Paddle Primer: Hardwood v. Softwood

When I learned how to canoe as a scout back in the 1970's, in Utah, a place not well known for traditional canoeing, all the paddles I saw were softwood paddles, often laminated. I think the reason for that may have been the same reasons you still see a lot of these paddles, namely they are light, often pretty, feel good in the hand, and can be had for a reasonable price.

Old Town offers a laminated basswood paddle on their website for $45.00.



With propper care, a laminated softwood paddle will be pleasant to use. In my experience the basswood paddles weigh next to nothing. The downside is that, although all wood paddles can be damaged by abuse more easily than a plastic paddle, the basswood paddles are fairly fragile.

Last year on the Stake canoe trip a couple of youth borrowed a basswood paddle that I had borrowed from one of the brothers in our branch. They had it for about 45 minutes, and by the time I got it back so much of the varnish had been scraped off that I had to buy a new paddle to return to the person I borrowed it from. When I say scraped off, I mean that that there were big long chipped scraped, and the varnish on these paddles is very thick because the wood is so soft that the varnish is the only thing protecting the paddle from dents. Chips in the varnish quickly stain black, and because of the thickness of the varnish (polyurethane?) it is no small matter to try to sand the paddle down and revarnish.

Now I prefer to use a paddle cut from a solid plank of ash, but people to whom I loan my paddle do not share my enthusiasm for them.


The reason people don't like my ash paddles is that they are much heavier. That can be a real consideration at the end of a long day. I think the reason I am willing to overlook the weight is that I bought one when my basswood paddle got banged up, and since it was new and pretty I used it, even though it was heavy. After a while I just got used to the weight, and tend to overlook that aspect. Now I focus on the beauty of the grain, the vastly superior strength and resilience of the paddle in comparison to a softwood paddle, and connection I feel to the old school paddlers when I use an old school paddle. I weigh about 260 pounds, but I can take an ash paddle and lay it across the gunnels like a thwart and sit on it. I would not dare that with a softwood paddle. Shaw and Tenney does not recomend softwood paddles for whitewater, and I can understand that, though in my limited whitewater experience I have never seen a softwood paddle break per se.

Shaw and Tenney offers some interesting paddles (more about shapes and lengths in future posts) in a variety of woods, and after visiting their shop in Orono, I am astounded at the quality. The trade-off is price, with a sassafrass beavertail paddle coming in around $100.00. The owner gave me a tour of the place, and showed me a bunch of paddles. My quick impression on the woods is that cherry is heavy and pretty (for furniture cherry is about my favorite wood, but seemed too dark on paddle), maple is heavier and actually more pretty to me because it is lighter in color, black walnut suprising light in weight, sassafras very light, reportedly very tough and springy, but a little ugly.

A great value, in my opinion, is Porter Woodworking in Millinocket. They make some great ash paddles, though not quite a perfect as Shaw and Tenney in workmanship, I like the patterns at Porter better than the paddles at Shaw and Tenney. If you dinged a paddle from Porter's its no big deal, if you dinged a paddle from S&T, you would feel like you damaged a piece of art or scratched a piece of fine furniture.

In Mitt Romney news, I see that Peter Cianchette is on board the Romney bandwagon. Cool.