oceanna: If that piece were mine, and I was willing to do a strip/refinish if nothing else worked, I'd start with RAF and Super Fine steel wool. (You'll need the steel wool to work on the goobered up existing finish.) You can apply a little more pressure with the Super Fine Steel Wool and still get results without going into the wood. I wouldn't go lower in grade to coarser steel wool because it could easily gouge the wood. (BTDT) Then you'll have that issue to contend with. (SWool will act like sandpaper, coarser grade is like very rough sandpaper, used in stripping.) Try in an inconspicuous part, perhaps rear, or rear bottom? Never go in circles or against the grain. When using any product (sandpaper, steel wool, stain, poly) always work in smooth even lines going with the grain. Steel Wool grade info One more, with charts and uses for SW Before you dive in and do anything, check the Antique forum here. There's a home made formula kicking around for cleaning up very old pieces that have issues. Have not tried it myself, cannot vouch for it. It gets debated a lot, too ;) There are some excellent photos of pieces iasheff found in a shed that were in sad shape and came out beautifully! I think she used the homemade concoction, but am not positive on that. Original Post First Piece Done Pie Safe Done I prefer to be conservative with antiques if at all possible, saving a full strip/refinish when it's just beyond hope. If the RAF didn't work, you could move onto another method. If I had the piece you have, and the RAF or home concoction didn't work, I'd do a full strip/refinish and using lots of photos as a guide, match it to the finish on there now. It really is a very pretty piece of furniture, nice lines, and what I can see of the wood on the side is beautiful! Here's a knowledge base article on RAF and different finishes. And then a general FAQ. Here's an article about various clear coatings.

sarschlos: I remember your successful thread about your buffet and even noted down the steps, but you are right that I did not realize the importance of doing the buffing with the RAF--not beforehand. This has definitely been a learning experience which I intended it to be when I purchased these tables. I wanted to try on something else before starting on the DR chairs/table, though I've now come to realize this is a much more complicated project than I anticipate to DR set to be. I do think that there was no way I could escape needing to strip and refinish these tables--as there were different problems with each one. Seems the other table has fisheye from prior Pledge contamination and bobsmyuncle over on the woodworking forum recommends stripping that as well. Both looked to have a lot of lacquer/shellac that was probably incorrectly applied sometime in the past which led to these problems--and would also not allow the RAF to penetrate much, though I do notice improved results using the Murphy's Oil soap/RAF on the table legs (left table is the one that I used the RAF, right is not done yet): Even before refinishing, the stripped table looks so much better than either of the two tables before: Now I just need to figure out best way to refinish. Bobsmyuncle recommends first putting a couple of light coats of shellac to seal in the silicone (Pledge) contamination and the finish it. I'm wondering what type of stain/finish to use or even I need one at all as there still looks to be a lot of color in the wood and I don't want to darken the inlay. If anyone can recommend some specific brands to use, that'd be much appreciated.

An excellent topcoat in a wet environment is Waterlox - DIY friendly, easy to repair, and has excellent water resistance. Bleed through is usually found with those deep red stains usually found on Mahogany. Shellac is a good barrier to prevent/minimize that. Likely not necessary on the piece you show but no harm in doing it. Caveat there though is the shellac in the can is not de-waxed and may affect your choice of top coat. As for staining the body darker to match the top - probably not necessary. The little bit of color that will peek through after you distress will not appear that much different - and as stated above a bit of dark wax can even it up if it is that noticeable to you. A little dark wax goes a long way so use with a light hand. As for the underside of the top - use a sanding sponge to get under there - easiest if you flip the piece over and work that way. You may not need stain under there but you will want your topcoat to cover it. Here is a link that might be useful: Waterlox

I like the shape but agree that it could use a little love. For example, the leather is peeling in the corner. Based on my experience with leather topped tables I would recommend coasters under drinks and a tablecloth or place mats made from something less absorbent than cloth if your family members aren't messy eaters. Well protected leather is very sturdy and easy to clean but sweating glasses can leave water rings on it and other things can damage it.