Mustache Musings

Prevent the Dent

My Paddles are mostly made of Western Red Cedar, which has many properties that make it especially desirable:

                 Light Weight

                 Great Strength to Weight Ratio

                 Outstanding Bending Strength

                 Excellent Dimensional Stability

                 Great Durability and Decay Resistance

                 Beautiful Color Variation

This amazing combination of properties comes with just one trade-off.  Western Red Cedar is fairly soft, so it is susceptible to denting.  So, a little reasonable care will minimize damage which mostly happens in transport, on portages, in camp and on contact with canoe gunwales.

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Well, what to do?

1.    Transport your Paddle in a good paddle bag which protects it from the rest of your gear.

2.    Carry your Paddle in your canoe on portages.  Use Velcro or bungies to secure your Paddle to seats       

       and/or thwarts.

3.    Same thing in camp: your Paddle should stay in the canoe.  Paddles leaning against a tree often end up

       on the ground where they get stepped on.

4.    Avoid contact with the gunwales.

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     Oh, one more thing: your Paddle is not a cutting board.  Clean that Trophy Trout on something else.

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