What do I use to stain/seal this bannister rail?

[Mottie]

As above, I’m painting my bannisters and got a bit busy with the handrail and got to thinking I’d like to stain and seal it. Preferably somewhere near to the same colour as my doors. What should I use - wood stain and then clear varnish or is there something else? Thanks.

 

[footprints]

I would use a coloured varnish try on a bit scrap if possible first, the final colour is hard to judge.
Perhaps Light Oak might do it.

 

[JohnD]

I find the colour is more even, and the grain looks better, with a wood dye such as Colron (the spirit, not the water-based) followed by clear untinted varnish, preferably satin to avoid a glossy "toffee-apple" look.


Tinted varnishes obscure the grain, and the colour is darker or lighter depending on the number of coats or their thickness.

Here's a floor I did earlier


edit
p.s.
your doors have a warmish colour with a bit of red in it. Try a "light teak" dye.

For a wide range of colours I had to use a specialist mail-order supplier as retailers don't stock many.

"Colron Refined" is water based and opinion differs on its quality. Their traditional dye is spirit based and I recommend it, also Rustins. Liberon has a good reputation but I have not used it. From the same brand, you can mix e.g. a tiny bit of Deep Mahogany to add redness, or Dark Oak to add brownness. It needs very little, and you need to mix up enough in a jar to finish the job or you may get a colour difference if you try to mix another batch.