Wood canoe paddles - do you use one?

Codger_64

Codger_64

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I've wanted a nice semi-custom wood canoe paddle forever and I finally bought a used one, a Mitchell Seneca. It will hopefully be here by next weekend so I can try it out. It may not be exactly what I want, but it is closer than the Mohawk and Carslile aluminum shaft/plastic bladed paddles I have.

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I realize that the Mitchell isn't a true custom, but I got a good deal on it and it's design and materials are a vast improvement over the Featherbrand paddles seen in every store here. I'm also looking at Bending Branches and Whiskeyjack paddles. Oh, but that guy makes some redwood burl customs to die for!

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Do any of you own and use nice wood paddles, straight, bent or double bent?
 
I have a Gillespie 5 degree bent shaft. I think it was a custom back when I bought it twenty-some years ago. I also have an old Old Town beaver tail. A couple of years ago I bought a cheap Harmony ottertail that wasn't too bad. I thinned the blades and refinished it. I prefer the Old Town and Harmony. (I use these in a solo canoe on flat water.)

BTW, Mitchell makes very good paddles.
 
I've only used straight shafts, but been interested in the benefits of bent shafts for some time. The double bent shafts look really odd, but they do seem to have a following. Is a five degree offset noticible? I think most of what I am seeing are fifteen degrees.

Most of my paddling seems to be on shallow streams and rivers with rocky shoals at the ends of long pools. I am hoping the rock guard on the Mitchell will suffice. I don't tend to be rough on my paddles (the Mohawks/Carsliles are over ten years old), but I do occasionally hit gravel and stone. I'd prefer not to have to switch paddles too often, however I am installing twin paddle-parks in my Old Town.
 
I have an old Dagger aluminum/fiberglass white water paddle that I use for rougher stuff. As long as you're careful, I suspect your Mitchell will be fine. Keep and eye on it, and repair right away if you notice anything. It wouldn't hurt to add a couple coats of varnish to at least the tip every year.

Bent shafts are for getting from point A to point B efficiently and quickly. Straight shafts are for whitewater (when you need control) or for kicking back and enjoying the world. If your avatar is any indication, I don't think you'd like a bent shaft paddle.

No, my 5 degree bent shaft is barely noticeable. I bought it in the early 80's. It was supposed to give you a little bit of the bent shaft efficiency without sacrificing very much control. It's a nice paddle, but I prefer my straight shaft paddles.
 
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I am definately beyond my years of extreme whitewater ala "Deliverence", and don't often paddle large lakes. So you may well be right about the single bent shaft paddles not being appropriate for my needs, as well as not needing a bombproof dedicated whitewater paddle.

I'm mostly looking for ways to decrease the effort and increase control while adding a touch of class that laminated wood does so well. Not to mention getting away from having my hands coated with aluminum oxide at the end of the day or frozen by a metal shaft (no gloves, thankyou).

Having paddled since the early sixties, I pretty well have my strokes and "reading the current" down pat, so there is not a lot of efficiency to be gained there. Advanced hull shapes and materials are beyond my interest, wallet and needs so that is out. In fact, my current Old Town Guide is a vast improvement over the Sunburst I used years ago, or the Grummans I cut my paddling teeth on before that. I do lust for an old style wood and canvas Chestnut or cedar strip, but I am too rough on a canoe for those.

So I am down to paddle materials and blade/shaft designs, and adding a few outfitting details to my canoe for organizing, convenience and safety. Today, storms allowing, I am building a two canoe outside storage rack. I still need to get on Craigslist and sell my Dagger Tupelo, a 10'-6" pack canoe, which has sat unused for several years.
 
Codger_64 said:
I still need to get on Craigslist and sell my Dagger Tupelo, a 10'-6" pack canoe, which has sat unused for several years.
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I'd never heard of the Tupelo before this thead. I had to google it. What a cool little boat. If I lived closer to you...
 
It isn't suited for large paddlers as it has minimal freeboard. I dubbed it "The Green Submarine" after my first class II trip in it (I am 6'1" and 180#). But my kids and grandkids love it. At 29#, it is easy to carry and load. It paddles best with a kayak paddle. I believe it will ship UPS or FEDEX for under two bills most anywhere in the U.S.

I don't have a picture of mine, but here is one like it that I pulled off the web. Owner of this one put in a different seat. Original is a cane web back attached to the thwart and a cane bottom velcro'd to the hull.

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+1 on the Grey Owl paddles. :) I have a Guide, laminated cherry with a resin tip, and have done several trips with a black walnut version of their Chieftain. Much nicer to use than a plastic paddle, or a thick wooden one. Most of my trips have been on deeper lakes, so the longer blade works well. Used them on rivers too, but switch to plastic when there are rocks and rapids approaching.
http://www.greyowlpaddles.com/pages/traditional.html
 
chickenplucker said:
I have a couple of Grey Owl River models and love them.

http://www.greyowlpaddles.com/index.html
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Yeah, they are on my short list to look over too.

Moving Target said:
I have always preferred wood paddles, although some of the fancy new carbon fiber canoe paddles (similar to the kayak ones that have been around a while longer) have peaked my interest...

I have always had good luck with Bending Branches paddles:

http://www.bendingbranches.com/

but am currently using a bent-shaft model by FoxWorx:

http://www.foxworxpaddle.com/
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Hadn't heard of Fox Worx, but Bendingbranches are being looked at strongly. I am seeing some very good deals on pairs of lightly used ones.

C_Claycomb said:
+1 on the Grey Owl paddles. :) I have a Guide, laminated cherry with a resin tip, and have done several trips with a black walnut version of their Chieftain. Much nicer to use than a plastic paddle, or a thick wooden one. Most of my trips have been on deeper lakes, so the longer blade works well. Used them on rivers too, but switch to plastic when there are rocks and rapids approaching.
http://www.greyowlpaddles.com/pages/traditional.html
Click to expand...

I am going to keep a plastic blade onboard as you suggest. I know from experience that they can take a lot of abuse that I wouldn't want to give a fine wood laminate paddle. Do you guys have any pictures of your favorite paddles? Do you baby them in storage and transport? Cases or socks?
 
I've heard that Carlisle's wooden beavertail paddle is supposed to be a very good paddle at an affordable price. I'd like to find a Kettlewell. I'd have one by now but don't want to pay the crazy shipping price from Canada.
 
Very nice paddles. I've only used the basic ash ones they sell for $30 at our Canadian Tire store (Americans always like to joke how we buy everything at the tire store). I fooled with the bent ones on loaner once but it felt awkward to me. Other than that, I haven't really tried that many different paddle types so I can't say I have much experience in understanding how the different shapes perform under different conditions. I probably would have some trepidation about using a really nice paddle as I tend to always be scraping and bumping them, but then again a set of wood paddles do usually last several years unless one is lost.

I'd be interested in hearing more stories about what people think about different paddle shapes and their optimal uses.
 
I built a wooden boat so I made a wooden paddle to go with it. It is a straight shaft carved from a single piece of maple. I spent quite a bit of time going at it with a spokeshave. I would suggest taking a crack at making one yourself. There is nothing like paddling a homemade boat with a homemade paddle. Or paddling any boat with a homemade paddle, for that matter.
 
I've made a paddle before, an ottertail from ash. It wasn't pretty but it did work as well as a paddle of that blade shape would. That is to say, not that well for me. The shape is a "reach deep" shape that was near useless in shallow water, but did work ok for lakes.

The poplar wood Canadian Tire store paddles look very much like our cheapie wood paddles, Feather Brand by Caviness I think.
 
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