I think I might try stripping the varnish off and oiling the grips and lower shaft. Maybe we don't paddle hard enough or far enough, as the varnished paddles are never uncomfortable on a trip, but a less polished feel might improve with the feel.
I have not removed the varnish from the shafts, only from the grips. In part because grip stripped only makes occasional reoiling quick and easy, in part because the varnish on the shaft has never really bothered me.
That varnished shaft layer may be beneficial in prys and other abuse. I know I want the blade and neck sealed with more than just oil, and just leave most of the shaft OEM varnished, only sanding and oiling down an inch under the grip.
It is easy to run a wrap of tape around the shaft an inch down for a well defined varnished to oiled transition, and I fair out the slightly raised varnish to oil edge with a little wet sanding.
OK, even a varnished grip does not
really bother me, and most of our loaner and back up single blades still have varnished grips. But the couple I really like, the ones that fit me just right, have oiled grips.
It is a little thing, but the tactile feel of smooth oiled wood on my palm and fingers feels more pleasant and more connected to wood, not plastic.
That said
Since Mike confessed to using a double blade I'll confess that I switched to carbon paddles about 20 years ago
Me too. Pricey lightweight carbon double blades, some custom length beyond the usual 250cm offerings. If I am a double blading most of the time avoiding the swing weight penalty is important to me. Twice as weight important as with a single blade. You know what they say. . . .
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/1837f186-e323-4b66-8ed2-d101e1221307
The single blade, almost always a laminated wood straight shaft, is my back up paddle, abused under sail gunwale pry rudder, poked and prodded as a
Crap, shallowed out push paddle.
I accept carrying that paddle in heavier weight for proven strength and durability. I am not abusing a carbon shaft in that manner, and I can strip, sand and refinish a wood paddle blade and shaft easy enough. Composite sticks, meh, no so much.
Gumpas, I had a Black Bart bent shaft for a few years. I am not, for my typical uses, a bent shaft user. I loaned it to a single blade friend during one trip and his absolute delight with that paddle was such that I had no choice but to let him keep it.
I pretend to steal it back every year, despite knowing I would never use it.
Last time I stole it some trailer camper folks were interested in the Tripping Truck outfitting. Before they came by to visit I snatched his Black Bart, put it in a paddle sock, and put that in the long side lockbox in the truck bed.
I was showing the trailer folk the tripping trucks various comforts, bedside table and fan and reading lights, when I opened the side box and explained that some of my paddles and sails would be irreplaceable on the road, so I keep them locked up and protected.
I pulled his Black Bart from that locked side box, extracted it from the sock, held it up and exclaimed lovingly that
Yeah, they do not make these anymore.
The 10 seconds between that exclamation of rarity and his shout of
Hey, thats my F*&#@* paddle! was so well worth the sneaky foreplay.
