Welcome to Friday Harbor Paddles |
I build Greenland paddles. I try to make
them especially lightweight, and durable
while maintaining the beauty of wood. All
paddles are made from multiple layers of
Red Cedar. The wood is sliced into 1/4"
thick layers, then the faces are reversed
and wood from a different board is added.
By doing this a paddle is created that is
stronger and much less likely to split or
twist than paddles carved from a single
board. I always try to mix contrasting
shades of Red Cedar for a more beautiful
paddle.
You can chose a Standard Length
Greenland paddle, or since this is a small
shop, I can custom build your paddle.
Lead time is 1 to 3 weeks.
them especially lightweight, and durable
while maintaining the beauty of wood. All
paddles are made from multiple layers of
Red Cedar. The wood is sliced into 1/4"
thick layers, then the faces are reversed
and wood from a different board is added.
By doing this a paddle is created that is
stronger and much less likely to split or
twist than paddles carved from a single
board. I always try to mix contrasting
shades of Red Cedar for a more beautiful
paddle.
You can chose a Standard Length
Greenland paddle, or since this is a small
shop, I can custom build your paddle.
Lead time is 1 to 3 weeks.
| Why use a Greenland paddle? |
Some people find it hard to believe that
such a long skinny paddle can be even
more efficient at keeping a kayak moving
at speed than the more modern large
bladed paddles.
The basic shape of the Greenland paddle
was developed over hundreds of years by
people who spent a good part of their
lives on the water traveling many miles a
day in search of food. They had to find a
paddle shape that would allow them to
maintain a good rate of boat speed and at
the same time keep paddling hour after
hour. They found that large stiff blades,
while providing great power for short
bursts of speed, tended to cause fatigue
and stress on hands, arms, and shoulders
when used over long periods of time.
Their ultimate design, with the long
narrow blades and short loom, still is the
best choice for touring and general sea
kayaking today.
Building their paddles out of a single
piece of wood and lining the edges of the
blades with whale bone worked well for
them. But today we can improve on their
construction in several ways.
We can use multiple layers of the lightest
woods laminated together for extra
strength and to adjust blade flexibility.
We can coat the wood with epoxy to
harden the surface fibers.
We can add hardwood tips to lesson
damage to the blades.
The improved Greenland style paddle can
provide many benefits over traditional
Greenland paddles
At Friday Harbor Paddles we provide
lightweight modified Greenland paddles
that fit comfortably in your hands and
allow you to maintain speed mile after
mile, while causing a minimum of fatigue
and stress on joints and muscles. You can
choose from Standard sizes or you can
have your paddle custom built to fit your
specifications, boat, and paddling style.
Each paddle is handcrafted from multiple
layers of Red Cedar. A finish of oil,
varnish or oil/varnish blend is then
applied to protect the wood.
such a long skinny paddle can be even
more efficient at keeping a kayak moving
at speed than the more modern large
bladed paddles.
The basic shape of the Greenland paddle
was developed over hundreds of years by
people who spent a good part of their
lives on the water traveling many miles a
day in search of food. They had to find a
paddle shape that would allow them to
maintain a good rate of boat speed and at
the same time keep paddling hour after
hour. They found that large stiff blades,
while providing great power for short
bursts of speed, tended to cause fatigue
and stress on hands, arms, and shoulders
when used over long periods of time.
Their ultimate design, with the long
narrow blades and short loom, still is the
best choice for touring and general sea
kayaking today.
Building their paddles out of a single
piece of wood and lining the edges of the
blades with whale bone worked well for
them. But today we can improve on their
construction in several ways.
We can use multiple layers of the lightest
woods laminated together for extra
strength and to adjust blade flexibility.
We can coat the wood with epoxy to
harden the surface fibers.
We can add hardwood tips to lesson
damage to the blades.
The improved Greenland style paddle can
provide many benefits over traditional
Greenland paddles
At Friday Harbor Paddles we provide
lightweight modified Greenland paddles
that fit comfortably in your hands and
allow you to maintain speed mile after
mile, while causing a minimum of fatigue
and stress on joints and muscles. You can
choose from Standard sizes or you can
have your paddle custom built to fit your
specifications, boat, and paddling style.
Each paddle is handcrafted from multiple
layers of Red Cedar. A finish of oil,
varnish or oil/varnish blend is then
applied to protect the wood.
All images and text are copyright by David Smith unless otherwise noted and may not be used without the prior written approval of the copyright holder. |
| I Build Greenland Paddles. |
All paddles are available in Two
Piece Take-Apart version.
Piece Take-Apart version.
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1A
1B
1C
1F
1E
1D
1G
