> I'm building an Aleut paddle from the plans from Laughing Loon CC&K, which
> call for spruce as the main wood in laminating up the paddle blank. The
> two lumber yards I talked to had either clear fir or redwood, but not
> spruce. Anyone have any experience with this? Would fir or redwood be an
> OK substitute, is one better than the other, etc.

Redwood splinters have a bad reputation for festering, that is, they get infected easily, which can be painful for a few days should you get a small splinter and not remove it promptly. For that reason I'd seal the shaft of any redwood paddle with some epoxy. Fir and pine do not have the same problem.

After all that is said, though, I've never gotten a splinter from using a wood paddle.

Hope this helps.

Paul G. Jacobson