Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - Which type of Finish do I choose?

I am refinishing an old oak table w/pedestal. I am not putting any stain on it, I just want to apply a clear finish. I seen somewhere that Minwax Wipe On Poly will give you that old fashion look where it's not real shiny. However, I called some people today and they totally are against using this...i.e. very messy, will leave rub marks...etc. Ok...this is my dining room table, it will be used alot and it is in the traffic lane of our house so stuff gets dumped on it all the time. What to you recommend to use as a finish? I'm flexible with the look...just want it to last a long time.

Thanks

chigger1027,
Go ahead and use the Wipe-on Poly. The 'ones' you talkd to just don't know how to use it. It's not put on in a circle motion. You can use a brush or a soaked clean rag and apply with the grain - one swipe only. Sand lightly with 320 grit paper between coats. It will take a number of coats because the wipe-ons are only thinned poly anyway. The polys are actually much harder, due to the resins, than a spar varnish. Spar is okay for a bar, but actually it is manufactured for outoor use and theoretically never dries. It stays pliable for the expansion/contraction in outdoor weather. You can actually make your own wipe-on by mixing mineral spirits with polyurethane.
fred