Larry...
Reviving an old post...sorry about that.
I'd suggest this experiment. Get 4 or 5 pieces of hardwood scrap, about 3 x 6 or so, that have been surfaced. Apply 3 coats of gloss poly to each...I've found that water-based poly rubs out as well as anything, and it's quicker to apply because it dries fast. 3 coats will provide a buildup that's thick enough that some can be rubbed off. Let this cure for 2-3 days to make sure it's hard enough to withstand the rubbing. My vote is with Bill Simpson if you want that silky smooth, "how'd you do that?", feel. As for the grits used for this kind of rubbing, pumice and rottenstone are the most common...two grits of pumice followed by rottenstone. I think of it as sanding...you don't start with the final sanding grit, you start with something coarse and work up to the final grit...same with this. Pumice grits are the same as sandpaper...higher is finer. So start with 2F, then use 4F, then use rottenstone. Many use a felt block for the rubbing, I use a piece of old t-shirt folded into a pad...different pad for each grit. I've used motor oil, but didn't work so well...too thick. 3-in-1 works. The "real" oil is paraffin oil, make your own by mixing mineral oil (cheap) with a little bit of paint thinner...easy...that's what I use now. When you're rubbing don't just wave the pad at it...bear down a bit...you can feel the surface of the finish smoothing out, just as in sanding. Since you have a few samples, try to rub the finish off down to the wood...you can, and it's not fun when it's the real thing...good to know the limits. Take one of your rubbed out samples and rub some more using automotive rubbing compound...there are two common grits I think...the coarser one (red color) and finest one (white color). These are both finer than rottenstone.The result will look something like the finish on your new truck, and be smooth as a bb. In fact, any rubbing compound used for auto finishes can be used here. It will probably be shinier than you've said you want. My experimentation in this area is so far inconclusive. You can dull the surface by re-rubbing with a coarser grit to introduce scratch marks, but now you have scratch marks...rock and a hard place. I'm not a big fan of satin finishes because they contain an additive that scatters the light...how they achieve the satin look...and I think it also obscures the grain to some extent. But I'd suggest trying that as well...it may give you what you want in terms of "dull".
These samples now represent the smoothest and best that's possible to achieve. But it's a lot of work and doesn't always make sense, particularly for large pieces. The largest I've used this on was a coffee table, and it turned out beautiful. Now you can experiment with other suggestions and see how they compare to perfection with maybe less effort.
If you do this, I'd like to hear your results.
Cheers.