AndyT wrote:When handrails were made by hand, specialised shaves and planes were sometimes used, but only on popular profiles as each one needed a set which would only make that shape.
The other approach was to use a variety of chisels, gouges and short planes, often with a tailed grip, sometimes adapted to curves to suit the job, and a template of the cross section to check against.
Scratching any shape wider than a few millimetres doesn't sound like fun to me.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Andy..I was planning to do exactly what you're suggesting and rough it out as best as possible and then use the scratch stock to finesse it towards the end.
I've also been looking at power carvers as I'm a wimp. And Arbortech stuff...which looks like a very easy way to convert American Walnut into matchsticks and sawdust with very little end result.
If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.