I'm glad the website helped, but I certainly am no expert. When I make my next paddle, I'll follow the traditional sizing rules and make one with a shorter loom than my first. With the longer loom, the grip is more like a standard european paddle which is okay if that's what you want. But I've found myself searching for the base of the blade to orient my hands. The guidelines that Greg mentioned is what I'll be trying on my next paddle.

The cool thing about making them yourself is that if you don't like the result, you've only invested $10-$15, you learn from the experience, and you go and build a better paddle. To borrow a quote from Steve Jobs, it's "insanely great."

Ross

: I am hoping to get some feedback on sizing the loom for a Greenland paddle. I
: have the recommended sizing methods from the 'experts', (thanks to Ross
: Leidy's great webpage !) , but I hope to hear from some people who have
: built/used this paddle. My question is, how do you find the narrower grip?
: I see that the 'correct' grip is to hold the shoulder with the OK formed
: by the thumb and first finger, but wonder how many of you find this
: comfortable, or do you tend to wish you had made the loom a bit longer to
: allow both hands to fit within the length of the loom itself? I have never
: tried one, but wonder if I would find it more comfortable with the outside
: of my hands at the shoulders. I will be gluing up the blank in the next
: day or two and would like to hear any comments, one way or the other.

: Thanks,

: Kelly