I think you're on the right track.
I have a couple of white lacquered snares from the forties, and owned a white lacquered WFL outfit for a while, and none of them are "White-white".
I'm a fan of not "over-restoring", but trying to achieve a balance between hardware and shell finish.
As in not polishing lugs and rims beyond the level of finish of the shells, and vice-versa....
For instance, I re-finished the shell and wood rims of this early 1900s Lyon & Healy snare far beyond the achievable level of the hardware, and the results look unbalanced to my eyes.
Just my two cents, here ....:):)