Wooden Paddles

[Tamarack]

I am looking to purchase a pair of solid paddles for my daughter's wedding present. I built her and her future husband a 15' wood/canvas canoe for the big gift, now they need something to paddle it with! I had bought several pairs of paddles from Dri-ki in Maine, they're excellent paddles but no one seems to be responding. Please let me know of any good paddle makers that make simple solid ash otter-tail paddles at reasonable prices .

Jody Bronson

 

[Mihun09]

Did you build the w/c canoe from scratch? Couldn't you just make them some paddles as well?

Karin

 

[Tamarack]

Hi Kairn,
Yup, I built the their canoe from scratch and I have made several paddles in the past, but I am running out of time!! It takes me about 15 hours per paddle to make when I use ash. I'll make them pair of paddles for their first anniversary but until then....

Jody

 

[Boatman53]

Did you look at Shaw and Tenney? Don't know how the prices compare, but I've had one more than 45 years.
Jim

 

[yellowcanoe]

Tremolo Paddles or Fishell Paddles
The rest are.clubs
Cherry

 

[sweeper]

Check out http://paddles.haliburtonforest.com

Just make sure you ask for a "Clear" paddle without any "Character Marks"

 

[Muskrat]

Badger paddles. I have an old model tripper. You might like the tripper or the sliver.

http://www.badgerpaddles.com/paddles/Welcome.html

 

[lowangle al]

There are some really nice paddles offered in the above posts but if you are looking for a good value the Bark Canoe Store has ash ottertails for 69 bucks. I just got one at 72" for 89.00 that was unfinished. Nice looking paddles and very sturdy but heavy. It was sturdy enough for tripping, I would take it as my second paddle. I don't know if the shorter paddles are built as heavy as the 72" ones but if you don't need a real sturdy paddle you could shave a lot of wood and weight off of them for a finer paddle.

 

[Tamarack]

No Title

Thank you for all the great input. I have included some photos of the wedding canoe. The cherry, maple and spruce are from trees I cut and milled.

 

[sweeper]

Nice touch with the Tiger Maple

 

[yellowcanoe]

You know ash is heavy and us gals don't like to repetitively pick up ash paddles
A beaver tail requires lots of strength. It's a guy shape
Also the shaft should be sized. What works with a big hand doesn't with a small
Fox Worx makes sized paddles
Just cause you have a paddle that you like doesn't mean it's good for others
I've got a very heavy paddle I love for inwater recoveries Canadian Style that is useless for tripping
A boat like that calls for a custom paddle of cherry or tiger maple. Ash is out of the question
Get Warren and Gidmsrks paddle making book and start milling
I've got a paddle of tiger maple and it's nice and NFS

 

[Muskrat]

Yellowcanoe, he said he's making them paddles next year. He just needs temporary paddles until then.

Tamarack, that canoe looks great! What a great wedding gift. If you build another, I think I speak for everyone here, we would like to see the build as it comes along.

 

[Tamarack]

No Title

Thank you for the compliment.
Here are a few photos of the build. I have some more and I will post them if anyone is interested. A group of us foresters will be restoring an 17' Old Town Otca this winter that will be raffled in the spring of 2017 to benefit a non-profit organization. We have successfully raffled 3 canoes and an 1927 Old Town row boat in the last 6 years. We work in the woods all day long and work with wood at night!!

 

[Mihun09]

Did you build your own mould or do you have one from a defunct manufacturer? I know Red River Canoe and Paddle sells plans for a one off mould for a 14 foot w/c although we could rent Doug's Fox mould should we wish to. Our plans are more to create our own from taking the lines off an existing boat of a defunct company.

This coming Winter we hope to get several boats through the shop, including the Peterborough we have started prior to the usual Summer yard and house care activities.

Karin

 

[Tamarack]

White ash is lighter in weight than hard maple, black cherry is light but does not have good flexibility. With the emerald ash borer on our heels I am using ash more and more, perhaps just as a reverence to a great tree. The nicest paddle I ever made was sassafras, I gave it away!

 

[Tamarack]

Karin,
The form belongs to my friend Schuyler, it's his own design, the 15' is known as the Sharon and the 17' is known as the Norfolk, both are towns in our area. Schuyler does have an Old Town 25' war canoe form, it's big and heavy!!

 

[Robin]

That sure is a nice looking canoe, I'm sure your Daughter and new son in law will like it.

I never saw the floor so clean, must have swept it for picture taking!

 

[yellowcanoe]

Go over to Caleb Davis place in Long Lake NY it's a day trip
All I am saying is that paddles have to be sized appropriately. A springy paddle is of no use. It lifts water and pushed down on it. That supposed kick is misdirected. If a paddle is too hard on your joints that is a sign the paddle blade has too much area and particularly length for you
My favorite ottertail is made of mahogany and paduk
It has quite s small blade and is very stiff for power when and where I want it

 

[Boreal Birch]

I pert near fell out of my big command module chair, when I read that you are going to raffle off a canoe that will look as nice as the one you are gifting to your daughter and son-in-law. My in-laws gave us a wood stove, so their daughter would not freeze to death. Please keep us informed on the raffle, I for one would like to get in on that.
I have a couple of Shaw & Tenney paddles that have held up well and didn't break the bank to buy.

 

[Tamarack]

Boreal Birch,
I guess your in-laws cold given you an ax and mirror, that way you could go out and split your own wood or sit down and watch yourself freeze!! (My Dad would always say this)
I'll be happy to keep everyone posted as we progress on the restoration and when the raffle begins.
Thank you for the suggestion of Shaw & Tenney, I have dealt with them before and they make a very nice paddle.