: ... would you use?

: Our club will be having a greenland paddle making workshop soon and several
: members want to know about wood. Where better to turn for advice than
: right here on KBBB!

: Several of you have posted recently about your paddle making experiences;
: perhaps some of you could tell us what wood you used (or decided NOT to
: use) and why. Weight, strength, appearance, feel, workability, durability,
: availability... what were your determining factors?

: Inquiring minds want to know,

: Glenn

I made my first paddle from WRC. Bought a nice straight grain 2x8 and ripped it in two, I have a blank for a future GP. I got ripped off though - the price for that board locally was embarrassing. Let's just say that I have a $40 plus labor greenland paddle.

I just bought two new blanks today - 1x4 sassafras. I'm planning to make GP's from them, and I will laminate the center section to make the grip and shaft thick enough.

Sassafras is actually a hardwood, grain is similar to oak or ash, but the weight is much less. The weight is between cedar and pine, and I hope the finished product will be durable and light. I'm seriously considering cutting a 1/2" slot down the center of the shaft to lighten the paddle. The laminations would cover this, and the shaft should be just about as rigid as a solid piece of wood.

I used tung oil for my first paddle, and of course did not wait for it to dry before using it. It has a kind of strange odor, but that faded with time.