: Do the scratches just show more due to color or the carbon or due to
: something else? Do they seem softer than your wood/glass paddles. I use a
: wooden paddle from Grey owl (I think) too but this is for my SO.

: Was your leadtime due to getting a custom length or getting it two piece or
: just normal lag? Did they tell you this when purchased?

Pete- The fiber in the paddle is black (carbon fiber?) and visible under a clear outer gel coat. When the coating is scratched it shows up because of the contrast with the color of the fiber. I don't think the coating is softer than the coating on my other paddles. As I remember, Whetstone 's delivery policy said they would ship within 72 hr of order receipt or notify customer of delay. I think this shipment policy may be posted on their web site (www.kayakstore.com). I did not get any notification at the time of purchase (they did acknowledge receipt of my order via email), but I did get an apology for the delay when the paddle was delivered. I believe the note said something about slow production. My paddle was a standard 2-piece, 220 cm. Disclaimer: I do not have any commercial or business interests in Whetstone. WesT