My favorite one is a Kendo battering ram.

One of the main reasons to coat the tips with epoxy is because its so easy to do. Why not?

Trying to use fabric is really tough.

My ends get beat up. I have some with hardwood. On the ends and some just coated.
I will never varnish coat a GP again. Once water gets under it, back to sanding and on and on.

I'll send a pic when I get back.

I like reading new builders concerns. It's good people take pride in their work and treat it like a piece of art.
I think what happens is that after a while you just accept that boats and paddles are going to take a beating and if you have a few, you just let things slide.

Thanks. I'm under no delusions that my beaver-chewed piece of cedar would count as art. OK--maybe in some modern art museums, but only if I broke it first. (RIP Morley Safer.)

So you're saying that you always epoxy but never varnish. Interesting. I thought that epoxy gets destroyed by UV light sans varnish. And that epoxy is the one you have to worry about cracking and letting water in. Must've gotten that wrong, I guess.

I definitely won't want to eventually have to chip off old epoxy if I were to epoxy the tips and that cracks. To me that sounds way more onerous than just re-oiling from time to time. I just hope the tung oil will prevent actual cracks and chips. Maybe I'll use my $30 plastic/AL paddles in the shallows and only use the GP once away from shore.