niccolo Machiavelli