Sale on Sanborn paddles

[Tsuga8]

Merrimack/Sanborn is having a spring sale - 20% off select paddles.

I don't have any connections to Sanborn, nor do I own one of their paddles, so no endorsement (or not) here, just an fyi.

Paddles - Merrimack Canoe Co.

merrimackcanoes.com

 

[tketcham]

I've been looking at their Gillis paddle but I already have more paddles than I need. I read somewhere, though, that there's no such thing as having too many paddles.

 

[Tsuga8]

I need a new paddle like I need a new hole in my head, but I broke down and ordered my first Sanborn, a Wapasha (I tend to go for otter and beavertails over sugar island style blades). It shipped and arrived very quickly. I only managed to squeeze in 20 min on the water with it this weekend, but so far I really like it. The glassed blade and epoxy tip allow for a thinner blade, so it slices on underwater return strokes much more smoothly than my Bending Branches Catalyst, which has a thicker blade. My new tripping combo might be those two, keeping the solid wood models for short outings in known, deep water.

 

[tketcham]

The glassed blade and epoxy tip allow for a thinner blade, so it slices on underwater return strokes much more smoothly than my Bending Branches Catalyst, which has a thicker blade.

I bought a Bending Branches Java last year and while it's a good paddle, I agree with you that the blade edge is a bit thick and is splashy when entering the water or doing underwater recoveries. I find the noise somewhat distracting after using paddles with a thinner blade.

 

[Tsuga8]

Yeah, I do like the BB for rough/shallow conditions - feels very solid and I don't mind boucing it off rocks and such. Chunky is both good and bad. At least the BBs are lightweight. I have other chunky paddles that are a lot heavier (because the blades aren't glassed and epoxied).