> i just finished my paddle,(wish i read that advice first) when you say "woven roving along the sides" do you mean long singular strands?. i simply coated the sides with epoxy giving into anxiousness, now i realize that any damage will likely occur to the edges of the blade, rather than the faces. I heard some advice regarding "dynel" ,however I have not been able to locate a sorce or picture of this material.

wooden boats deserve wooden paddles ,craig

I am putting the finishing touch on my cedar greenland style paddle. I
> like the cedar for several reasons, but it is not the most durable wood
> around so I have decided to glass the last 6 inches or so of the blade
> (which gets the brunt of the contact with the ocean bottom, pilings, my
> bedroom wall etc. I can glass the faces pretty well but because of the
> folding properties of fiberglass (at least that which I have), I do not
> seem to be able to fold the glass from the face over onto the thin edge. I
> am thinking now that perhaps I will have to cut a very thin strip of glass
> just for the edge, but this seems a bit difficult. Just now, I was also
> thinking that perhaps, instead, I could get some thickened epoxy and form
> a pure epoxy edge, but am unsure how durable this would be. In any event,
> the transition from the base of the blade to the part that is glassed
> needs to be smooth so that I do not slash my fingers as I slide my palm
> all over this thing as one is apparently apt to do with an Inuit paddle.
> Any comments, other ideas or suggestions much appreciated.

> Thanks, Dave