Alan, I find it best to cut off the plastic handles and make real wood replacements. Then all you need to do is paint the 'real' wood with diluted acrylic paint in whatever colour you choose. Please don't varnish it...save that for aircraft propellers!
If you don't fancy making your own, get some fine sand paper and gently stroke the plastic handle, going along, not across the object. This will give you a nice grain effect ( you won't be able to see it yet though!) A fine wire brush gives good results on larger pieces.
Using a well diluted dark brown colour, paint the wood and wipe it off straight away. This will leave just the dark grain lines. When dry, coat the handle with your chosen colour, again well diluted. This will give you the colour you want without obliterating the grain....
Putting the last coat of paint on thick will look awful, so try a bit of scrap wood first.
The golden rules are...
Go with the grain with your sand paper, not across.
Always use well dilute paint, you can always go over the wood again. But too thick, and the piece is ruined from the start....
That's my take on it, but I'm sure others will have their own method and will no doubt be along to add their help.
I liberally mix the colour until Ilike it