Make a Canoe Paddle
Paddlemaking is a fascinating craft. After gaining the basic skills, you may
wish to create a stable of paddles for different water conditions, fashion a
range of tribal designs to display on the wall, or even start a collection of
miniature paddles, which also make good trophies for canoeing events.
We supply templates and paddle blanks for the paddlemaker, as well as
finished paddles.
Here are some things to think about when you start to build your paddle. Detailed
information on all these topics is contained in our book Making Canoe Paddles in Wood.
Design
Choose a large surface-area blade (140 - 165 sq. in.) for racing or whitewater, or
a smaller area, slimmer paddle (110 -135 sq. in.) for long distance touring in deep
water. You may want a contemporary pattern to match your plastic boat, or a classic
native design to complement your traditional-style canoe.
Wood
A wide range of woods have been used to make paddles. Some of the most popular and
widely available woods are ash, basswood, cherry, maple and spruce. Choose a tough
hardwood for moving water, but a lighter construction is suitable for stillwater touring.
Length
There is no of shortage opinions concerning the optimal length for a canoe paddle.
As a rule-of-thumb we recommend the "paddler's seat-to-nose" distance when sitting
erect to determine the shaft length which must be added to the blade length for any
specific design. However, many factors such as style of paddling and dimensions of
your canoe may favour deviations from this rule. We have an adjustable-length
prototype paddle to allow customers to determine paddle length the natural way -
whilst paddling their own canoe, typically laden.
Blade Edges
Thin edges (1/16" or less) allow the paddle to slice through
the water more cleanly, and make submerged recovery strokes much easier, but are
quite easily chipped. Thick edges are less pleasant to use, but stronger. You have
to reach a compromise based on the type of canoeing that you intend to do. We
recommend 3/32" for general use.
Flexibility
An alert spring in the paddle makes it feel alive and helps to protect the arms
from shock. A paddle that is too flexible is likely to be less than efficient
Balance
A good paddle should balance at the paddler's lower grip region. Balance can be
achieved by judicious carving, or by laminating in woods of different densities.
Tip
The blade tip can take a lot of punishment in low water conditions.
You may wish to reinforce the end of your blade with hardwood, glass fibre or a metal tip.
Finishing
Oil finishes (e.g. boiled linseed or tung oil) are easy to apply, easy to touch
up and do not mask the natural texture of the wood. Some people dislike oiled
finishes because the wood can look a little "dirty"; some people love them because
they make wood look like wood. Varnish finished are quite difficult to apply well,
and the wood has a long-lasting, bright glassy look. Take your choice, or use a
dual finish - an oiled shaft and varnished blade.
Decoration
Several books on native canoe culture have examples of aboriginal paddle
decoration. These range from simple dots and crosses to highly stylised animals
as in the case of North American west coast paddles. Contemporary paddle decoration
includes ink drawings and paintings, marquetry, chip-carving and pyrography.
Paddle Template Kits
These kits are designed to save you much of the work of marking out and adding the
key shaping guidelines. We currently have over 20 different designs and the list is
constantly growing. We produce kits that include plywood templates for the blade
and grip that you simply draw around to produce an accurate outline of the paddle.
Also included are patterns for templates for blade tip, throat, grip side and grip
top, together with plastic sheet material for making the flexible template required.
Following the carving guidelines drawn using these templates makes paddlemaking
accessible to anyone, and good results can be had first time out. Each template kit
comes with carving instructions and historical information.
Paddle Blanks
Save yourself the time and effort of laminating, marking out and cutting. Our
laminated blanks are cut and sanded to the final plan profile. Plane, spokeshave
and sandpaper only required for finishing. With carving instructions and historical
information.
Paddlemaking Classes
Enrol on one of our paddlemaking classes and get personal tuition in making the
design of your choice in a friendly "wooden canoe" atmosphere. Between sessions,
enjoy a barbecue, balance on our poling practice bar, even climb on our climbing
wall, and, of course, talk canoes. Please send for a brochure.
Designs
Paddles, blanks and templates are currently available in the following designs:
Northwoods (Penobscot), Ottertail, Beavertail, Western Cree, Beothuk, Malecite St.John River,
Ashwing, Northwest Voyageur, Hudson Bay Voyageur, Sugar Island (143 sq. in.),
Sugar Island (162 sq. in.), Expedition Paddle, Slave, Stikine, Lake Huron, Algonquin,
Early Micmac, Abnaki, Adirondack Guide Boat, Passamaquoddy, Ojibway, Micmac, Chestnut Beavertail,
Classic Peterborough, and Many Others.
Finished Paddles
Our paddles are laminated from ash, maple and basswood with contrasting mahogany
(managed) if desired, and finished with oil. They balance perfectly at the lower
grip, giving very pleasant handling characteristics. The shaft has smooth transition
from elliptical to round, and a narrow neck to give a good flexibility profile and
low paddleshock. Blades have internal tip lamination to minimise risk of splitting.
Weight 700g-900g depending on design. Our bent shaft paddles have 7-ply ash/basswood
shafts and flat blade power face. Specify the shaft length and blade angle required.
If you are a competition racer, you may wish to use our variable length/variable
angle paddle to determine exactly the parameters that you want, matched to your
physique and canoe. Please enquire.
Further Details
Send for sheet of designs, including blade dimensions and areas.
Pricing
Paddle £70
Bent-shaft paddle £90
Template kits £10
Blanks £30
Postage extra
Overseas: Please enquire. See Ordering Information.
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