Why Lacquer is the Best Coating

I admittedly have a love affair with lacquer. It's temperamental and not easy to find or apply, but it produces a finish like no other - especially on 'raw' wood.

But first the negatives:

1. Lacquer stinks. Lacquer (and lacquer thinner) have very strong odor, lots of VOC's and are NOT healthy for you. You MUST have good ventilation AND wear a really good respirator while using it. If you can smell the lacquer while you're applying it, you need a better respirator (charcoal filters are critical).
2. Lacquer can be hard to get. Environmental regulations mean consumers simply can't get it in many places, or can get it only 1 quart at a time in many others. Many places simply don't carry it, and if you're not a 'legit business' it's often hard to come by (as a "motorcycle shop" I'm able to get it, but even I have to drive 20 miles to the nearest "pro paint" shop to get it in >1 qt. quantities)
3. Lacquer dries REALLY fast. It can be tricky to apply well, especially with a brush. I would never brush lacquer: Spray for best results.

But the results... are worth it:

Lacquer has a depth and finish and smoothness that can't be matched. The photo doesn't do it justice... You not only have to see it, but also touch it in person to really 'get it.' You get the 'wet look' of epoxy, but without the 'fake/plastic' finish epoxy (or polyurethane) often give.

So why lacquer? Here are the "pros"

1. Finish like no other. Lacquer has a depth and smoothness that can't be matched. Epoxy may come close, but has an 'artificial/plastic' feel to it that I don't like.
2. Lacquer thinner is powerful stuff. That's important because each layer you add partially dissolves and melds with the prior layer. That's what gives you 'the look'. Polyurethane, shellac, and other finishes are layer-on-layer and just don't do that.
3. Lacquer is tactile. It manages to be silky-smooth and yet not destroy the 'feel' of real wood with an over-plastic smoothness. 
4. Lacquer enhances wood. Because it is such a powerful solvent, it soaks deep into wood and brings out the color/grain like nothing else.
5. Lacquer dries fast. Yeah, I know I added that as a "con" above, but it's also a pro. While it does make application tricky, it also means you can add a lot of layers quickly.

But the 'real' challenge of lacquer is this: As near as I can tell, how you apply and use it depends on the temperature, humidity, phase of the moon, barometric pressure, which sign of the zodiac is ascendant at the time, and just 'how it feels' that day. 

I used to try and develop 'formulas' for spraying lacquer... X parts lacquer to Y parts thinner at settings Q, Z and W on the spray gun with V pressure on the compressor. Utter failure: what worked yesterday produced orange-peel and nastiness the next day.

So lacquer's kinda like an exotic Italian car. If you try to "manage" it, it'll kick you in the nuts. But if you learn how to handle it deftly and get a 'feel' for it, then it'll give you results like nothing else.