There are several common ways of dealing with the problem. It depends on the material:
one can cover (or just face) in leather as Daryl suggests;
the old gunsmiths used to use a hot knife to melt and seal the surface, it gives it a hard gloss finish, maybe not a good idea if you are not sure of the material;
another old gunsmith's trick is to wipe on several thin coats of french polish, this does rub off in time but lasts for long enough given the ease of application.