How the paddle is made

I mainly use red cedar (WRC) and Alaskan yellow cedar (YAC). For the edges I use hardwood – mainly ash, larch and oak. Red cedar is characterized by being lightweight yet beautiful to look at. Yellow cedar is strong and tough. As a bonus, both woods smell amazing during processing and together they always remind me of cigar boxes, pencils and citrus.

When I receive the wood from the sawmill, it is left to dry for a few months. This allows the wood to dry until it has reached an optimal residual moisture content and it also allows me to sort out warped pieces.

When the wood is ready for it, I can slowly start shaping it. I saw and plane it into the shapes that will make up the paddle and then let it dry for a few more months. This way I can follow the wood during the drying process and carefully select the pieces that will be assembled into each paddle. Only after the wood has gone through the two drying periods do I glue the pieces of wood together and finish them. When a paddle is finished, it consists of 13 to 19 pieces of wood.

I reinforce the vast majority of my paddles with edges. This makes the paddle more resistant to everyday bumps and adds an aesthetic detail at the same time. I do the reinforcement with hardwood on the edges and a piece on the tip of the paddle. This allows you to sand or cut the ends yourself if the paddle gets some minor damage.

I impregnate my paddles with a proprietary oil. It consists primarily of linseed oil mixed with canuba wax, which I treat each paddle up to 10 times with 3 different mixtures. The mixture of oil and canava wax gives the paddle a waterproof and comfortable, warm surface. It never gets slippery – even when wet – and that means proper working conditions for your hands.