I haven't used Chechen *Burl* per se, but I have used straight-grained Chechen for pens. Chechen is a hard wood but it has a kind of an open grain and I like the look and feel of it in its "natural" state so I decided not to use CA which looks too glossy for my liking. I ended up applying, first, EEE Ultra Shine, then, second, EEE paste wax, and, third, Renaissance Wax. I have been pleased with the result. I mean to try CA and then steel wool it to give it a matte finish, but I haven't tried that yet.