+ 1 for the Ancient Kayaker, nothing feels better on the hands like smooth raw wood. I carved a GP from a 2x4 of cypress and when finished
I remembered somewhere I read that Eskimo's don't hav varnish and epoxy they use their paddles raw, so I thought what the heck and left it raw, well it feels like suede leather and I get no blisters (a ten mile paddle usually produces problems for all my paddling buddies but not for this old fart). Nick R.