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Knot in Paddle

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Jan 11, 2022
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A new premium, handmade paddle arrived yesterday and it has a small knot in the blade, about 2 mm across and a cavity about 0.5 mm deep. Should this be considered a defect and be returned or is it an acceptable variation?
 

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I have a few cherry, modified ottertail paddles and some have similar characteristics. None have ever been an issue. If it’s from a reputable maker I bet they considered it when making the paddle. Protect the finish as Stripperguy noted and enjoy your paddle.

Barry
 
I can’t tell if it is varnished or will be varnished. I would probably scrape the hollow gently and fill the void with epoxy just to level it up for a smooth varnish finish. In general I wouldn’t worry about it. I have a Birdseye maple paddle that has many of similar defects (f you want to use that word).
Jim
 
Ok
I recently built a batch of ten paddles
A bunch of them had knots in the varnished shafts and the glassed blades.
But, they cost me about $20 each plus my free labor
If I was paying for a paddle (haven’t done that in 40 years) I wouldn’t tolerate any flaws on an oil finish piece.
Just my fully biased and jaded opinion…
 
An excellent life-long paddle maker i know has an ottertail with two large knot holes completly through, each an inch in diameter. It is a very unique paddle that he actually uses. The holes make vey litle performance difference but makes the paddle fun to use and a conversation piece to show. He jokes the holes are there for "drainage".
 
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I had a Grey owl once with a knot in the shaft. The shaft snapped at the knot in white water one day. I don't think the blade is as critical, but if I had paid big money for it, I probably wouldn't be happy.
 
That sort of blemish is not uncommon in cherry. I think it’s not unreasonable for the species. If it was in the shaft or grip where you make hand contact I would be more concerned but even then…it’s pretty small. The question for me is does it transfer through to the other side? I‘m guessing not from the look of it. I personally would let it go and enjoy it for what it is- and I’m picky about selecting wood for making paddles. Like all oiled paddles wipe it down after use and oil on a regular basis. I wouldn’t try to fill it with anything. The oil will naturally build up in the void over time. Rob
 
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The fabled Nashwaak! How do you like yours? That was the first paddle I ever bought, and it made me realize I could build my own a lot nicer and a lot cheaper. I ended up trading it for an expensive box of .308 ammo.
 
The fabled Nashwaak! How do you like yours? That was the first paddle I ever bought, and it made me realize I could build my own a lot nicer and a lot cheaper. I ended up trading it for an expensive box of .308 ammo.
I like it very much! It's perfect for cruising up and down the lake. But I wouldn't take it on a trip into the wilderness because of its thin blade.
I didn't know anything about a fable when I bought it... it was on sale, I got it for a third of its original price.
If it breaks or gets stolen I would have to ask a friend who is a carpenter to make a similar one because I don't have the skills to do it.

The knots in it are absolutely no problem!
 
Here is a screenshot from Caleb Davis's iconic instructional video "Traditonal Flatwater Canoeing", showing his favorite Tremolo paddle with two knot holes all the way through the blade. They have no efffect on his ability to propel his canoe during the video using any varitety of tandem or solo freestyle advanced strokes.

1665321367850.png
 
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I didn't know anything about a fable when I bought it... it was on sale, I got it for a third of its original price.
If it breaks or gets stolen I would have to ask a friend who is a carpenter to make a similar one because I don't have the skills to do it.
Aslowhand, I don't know if you are familiar with the story behind the Nashwaak paddle, but I have included a link with the history. It became very desirable to own one in Canada when Bill Mason gave it a ringing endorsement. Because of that, its status got elevated almost to a magical state. I bought into the hype, and payed $125 way back when 125 bucks was a lot of money to me. I was disappointed when I received the paddle and it didn't perform any magic or transport me to Nirvana.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160829020240/http://www.nashwaakpaddles.com/cruising-paddles/
 
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