I was at the Bluff Pt. gathering today and tried out some wonderful boats. I meet some great people and saw some wonderful and inovative craftsmanship. There seemed to be a lot of people using Greenland style paddles. I asked lots of questions in the course of the day but the one that I never got an answer to was "why use a Greenland style paddle?". They "look" like the right blade to use with a skin boat, all very traditional. One guy did say he couldn't ever figure out a feathered blade. At least that was some justification. Most people just entered into how easy it is to make one. Is that why you chose to use one style blade over say a very nice featered touring paddle? What are the attributes of this style in use? Weight doesn't seam to be the primary factor . Wind resistance might even be greater. Comfort in the hand? Ease of stowage I can definitely see as a big benifit. They seem to tuck right under a bungie for easy access as a spare. I don't mean to offend but why shouldn't I spend the time to make a truely light and beautieful feathered western style paddle to use as my primary blade? Or maybe I should ask what makes this simple and traditional design better than anything that has been developed since? Steve.