Canoe Paddle - Unfinished

This is a nice paddle to finish the way you want it to look. I had a process and it kept me busy for a couple weeks. 1) sand it to a fine finish: 1000 at least.2) 50/50 Linseed oil and Mineral spirits. At least 4 separate coats.I know how I like my paddle to act in the water and I am a one-side only (even solo) paddler. I also do not remove the blade when moving forward just knife it forward then move the boat forward by trying to push my hips forward and using the blade as if the water has the consistency of Greek yogurt.This paddle has the appropriate amount of flex to handle my paddling style. I actually tried to get it to snap but it bent like a French curve with the hydraulic pressures against all my might for probably 20 strokes. I just slid back to the dock for a 1/8 mile.I sanded it a very certain way which makes it seem to shoot forward after you J-flatten and lift slightly while pushing the blade forward.1) Put the blade in your lap with handle right and sand the far side drastically towards the underside, 20-30 degrees.2) Sand near side as flat as you can.3) Flip paddle blade but keep the handle where it is on your right.I sanded mine so drastically it flattened out the low part of the shaft too. I wanted to make it more hydrodynamic anyway since it hardly ever gets removed from the water. I believe the flattened part of the shaft provides just a little bit more of overall flexibility as well.Yes I have busted several wooden canoe paddles, a whitewater kayak paddle and a couple whitewater paddles. Both times I had to yank one away from my rear passenger so we didn’t die. That was good days. Now I just poke around in my canoe trying to break stuff I made so I know that it’s going to hold up when I need it. Have fun!

I wasn't sure what to expect, but this was better than I imagined. I thought I might be spending many evenings sanding, but a modest amount of effort in one evening with 1000 grit sandpaper (suggested by another reviewer) has me very close to what I want. I'll be ready to start oiling after this weekend sanding with 1500 and 2000 grit sandpaper.

Reallly nice. Sand w 220. Stain and finish and you have 100$ paddle

I recently purchased my first canoe and wanted to try a wooden paddle so I started with this inexpensive one. It has several wood flaws, but mostly the handle is not inline with the blade! It is several degrees off of straight. Maybe it will work to my advantage but I don't know until I get on the water. It shouldn't be as it is though. I'll be hand picking my next paddle.

It's a very nice paddle but the blade is not very large. It's a paddle more for younger people or those that don't do much paddling. I'm somewhat of an experienced paddler but I love the design and wish you had more available at that price.

Light weight, but strong. Simple whiteish wood which was perfect for a little faux finishing and paint. Made great decorative gifts for my friends! Definitely will be buying many more in the future!!!

The only thing that can be improved for this product, is the availability.My last order was five units. I received five otter tails instead of beaver tails. The otter tails are fine and I like them better so I'm keeping them. But the people ordering paddles seem to want the beaver tails and I can't get them.

Redtail makes a good solid budget paddle. I have theee others. This, however, is not one.I'd recommend only purchasing this as a canvas for painting or wood burning. If you're looking for a cheap paddle for canoeing, you should get a finished Redtail for about $20 more.The shaft diameter on this paddle is the same as they use on their child size paddles. I think this must be the only Redtail full-sized paddle to use this shaft diameter. It's too narrow for an adult hand. The soft aspen wood combined with the narrow shaft mean the paddle is incredibly flexible, to the point where I wouldn't trust it to get me home on a paddling trip.The paddles are clearly made quickly to meet the low price point and for their intended purpose as a decoration. The blade on mine was not symmetrical left to right as one side was clearly held against the sander for too long and flattened. The tip of the blade does not taper nicely so the blade is quite thick at the point of entry to the water.At this price, it's 5 stars for art projects and 1 star for paddling.

I was a bit skeptic all when I ordered these. I ordered 2 and hoped for the best. They’re great! They are well shaped with no visible defects, perfectly sanded, and a good weight. I wrote names with letter stickers and put three coats of spar varnish. It's cheaper to buy an unfinished paddles and I tend to prefer my objects when I’ve built them or taken part in putting them together somehow, so it’s win win!Honestly, I haven’t used them yet, so this might be premature, but I don’t foresee having trouble with them.

I'm the 1% of people in these reviews whom actually used it as a paddle and it worked great. There's some flex, but I abused it all day and it didn't crack or warp at all. I do recommend a poly or oil finish on it.

Amazing quality !!

I was about to start a decor project of two painted/art paddle to hand on my wall. After looking for used or new paddles to strip then refinish with my desired patterns, I came across these durring a search. As the price was less than buying finished paddels (new or used). Not to mention the additional cost of stripper and the time required to take varnished paddel to bare wood. I figured I had nothing really to loose ordering these even if they where rough. I was pleasantly surprised, the wood came relatively smooth from the factory, not imperfections, well constructed, and has great overall dimensions. Definately would recommend as a base for art/diy decor projects.