Oars

Here's a set of oars that I finished last year. They were originally intended for a wooden drift boat that is taking me longer than expected so they may be used elsewhere. 

 The tip plates are contrasting, Dark on one side, 

                                                          and light on the other.

. The handles are solid ash and the throats are spruce sandwiched between ash plates.  Rounded out with ash and fir blades and dynel edges. These sticks are stiff, snappy and highly responsive. 

sharp pencils

Ive been working on a few bentshaft kayak paddles over the last few weeks. These are always a real challenge. Each step requires all of my focus and attention.

Instead of using a router to roundover the grips I use spokeshaves to make and ergonomic shape. My favorite tool in this photo is the electric pencil sharpener.

First Kayak Paddle

Alright, so this is the first of only about 15 kayak paddles that I've made.
I chose a Jimmy Snyder blade shape due to its simplicity. At first glance one might take this for a "squirt" paddle, but Jim recommends this paddle for "huge water in a big boat". Jim is the man, check out his website @http://www.jimisnyder.com/

The shaft of this paddle is made with sitka spruce sandwiched between two ash plates(the standard). The blade wood is Western Red Cedar, the bang strips are made from Hickory and the paddle is rounded of with Birdseye Maple tip plates.

Rick O' Shea

This is Ricks paddle. The shaft is the typical Ash plates with the not so typical for me sassafrass core. The blade-wood is made from two different cedars, Western Red and Alaskan Yellow, giving it a very contrasting look. The edges are curley maple and the tips are curley english sycamore. The T-grip was carved out of a piece of curley english walnut.

I was happy to make a guide stick for Mr. O' Shea because he's one of the smoothest paddle boat captains I've ever tried to follow down the Gauley. O shady still hasnt picked this one up. So Rick call me, come get your paddle.