I can't remember the last time I used a liquid finish on any exotic type woods. I finish as I described and apply a couple of coats of a carnauba based wax. Just stay away for the "harsh" type waxes such as Trewax, Johnson's paste wax, or any others that have harsh chemicals in them (you can always tell because of the harsh chemical order these waxes put off)
For woods that require a finish of some type, I primarily use Tru-Oil. It takes a specific method of application, and some time, but I find it to be a great finish for knife handles.