Aloha,
I have a 48" Black Bart full carbon Paddle I got as part of a deal buying an OC1 canoe. The paddle is unfortunately too short for me, and you don’t see too many full carbon paddles here in Hawai’i, so I’m trying to get an idea of its value before I try to sell it. It seems to be in nearly brand new condition.
Mahalo for any help!
[quote=“SGransky, post:1, topic:96436”]
OC1 canoe
[/quote]Aloha. Your paddle looks to be in excellent new shape. I ordered a canoe paddle (52in) from Black Bart (Bud Moll) many years ago. A week after I received it, I heard that Bud was killed when he hit a bear while riding his motorcycle (Bud, not the bear). Very unfortunate, but I suspect that I have one of, if not the very last paddle that he ever made. It has several thousand miles on the water with me, including much training, many dozens of Adirondack canoe races, and five times on the Yukon River 440 and 1000 mile races. It has served me well and I wouldn’t give up mine for anything.
Other similar paddles I have, in a wide range of sizes, which one to be used depends on which canoe I am using, and are made by Newman Designs GRB/Grass River Boatworks from Canton NY. Many of my race friends use one, and they go new for around $200 (my price) or a maybe little more now. ZRE is the other popular kind many racers use, also made in NY state, and, depending on the exact style size and weight, may go for upwards toward $300.
There are not a lot of paddlers around that remember the Black Bart paddles. I only have two friends that use them. It could be a classic, but at 48 inches it is pretty short for most people.
You could put it on the classified section here and see if there is any action. Some folks that remember them might pay above the market value to have an almost pristine Black Bart paddle among their collection.
I’d say it’s worth about $200…maybe 250 if you find someone that really wants it. I see that Bending Branches’ latest carbon bent goes for $250.
https://bendingbranches.com/products/black-pearl-ii-performance-canoe-paddle
The Black Bart is still a better quality paddle than almost anything you can buy. It’s not as light as the lightest so maybe not the very best for racing but it’s exceptionally strong and has excellent balance since the shaft is more substantial than other carbon paddles.
I love my Black Bart paddles. Pic shows a straight shaft on the left and a bent in the middle.
Maybe you should just lower or remove the seat in your new boat so you can keep it and use it.
At times I use a 49" GRB in my solo canoe (PB Rapidfire), with a high mounted seat. I works fine for that, especially in rougher wind blown water with waves. In smoother water I probably go for a 50". You might try to find other solo small boat single blade paddlers who want one. One of my Yukon race partners is a very petite short gal who uses a shorter paddle than the rest of us, 48" I think. I’ll see if she needs another.
