I haven't worked with softer woods, but I'm using ash to plane arrows by hand. It can be problematic with tearouts, especially when planing flat to the growth rings, that is to say in the same plane as the growth rings.
Softer wood might have been easier to work with. But as I've said, I don't have experience with making arrows out of wood other than ash, so it's all speculation of the worst kind on my part
