Any wipe on varnish. Such as Tried and True, Antique Oil, a wipe on polyurethane of any brand. Anything along those lines. Or try a hard wax oil. It seems to be gaining ground among users. General Finishes has something in that product line. It seems to be a good product. I haven’t used it yet, but it’s reviews are solid. Good luck and please share your results.
A hard wax oil (rubio, osmo, natura, general, odies, etc) is probably the best match for what you want and is still easily repairable while being more durable and not looking like the wood is wrapped in plastic.