Of course unlacquered brass has maintenance. What do you think they made the sailors do on board ships? Polish brass.

Unlacquered Brass can make your fingers smell.

It is high maintenance only if you are high maintenance. If you want a living patina go for it. If you want something that looks uniform and perfect then don't.

I have unlacquered brass hardware and the knobs that are used often are very shiny, those that don't are more dull. If it would bother you to have uneven tones between cabinets over time, this is not for you.

I am highly sensitive to smell and have never had them make my fingers smell.

The whole point of lacquering brass is to reduce maintenance. If you enjoy removing, polishing, and reinstalling unlacquered brass once a month, once a year, or so, go for it.

I'm ok with unlacquered brass as I love the patina.

Just remember that ”patina” is going to be splotchy and ugly if you splash soda on it, or baking soda water from boiling the potatoes, etc. Brass does not age evenly and prettily unless no one ever touches it, and nothing from the environment touches it. Brass is sn slloy of copper, so look at what that penny jar looks like. All the colors from shiny to green. All at once. That is what your brass will look like that gets touched and used.