: I have found that three coats of 2 parts boiled linseed oil and 1 part turpentine work very well. You can sign the paddle and the oil portects the signature. When the paddle is wet it has a certain stiction to it that I find comfortable. I have had problems with both epoxy and varnish finishes with slipperyness and damage like Jay has experienced. (The beauty of a Greenland paddle is that you don't have to grind it into anything when you enter and exit if you use the dynamic support of the paddle on the water.)

Pete Strand