My experience is the polycrylic doesn't hold up too well long term on a knife. It also does next to nothing to highlight the grain of the wood.
What I use largely depends on the wood, but a favorite is epoxy thinned down with acetone (aka the Massey finish). When thinned down well it really penetrates the wood and highlights the grain.
Here's a comparison from some of my early knives:
thinned epoxy on alligator juniper
This thing shimmered - the depth was just amazing!
Same alligator juniper (actually a nicer piece) with polycrylic
Almost completely flat looking. I was really disappointed.