The highest gloss level you will achieve with the hardwax oils = "dull" satin. Or something a snick shinier than matte. I know the companies are DEVELOPING "sating" finishes, I just don't know where they are in this development process.

I'm hoping Ultimate Hardwood will chime in to offer has 2cents worth.

When it comes to hardwax oils - the SANDING job is DOUBLE the effort of a traditional polyurethane because the finish will HIGHLIGHT every ooopsa the sander makes.

Make sure you choose a professional who can HANDLE the hardwax oil. And remember: those beautiful HARD exotics are a BEAST to finish/sand. They EAT sanding machines for breakfast. Because these finishes require EXTRA sanding you will be reaching DEEP into your pocket book to get this finish down.

Exotics (especially these SUPER hard ones) cost extra to sand/install because they do so much DAMAGE to equipment. The more equipment you need, the more damage you will incur. That damage has to be paid for by someone. And that someone is normally the homeowner.

Just a little bit of FYI on these extra hard exotics - beautiful but WICKED TOUGH to deal with.

I'm familiar with the Rubio and WOCA finishes. Both can achieve a nice satin finish. The Rubio is a single coat hardwax oil where the WOCA is a pure oil.

The WOCA is duller unless you use the Maintenance Oil Paste. Then it's fairly shiny, but it gives the impression that it would be more resistant to water and wear.

My Rubio finished floors have some sheen, probably slightly higher than what would be considered satin. I think that's dependent on how smooth the floor is sanded and how much it's buffed after the oil is applied. I buffed the area I did a lot. A workman did the same finish in an adjacent hall and it's a little more satin. On an Oak floor, I wire brushed it, used the Smoke reactive stain and Cotton White oil. The water made the surface rough so this one looks more satin.

When my house is finished I will end up with Rubio finish in five areas but I wouldn't use either Rubio or WOCA in my own kitchen. I prefer my kitchen to have a less maintenance intensive floor. Of the two I'm familiar with, I would probably choose the WOCA since it's a multi coat and has more friendly maintenance products (Natural Soap and Oil Refresher). You should research the daily/periodic/yearly maintenance requirements/recommendations for each finish you are considering.

The Rubio oiled foyer/living room I finished almost a year ago looks great but it gets very little water. I vacuum it regularly to remove sand and construction dust and have retouched the finish after a few mishaps but I've yet to use the Rubio Soap to clean it.

The worst thing that could happen is that you apply a finish and after a few years you can refinish it if you find it's not suitable.

Thank you so much...your response is very helpful!! I will definitely research the maintenance requirements for each product...what a great suggestion.