: What's the best paddle finish for the best look with the least blisters?

If you have a Greenland stick then you might want to consider not applying any finish at all. I just returned from a trip to Greenland and only saw about five contemporary paddles out of a hundred that had a finish (three were oiled and two had been varnished). Many of the Greenlanders do not sand their paddles either, they are worked smooth with a knife or spokeshave or are simply left as is with tool marks. Furniture-quality finishes of paddles and kayak frame components frequently cause the Greenlanders to chuckle politely, much as you might if someone decided to gold-plate the bed of their pick-up truck. Acutally the comparison to a pick-up is quite valid, the equipment gets very rough use and is not babied (during one storm large rocks were simply piled upon the overtuned kayaks to keep them from blowing away).

Of course, its your paddle and it needs to intimately suit your needs, not someone elses.

Greg Stamer