Every piece leaves Pilsen oiled by hand. Lacquer would be quicker for us and tougher on the first day, but it sits on the wood like a sheet of plastic, and when it scratches you cannot mend it.
What oil does
Oil soaks into the grain and hardens there. It darkens the wood a little and brings up the figure, and the surface still feels like wood rather than glass. A scratch in oiled oak can be sanded lightly and re-oiled in ten minutes.
Looking after it
Wipe spills with a damp cloth and never use a spray polish, which leaves a film. Once a year, rub in a thin coat of the oil we send with every piece, leave it for twenty minutes, then wipe off what is left. That is the whole routine.
Rings and marks
A cold glass will leave a pale ring on a new table. Give it a few months of oil and use and it gets harder to mark. Most people stop worrying about coasters by the second year.