An alternative...
I know I'm risking incurring the wrath of all of the more traditional folks out there, but I think it's worth mentioning what I did to replace mine. I'm a busy working guy, and I don't mind doing my own maintenance, but when it comes to maintaining teak, I kinda have to draw the line. I want my boat to look nice, but I don't have an endless amount of time (or money) to spend on it. When it came time to replace mine, I went to the local lumber store and bought a 5/4" 2x6 made of a material called "Timbertech." It's that synthetic decking lumber we've all heard about, but this stuff is a little stiffer and more solid and consistent than any other kind I've seen. It also comes in a really warm teak-like color. I used my old handrails as a pattern, and made new ones out of this synthetic material. Now I have new synthetic handrails of a teakish color (as not to offend my sensibilities) that I never have to maintain. I understand those who want the real thing and all, I'm just submitting what worked really well for me.
