SNIP
: The pine is definitely harder wood, yet only
: slightly heavier. I had a hard time working the WRC without adding new
: dents just moving it around the shop.

Mark,

If you don't want to use a hard finish or protective edging, you can make WRC paddles slightly tougher by burnishing the completed paddle (a scraper burnisher or even a thick polished screwdriver works). In some parts of the arctic bone was used in the same fashion.

I save pine for paddles used for surfing and other demanding applications as my pine paddle, although strong, is substantially heaver than my WRC paddles. BTW, my solid WRC paddles are vertical grain and they are very stiff.

Greg Stamer