Oh gosh. That does not sound good. And no, I do not want to be a slave to my floors. So, what finish would you recommend? I was leaning away from the other finishes because I felt like they lacked that authentic wood feel (underfoot). I don't want anything that looks fake or plastic. And then there's the dog that is also in the equation. Oil = rub away the scratches? At least that's the word on the street.

If you want a factory finished floor (faster and easier to install; more expensive to purchase) then you have two choices:

Urethane/Polyurethane (preferably enhanced with aluminum oxide or ceramic nanobeads)

Oiled floors (such as the one listed above) = hardwax oil finish

If you work with site-finished flooring, you have a few more options added to the two above:

Wax = as in the type of floors used 100+ years ago...yes they require waxing 2x per year

Conversion Varnish or Swedish Finish = Super tough finishes which carry HEAVY ODOURS for weeks and weeks and weeks....but well worth it in the end. They are also more expensive because very few installers work with these finishes (they are very specialized finishes).

So you have two categories:

HIGH maintenance = owner can deal with all the issues all by themselves = lots of work just to get rid of visible scratches AND just to keep the floor healthy

Low/No maintenance x 20+ years = only a professional deals with issues

Oiled and waxed floors = homeowner maintenance = more work for you to keep scratches at bay.

The coating systems (urethane, polyurethane, conversion varnishs, etc) = very little homeowner effort...but scratches will be left behind when they do happen.

You need to understand your motives (every scratches...the laws of nature will not change in that regard...only your reaction to scratches can change) for having a floor that is 'easily' fixed. Remember everything has a flip side: easy to fix = easy to mar.

The particular colour you are looking at are super difficult to deal with in the oil finishes. If you must have that colour, then look at a site finished floor in a stain that works for you. The reason why some of these floors feel like plastic = factory finishes use HEAVY build-up of 7-15 coats of finish AND they are often super slick.

You are liking the texture of the wire brushed finish and the GRIP of the floor. The texture can be reproduced in the HIGHER end finishes on the market from a factory. They are not $5/sf. They are close to $15/sf.

Thanks for the info @SJ McCarthy. I'm super picky and know (mostly) what I want, just having trouble finding a product that meets all of my requirements. I'm now looking into site finished; having someone come out and measure and give me an estimate. I know it will be $$$ so I'm bracing for the number.

@sj McCarthy, what would you consider high end engineered options?

High-end means "made in USA or Canada". These products are of a higher production level because of the N. American requirements (that are often missing overseas). And the cost of USA/Canada labour costs = 4 times more than overseas.

The HIGHEST level engineered hardwood is a 'site finished' engineered hardwood. These are VERY special floors. You can find a few manufacturers in the USA who can do this for you. These start at $15/sf and move up from there. One of the posters on Houzz, Oak and Broad, offers 'stock' options as well as customized 'site finished' engineered hardwood.

Remember: A well made engineered hardwood is MORE expensive than a solid hardwood.

piggyback on what SJ McCarthy said previously, a couple of manufacturers are considered as high end options are Summitt Forest Products (custom), Mirage Floors, Graf Custom Hardwood, etc. Those are a few brands that have their products made in the USA or Canada, and can custom made very unique flooring materials for your needs/wants.