Finish for wooden handles on cookware

[Paul-in-Plymouth]

I’m looking for a water-resistant and heat-resistant finish for wooden handles on some cast-iron saucepans and skillets.  The pans and their original handles have lasted for decades, but the film finish has worn off the handles.  The owner - SWMBO - has requested that I refinish them.  

The loss of finish is uniform over the handle, so I suspect that repeated washing is a bigger factor in the loss than heat, but both may play a role.   

I’d appreciate your thoughts on what finish would work best for this application.  What finish stands up best to water and heat?  Has anybody done this successfully?

Thanks for your help.

[Sawdustd]

First,  Rust-Oleum makes a heat resistant paint designed for use on metal products, not wood.   I suspect you're looking for a "clear" finish which I don't recall seeing in Rust Oleum.   If you can find a Clear Rust-Oleum product, you might try that.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
        I think your assessment of why the original finish has failed is due to use and washing over the years, not necessarily heat.  Therefore try an exterior water based finish and see how it holds up.   Again, nothing ventured, nothing gained.   As a minimum, the handles will look nicer for a while and ----  lookin nicer meets your wife's requirement
.     Just my two cents.