Aside from Bending Branches, can anyone recommend a good brand for wooden canoe paddles? The other recommendations we’ve gotten (Mitchell, Grey Owl) seem to no longer be in production.
Ideally, I’d like to find a pair of straight shaft Sugar Island style blades for around <$100 each if possible. We don’t mind spending more on a set of nice paddles but don’t feel confident in paddle sizing yet so would prefer not to spend hundreds paddles that are the wrong size.
Grey Owl in Canada I have their guide model I bought from CLC boat works, It is a dark cherrywood and a sort of modified otter tail. I also own two bent shaft paddles from Fox Worx. They are located in NY if I remember right. They also make straight paddles. I am well pleased with both companies.
Opps, I just checked Fox Worx and it looks like they just make bent shaft paddles these days. However, CLC still carries the Grey Owl guide paddle for $84. So, I checked out the GO site and it looks like they are still in business. Although many of their models appear to be sold out.
Grey Owl Paddles: Handcrafted Canadian Canoeing & Kayaking Paddles – GreyOwlPaddles.com
Fishell
Yea Grey Owl’s website seems active but every paddle I clicked on was sold out, so I wasn’t sure what was going on. Good to hear that brand may still be an option - they were highly recommend by our friend. Thanks!
I’ve been using a Grey Owl guide (a beaver tail) and love it. Carl’s Paddlin in Lone Rock WI usually has a good stock of Grey Owls of various models and might ship - try contacting him.
I also like the Sawyer cedar voyageur which is more of your sugar island style paddle.
Alas, availability my be an issue with both, but if you can find either I’d highly recommend them.
There’s a newer company whose products I’ve seen at Canoecopia and they look really good to me - Badger paddles. Might want to check them out. They have one that is sugar islandish.
Another relatively newer paddle maker I saw at Canoecopia is called Old Mustache but I think all their paddles are bent shaft, though they have a 6deg which is barely a bent. Very nice, light, hollow shafts. They might be a bit delicate for some uses though.
Make one.
I have a Fishell Modified Ottertail for deeper water and a Sawyer Voyager for shallow areas. Love them both and sometimes switch just for the change. Both of their size guides worked well for me. Prices are a little above entry level but so much better than the Caviness I started with.
I just bought a grey owl paddle this year. I bought thru a paddling club member that builds lightweight canoes in northwest PA. Usa… Noel Canoe in Greenville Pa.
His prices are cheaper than grey owls website
Good luck
My other wooden paddle is a bending branches BB Special.
Hemlock canoe in NY has wooden paddles for sale, also Sawyer still makes very nice straight paddles as well as Fishell paddles.
Glide Canoe Paddle
Custom handcrafted wood canoe paddles – Fishell Paddles US
https://hemlockcanoe.com/
Shaw and Tenney in Maine. I’ve used their paddles for over five decades. They have a wide range of styles and a variety of woods. They are good people.
I love my Shaw and Tenney paddles, but they are not cheap. They will help you with sizing if you ask. I will say that personally I would rather paddle a poor boat than use a poor paddle. A poor boat may give you some difficulties with paddling, but a poor paddle will make you inefficient, wear you out, blister your hands and make your whole body ache.
Bass pro shop has an entry level paddle.
There’s plenty of wooden canoe paddles available, the tricky part is sticking around the $100 mark. Some brands will mark down the prices of blemished models, and sometimes those blends are super minor and do not effect the paddles hydrodynamics or efficiency or comfort. Worth looking at for reduced costs. Sawyer, Bending Branches, Werner and Badger are some I’ve seen.
I probably should’ve read the comments to make sure I’m not echoing someone’s response. I picked up all of my paddles through local paddling shops here or on some kind of trip. One of the shops recently closed their doors and have posted on marketplace a lot of their gear at 70% off, incl. paddles. She had some of the cool but heavy Sanborns, Fishell & Hunter and Harris. If you had to ship, it would probably equal out to the retail cost.
If you can, stop in some paddling stores, especially those with rental programs, they usually have some demo paddles for sale. Even banged up wood paddles can be brought back to life with minimal effort and cost (sand paper & oil).
Nothing fancy… but Feather Brand and Beaver Brand are good paddles.
yes, too bad about Mitchell. we have 6 Mitchell paddles, which are now our most prized possessions, as they are irreplaceable!
The Sawyer Co. in southern Oregon has some factory seconds. I have bought plenty of paddles there over the years.
My husband has a Mitchell connection (I think he knows the owner somehow). We are bummed because we would have gladly paid a bit more to support a local/friends’ business!
I’d love to learn to build my own paddles - maybe we can get Peter out of retirement to teach us lol.