: Using thickened epoxy you don't need the slot.

: Whole lot easier to just glue on the tip. White oak or purpleheart would be
: the ideal, both are very tough woods with interlocked grain and natural
: resistance to rot if the coating is worn off. Both will need roughened up
: prior to using the epoxy and scrubbed with acetone (scotch brite pad) also
: before epoxy as they both have natural oils that epoxy doesn't like.

: Bill H.
I think you are right and will likely use some variation of the epoxy tip for next time. The theory with the piece inserted in the slot is to tie the laminations together across the grain. The method (& rationale, I expect) is described in Warren & Gidmark's paddle building book.