Finishing Handles!

So I am working on finishing my first knife and would like some advice on finishing handles. I am using a dyed maple with a clear resin throughout. Is using a high grit sandpaper going to be enough to finish a handle or do I need to use some kind of coating, oil, polyurethane, etc? Would like to bring out a shine on the handle and have it be as low maintenance as possible in the long run. What do you recommend?

If it is a stabilized wood, it does not technically 'need' any finish. However, an oil-based finish makes the colors pop out better. Running it over a buffer as a final touch with something like white compound will make it shinier.

Stefan

Maybe THIS can help you.

I'll add a couple things I've learned in my short time doing this... Not all stabilized woods are equal. Some are incredible just sanded to high grit and waxed. Others will pop more with more steps as Stefan and Dave note.

I've been going up to 3000 grit sandpaper which brings out the 3D grain and chatoyance. But going higher and filing the grain tends to make the wood feel more plastic than wood, at least for the woods I've used.

So this is my first knife and first handle. Idk what kind of wood it is. It was a big mixed bag of dyed and stabilized wood my buddy gave me. Is there a wax one could recommend? I'll be using up. To 2000 grit sandpaper and maybe some super fine steel wool? Maybe buffing some too? When do I wax? Last step?

Wax should go on last. Some people swear by Renaissance wax which is a specific brand originally developed for museums. Others like car waxes with carnuba in them or paste wax which is often used on floors or furniture.