Wooden paddle for Canoe tripping

[yellowcanoe]

Alchemist Wand. Made for Paddleshack in Ontario. I believe there are only two locations. Carbon fiber ottertail. I have a couple of Kettlewells. Algonquin Outfitters used to bring them for the Collinsville CT sale in Sept or early Oct and there was a pile to pick from for everyone that helped in the sale.
Not my favorite paddle. I ought to cull them

 

[Odyssey]

Thanks for all the comments



... I think that the paddle can be more personal and more meaningful than the canoe itself, at least in some cases. Which is why I was looking for a Kettlewell paddle before finding out they are no longer being made. My father has always used a Kettlewell, so for me it is a connection to the past.

I wish you good luck finding a Kettlewell to keep the family tradition alive; it's as good a reason as any (and maybe more so) for choosing a certain piece of equipment. Who knows, maybe in choosing a nice spare paddle you'll start another family tradition? Those Fishells look handsome.

 

[turnerde]

I decided to risk it on a Fishell, I couldn't find any reviews, but I think, as Odyssey said, I will start a new tradition - someone has to go first. I will post some photos and a review of it when it comes in, let people know what I think. Thanks everyone for the help and opinions.

 

[Odyssey]

Oh!! I almost bought one of those CF Ottertails at Paddleshack (Muskoka). It was beautiful!!! But they didn't have my size.
They did however have a Grey Owl Chieftan (cherry) that was perfect. I love it to this day.
Be careful Turnerde, you may start more than a tradition; you may also start a collection! lol

 

[frozentripper]

Turnerde, from Fishell's website, the FAQ has the statement that their goal is to offer the best quality wood paddles on the market so if they are making paddles to the same dimensions as Ray Kettlewell's, as they say they do, risk/reward would seem to be in your favor. The additional comments on trimming down thickness for the right tradeoff between flex and stiffness are encouraging... from 5/4 boards, so there must be some thought being given to how the paddle will feel going on during production.

Wood paddles can last a long time... I still have spruce and cherry paddles from the seventies... when they started to split at the tip, some minor fiberglassing was necessary there to keep them up along with varnishing from time to time.

 

[Waterdog]

I use the cherry modified ottertail in cherry for lake country tripping. Both the Kettelwell and Fishell. I would say they're equals.

I have Badgers and Sanborns too but none of the models I have would be comparable in blade shape to a modified otter.

I have composite (Werner) paddles that haven't been used in a long time. I still choose to paddle white water with wood paddles (Mitchell). I've never broken a wooden paddle, but they do eventually get chewed up on the bigger water. Having a honey island style (standard) back up paddle is a good idea when paddling away from lakes in shallower rivers and bays. I also feel more comfortable bracing with a standard blade than a longer tail style for some reason.

Cheers,

Barry
(Posted from my phone)