Best finish to achieve protective, satin finish on pine?

[Jay Michaels]

I'm building an old-school standing "teacher's desk" based loosely on this one from the Woodwright's Shop:

https://www.pbs.org/video/woodwright...standing-desk/

I prefer a protective, satiny finish; not high gloss. And I don't want to leave it unfinished.

So with that in mind, what finish would you all recommend?

My usual go-to finish for hardwood furniture is a wiping varnish finish (my default is 3-4 coats of Arm-R-Seal Satin). But I haven't made a furniture piece out of pine before . . .

[Jerry Olexa]

Pine is a soft wood and any finish will not perform as well on it vs a hardwood

[Phil Mueller]

For pine, I’d use a pre-conditioner first to minimize splotching. Then apply the ArmRSeal satin...maybe 2-3 coats sanding in between coats. You can then soften the sheen using 0000 steel wool and wax.