I try to keep the age of a peice, aka patination, self evident. Sometimes the existing finish on a peice, like this early 19th Century side table, is too far gone to revive. It was soft and flaky, and just going over with new polish would not work over time.

 

Restoration invoved carefully removing the soft, flaky finish, then using oxalic acid to remove darker water stains, and repolishing with a hardened french polish using a fad. No sandpaper was required, so some old timber bruising, scratches and nicks, etc are retained.