I had the privilege to work on The Lady Barbara. A 65 foot all wooden pirate ship back in 1986. She was a new construction, fully rigged pirate ship getting ready to go to New Your for the 200 year celebration in 1986. What an honor for a young carpenter. She was floating in Snug Harbor, St. Petersburg, Fla. by the time I joined on. We worked on her 24/7
The reason I had to tell you all that was when it came to for the "sculpter" to carve out the handrails that came down from the upper deck and curled around to the lower deck, you should of seen the chisels that old man had and the leather mauls. His, as I recall, were all leather on the tops, tapered at the lower end and got larger towards the top. He carved the handrails out "in place." He was a true craftsman, artist, sculpter, carver, whittler..you name and he was it. Dying art it was for the most part.