I generally just scrape the entire stock down to remove the old finish. A straight blade knife, extremely sharp will shave off any finish in nice clean curls right down to the wood,,or into it if you want too.
Handled right you can do the curves, even the tight ones w/o any damage to the wood. Direction means little, you can sweep accross the wide areas in different directions as is confortable. Back up the blade with your thumb(s) for extra control in both blade depth of cut and making any vibration disappear.
Plus it's a fast process and leaves the wood surface smooth and ready for minimal sanding needed to continue
No mess either.
