: Lee or anybody else for that matter: How is your whetstone paddle holding up?
: have you used it much yet? my SO is thinking of getting one. Otherwise it
: may be a wood paddle for her.

: Thanks, Pete Czerpak albany, ny

After trying Lee's T-2 and a T-1 owned bay another Okoumestock attendee, I bought one myself. It arrived earlier this week and I used it for the first time last night. I also have an Aquabound AMT Expedtion and a Werner Camano for comparison.

The first thing I did after unwrapping the paddle was to round the edges of the blades with sandpaper (I did the same thing on the Camano when I first got it). Rounded edges are less likely to cut you (a consideration with thin composite blades) and are less likely to chip or splinter. This is one of those things that should be done but isn't cost effective to do at the factory. It takes all of five minutes. I expect that the black color will show scratches worse than white blades, but it's also less likely to spook wildlife when you're trying to approach in stealth mode.

Comparing the paddles, the Whetstone has less dihedral and less blade curvature than the others. In the water, this translates into a cleaner entry and exit, but a little less bite, especially at the catch. It skulls beautifully and drags less water with it on exit, which makes it quieter. Flutter seems to be about the same as the others and only occurs when pulling hard. The oval sections on the shaft are not as pronounced as either of the other paddles, but it seems to orient in my hands just fine. The shaft feels larger, probably because of the difference in the shape. I can measure the diameter for you if it's an important consideration.

I need to spend some additional time with it in order to get any idea about durability, but my initial impressions are that it's a very nice paddle for the price. Considering that it's $40-$45 less than the Camano, Swift's or most other carbon/glass paddles at typical retail, it's a no-brainer. I wouldn't have bought the Camano if I hadn't gotten a screaming deal on it, and I'm either going to trade it for a Wind Swift, or sell it and get a Whetstone T-2. I figure that will give me a big bladed paddle for most use and a smaller bladed paddle for headwinds and long, easy days.