I received an e-mail with information relative to Kettlewell paddles. Just figured I would ask if anyone has comments relative to these or other traditonal paddles. I have never paddled anythng but modern straight paddle and am currious about your comments.
Brammy.
Ah’ got de Kettlewell Quill
an' like it ok. Good fer messin' around Canadian Freestyle. Very long blade - cut ta be able ta git under de canoo fer doin' stuff like Gimbals. It be a bit heavy an' stiff fer touring though - much prefer me Nashwaak fer dat. Good paddle maker - Kettlewell be...
FE
More Questions than Answers
You ask for comments about Ray Kettlewell’s paddles. When you are talking about high-end paddles, that is a very generic request. They are beautiful; they are well made; and with reasonable care, they will last a long long time. Since I have the Ray Special, I can add that it is also a well designed paddle. I use my Ray on deep lakes and when I am pretending that I know how to paddle Canadian style.
The paddles are excellent; but the best thing about buying a Ray Kettlewell paddle, is talking to Ray on the telephone. He will take the time to make sure you get the right paddle … and his passion for paddles and paddling really comes through.
There are a lot of people out there making quality paddles, a number of them post here regularly. For your purposes it would probably be more useful to ask about paddle styles that would meet your paddling objectives - and then, go look for the guy that makes that paddle really well.
Nice paddle
I have a cherry Kettelwell ottertail that is a delight for solo paddling. It does have a very long blade which limits it to deeper water.
If you have never paddled a long, narrow bladed traditional paddle you are in for a treat!
Kettlewell
Ray Kettlewell is an old school paddle maker very highly regarding in Ontario paddling circles. His shafts are round as opposed to oval - they have a solid heft. IMHO his blades are a bit thick and weigh in on the heavy side compared to some. I generally prefer thinner/more flexible blades myself, but that’s just me. All Kettlewell paddles are solid cherry with spar varnish finishes brushed on. These are top shelf sticks, but are still working paddles – not frail non-functional display paddles, they are made for everyday hard use. They’re priced a bit higher than mass produced factory sticks like Grey Owl (for instance) and worth every penny, a true bargain in my humble opinion. I have a “Quill” and find it a hoot to play with, as Elmo mentioned it’s not for touring. I also have one of his Ottertails - the grip is a bit small for my big mitts. The quality of workmanship on the Quill is flawless, that Ottertail was not his best effort (the blade is a bit lumpy). Based solely on the two Kettlewell paddles in my little collection I’d have to say Kettlewell’s hand-carved paddles display the hand of the craftsman - quality can be a bit up or down – as is the case with any hand work. That being said IMHO a typical Kettlewell trumps the vast majority of mass produced paddles any ol’ day - even with an occasional lumpy spot or small varnish run. Paddles made by a real human… makes me smile.