This likely won't be of interest but just in case, back when I was building flintlocks, I used several different finishes, mostly linseed oil based but my favourite was suggested to me by a long time, well known ML maker as, while not as common as LO was a traditional finish in the 18th century and that is bees wax. Easy to apply, just take a chunk of BW, heat the stock with a hair drier until the surface will melt the wax, rub the block (with the heat) until the wood will not take any more wax, buff and your done. Depending on the wood, the wax can penetrate as much as 1/8" (usually more like 1/16"). Gives a nice warm "glow" when buffed but will dull in appearance when used in the weather. No matter, I just dissolve some bees wax in turpentine until I get the constancy I want (about like vaseline or perhaps a bit stiffer) and wipe on a thin coat and buff to restore the luster. Of course this adds ZERO protection from scratches and dents but the trade off is that it is EASY to make repairs. Something g to consider is that, while I have never tried, should you decide that you don't like the finish for some reason, I don;t know how easy (or even if it would be possible in a practical sense) to strip and go to something else since the wax is IN the wood, not just ON the wood. If you were at all interested, I would recommend trying it on a piece of scrap walnut and see if it suits your tastes/needs. I used it mostly on maple.
