The Elusive Dri-Ki Woodworking Paddle

[Riffle-Raff]

This won't come as a surprise to anyone who's seen my posts around here, but this is going to be a bit long winded. If you don't like paddles, canoeing or pictures of canoe paddles; then what're you doing here???

Background:

Just yesterday after 3 years of on again off again searching I bought myself a Dri-Ki woodworking canoe paddle. This search started in earnest by complete chance after encountering a Ray Porter paddle with an information tag hanging on it in an antique store. I had just gotten my feet under me in terms of canoeing and was really coming into appreciating the finer details when it came to boats and paddles. I saw this paddle and picked it up and immediately was struck by the fine-ness of the thing. Unlike any paddle I had ever laid my hands on before. It was solid ash yet proportionately felt feather light. It balanced perfectly in hand, was broad thin and symmetrical with just a little bit of give when flexed against the carpeted floor. The tag read, "Paddle made by Raymond Porter 1922-2019 born in Grindstone Maine, 'Shin Pond Flying Service' lived in Patten Maine, 'Porter's Woodworking Business' pack baskets, canoe paddles, etc."



A few google searches showed the great history of the man and his works. Although I could not afford the paddle at the time I knew I had to have one eventually. (It was in fact this encounter with Mr Porter's fine work which inspired me to want to make canoe paddles on my own, still a long term goal of mine.) A few google searches later and I heard that Porter's Woodworking had gone out of business sometime during the 2000s, I had heard or read somewhere that there may have been a fire in Millinocket in 2005 but could be wrong. Not all hope was lost however, as a former worker from Porter's started his own shop under the name Dri-Ki and was making paddles in this elusive style.

Fast forward to today and after spending the last 3 months on and off attempting to make contact with Dri-Ki to get my hands on a guide paddle specifically I stumbled into Old Town Trading Post and saw a full rack of beavertails by none other than that elusive shop. I asked the kind clerk if they had any guide paddles and was told that they in fact had a stock of them earlier in the season but had since sold out. I left a sticky note with contact info and an order request for a guide paddle in hopes that they may be able to make contact with Dri-Ki, but bought the 60" beavertail to slake my desire for a fine Maine made paddle in the style of Raymond Porter.

Approximate specs:

I was too excited to get precise measures, but the paddle is 60" long.



While the blade is around 25" long


And its about 7" wide, keeping that width a healthy amount up the length of the blade before gracefully tapering into the shoulder/throat area.


The paddle is lighter than my own handmade ash paddle but still heavier than a bending branches beavertail in basswood.


It balances close to the throat and is more or less perfectly symmetrical as a canoe paddle needs to be. The shaft is thin and the grip is smaller than some modern paddles. This suits me quite well. The profile of the shaft is rounded and smooth, but not circular, the sides of the shaft are fairly straight with rounded over front and back profiles. Maybe it makes manufacturing a bit simpler, but it also provides a fairly positive grip despite the thinness of the area. The blade thins down to around 3/16" at the upper edges and is thicker, around 5/16" at the end of the paddle. The overall profile of the blade is fairly flat but is actually convex with a high center that gently tapers to the edges.



First Impressions:

I couldn't stop touching this thing. It's a work of art. Good wood grain and orientation, consistent smooth finish, overall just feels great in hand. I loaded it and my own ash paddle into the Penobscot and set out on the Union River. From the first stroke I knew this paddle was everything I could've ever hoped for. It is smooth and fast during in water recovery. It is quiet, rigid and moves a crazy amount of water. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it didn't in fact have a whole lot of flexion during use on this outing as the initial appearance did have me worried it might feel flimsy while paddling. It takes very little input to provide directional corrections while underway. The huge blade just shovels water behind you. The knifing j (sometimes called the Canadian stroke) felt very natural with this paddle. Everything about it was 'just right.'



While I was out amongst the stumps on the Union, I saw a troublesome looking weather system moving in. Before I knew it the weather went from gentle ~5mph breeze to heavy downpour and 25mph gusts. Sheets of rain coming down, wind ripping the stillwater up into whitecaps like I'd never seen on this stretch of river. It was unbelievable. Yet with this absolute unit of a paddle I was still making headway. Not much mind you but enough to leave an impression of its performance in my mind. With the experience in mind I decided this paddle earned a name, as such I'm calling it 'Weathervane" as it kept me pointed into the wind no matter how badly it ripped and twisted at my boat.

An ominous view for sure, and it didn't disappoint.




As quickly as the weather set in it passed and the sky opened up as the sun began to set. From dreary grays and muddy browns to dazzling tones of sapphire and aquamarine the water was shimmering, transformed completely by a brief atmospheric tantrum. I took my time on the way back to the put in and was spoiled by the sight of many birds and a few deer who had come out in the twilight hours of the day.









I'm hoping to get a call about the guide paddle eventually but I am absolutely smitten with this thing as it stands. You can order the beavertails through their eBay store if you want one and don't happen to live in Maine. I'd recommend it to anyone who can appreciate a fine wooden paddle. I can't say for sure as I haven't made contact with Rick from Dri-Ki personally but during his interview with Downeast Magazine back in 2016 I got the impression that these won't be around forever. If you do get one it is a true product of passion, woodworking and canoeing tradition and is worth far more than what he's selling them for.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

@Riffle-Raff, congrats on your new paddle, and thanks for you detailed report on its performance for you. Beavertails are among the oldest and most traditional paddle shapes. What is the difference between the Dri-Ki Beavertail and the Guide model that you are seeking.

BTW, most folks here like to read lengthier and picture-laden posts. That's what differentiates us from social media pages, which cater to quick comments and are not structured or intended to serve as informational resources for future generations, as we are here.

 

[Robin]

I enjoyed your write up Riffle Raff, I only use ash Beavertails with my wood canvas canoes. I never found the added weight to be an issue. I too like the narrow shaft on my paddles.
I bought a couple from a canoe restorer who bought a bulk purchase from a camp in Maine, he said they were probably Porters but couldn’t verify.
I stopped into the Richardson’s Hardware Store in Patten, Maine once and found a nice unfinished beavertail in the paddle rack. I bought it and when I returned to my truck there was a guy standing there looking at my Chestnut canoe up on the truck racks. Turns out, he was the son of Ray Porter, his name was John Porter and he made the paddle I was holding. I have his phone number somewhere in my shop, he makes paddles out of his garage from what I understand.

 

[Riffle-Raff]

Thanks for the reassurance Glenn, I've been known to shoot the breeze on occasion.

Their Maine Guide paddle has an 8" wide blade and the northwoods style grip. I've seen one example of this paddle in person but couldn't afford it at the time.
I believe this specific paddle was the very first of Porter's paddles I had ever encountered. It left a truly enormous impression on me. Being so light and refined, having that magic amount of flex in it. While I fully accept that these paddles are a product of tradition and not the fastest, it is everything else about the shape, form, function and heritage which is so inspirational to me.

Now, do I really need an 8" wide blade with a northwoods grip? No, I could probably rip my shoulder off with the 7" blade on the beavertail, but it has become an object of desire and I simply must have it. Whether is ends up being bought or made, I will have one.

Of particular note is that it appears Mr Porter and Rick from Dri-Ki had a formula for scaling the blades to the overall length which is a thoughtful consideration to paddle design. Something I'm sure other makers do consciously but I rarely find discussed. A screenshot of their ebay listing includes the approximate blade lengths to overall paddle lengths.



Now if it were not for the shared experience of a contact from another canoeing group and this chance encounter at Old Town Trading Post I would've believed they were out of business aside from the eBay listing. Luckily this friend did confirm that they are still operational, but as it's a small operation; are fairly buried in work this time of year. From what I gather Rick is trying slow down and enjoy himself, which is admirable as it is respectable in a part of the world where folks commonly work themselves to the grave. 10 years ago when interviewed by the Downeast Magazine it sounded like he was letting on to that fact.

Here is a picture of that contact and his wife with their Maine Guide paddles from Dri-Ki:



The ebay listing is functional and apparently sells quite well, but I have tried every form of contact imaginable short of driving up to Patten myself and haven't heard back. I've called, left voicemails, messaged the ebay account, and now have left a note and order request with a distributor of their paddles. I was prepared somewhat for this outcome as forum threads from a decade or more ago outline a fairly similar sparseness to communication.

In closing, I hope the best for Rick and Dri-Ki, I hope to pick up the torch in the far off future and make paddles inspired by this style for new and aspiring canoeist of all disciplines to put to work. It is truly inspirational, I believe it is a design that will be enjoyed for generations.

 

[Riffle-Raff]

I enjoyed your write up Riffle Raff, I only use ash Beavertails with my wood canvas canoes. I never found the added weight to be an issue. I too like the narrow shaft on my paddles.
I bought a couple from a canoe restorer who bought a bulk purchase from a camp in Maine, he said they were probably Porters but couldn’t verify.
I stopped into the Richardson’s Hardware Store in Patten, Maine once and found a nice unfinished beavertail in the paddle rack. I bought it and when I returned to my truck there was a guy standing there looking at my Chestnut canoe up on the truck racks. Turns out, he was the son of Ray Porter, his name was John Porter and he made the paddle I was holding. I have his phone number somewhere in my shop, he makes paddles out of his garage from what I understand.

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That's incredible Robin. From the photos it seems you are gifted with good taste in many things!

 

[Gamma1214]

Sizing the blade down on shorter paddles is a great idea and would certainly help the balance as solid wood paddles tend to be blade-heavy if you don't.