hi,

have you considered impregnating from the tips to half way up the blades, with thin epoxy, several coats - to make the tips stronger, and using tung oil or similar on the middle section where your hands move for the various grips? varnish the epoxied part for UV protection. Seems that this would give you the best of both methods?

One can also put hardwood tips on a soft and light paddle, and epoxy as above. I've got spruce tips on an obeche paddle - light and durable where it counts.

greetings,

risto

: It seems this is a never-ending topic, and I'm sure very boring for
: long-time posters. I'm looking for *the peeerffeeeect
: finiiiiiish*! One that has the great hand feel of tung oil, but
: the hardness afforded by epoxy. I've made on paddle that felt
: amazing with just spirit line tung blend, but I chipped it on
: the first trip -_- I also have some west system 105/207.

: I found on the woodenboat forums a suggestion that epoxy as the
: first coat, sanded back down to the wood, and then with an oil
: finish as usual on top would be a great combination of hardness
: and feel. Does anyone have experience with such a technique? The
: idea I guess is to get the epoxy into the grain, but off the
: surface. Would some UV protection for the epoxy be a necessity
: in this case? If so, wouldn't the varnish kind of ruin the
: potential feel of the wood?

: Here's the aforementioned discussion:
: http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?3996-Epoxy-over-oil-based-stains