: Just be prepared to spend a while pawing through the stock, if your
: big boxes are anything like mine. The pile's full of warped and
: knotty wood. Try to find the one with the smallest knots
: possible... diameter of a pencil, pretty much. I tried working
: with bigger knots, and drove myself crazy. Grain changed
: direction around the knots more, causing tear outs... dulled my
: plane's blade quickly, and finally knocked the knot loose.

: Frustrated me enough to spend $30 on a beautiful straight grained
: no knots eight foot length of WRC. Sure, it's $30, but it was a
: wonder to work with. The wife loves the shavings, since she can
: use them for hanging in the closet. She may steal the paddle for
: more decoration in the living room, too.

: Don't be afraid to search for a paddle blank within a larger piece
: of wood... 2x6, 2x8, etc. There's a better chance of finding an
: area with minimal knots. Easier to find a vertical grain, too.

I"ve still got my first GP (somewhere) it's not straight anymore though ;)

Yeah, pin knots are not a problem, loose ones though are. Still lots cheaper to mess up a $2 board on the first paddle than an expensive board :)

It'll certainly still work and gets you past the first paddle mistakes cheaply.

Bill H.