handrail finishing

[plasticpigeon]

I have a friend who has recently started on his own as a carpenter and has been asked to repair/refinish the handrail and spindles of a staircase on an early 20th century house. I haven't seen the stairs but he believes they are oak. The owners have asked for the wood to be french polished. I think this would really be a job for a french polisher as I know how skilled and also what bloomin' hard work it is, but also I am concerned that french polish is not durable for a handrail. Does anyone know what would originally have been used please and if there are modern harder wearing options that are not to be frowned upon?

 

[LadyArowana]

My limited understanding is that French polishing was a technique for furniture, more than for the purpose you describe. Maybe the clients were just using the term because they wanted something shiny, rather than the actual French polish technique. I imagine to do a stairwell would take ages and be very very difficult because of all the small curves and spindles.