Not all stabilized woods are created equal either. I made a sketch pencil out of stabilized Buckeye Burl, no finish, just micromeshed, and it had a great shine to it. It is still in EXCELLENT shape, slightly duller, but it is a "shop" pencil, and also spent several months last summer "lost" in the lawn under the picnic table, and was only found after I demolished the table (it was 20 years old...) After that sort of abuse, I can't see any finish making much difference.
I've also had other stabilized woods that were nowhere near as consistently penetrated with the material, and the material used was very different.... I have no doubt that they would not survive a summer in the elements nearly as well...