Mitchell Horizon

216–229
Length (cm)
28
Weight (oz)
$120
MSRP

Mitchell Horizon Description

The Horizon is designed for the paddler seeking a traditional Greenland style paddle. This paddle has a oversized oval loom that is approximately 17" long. The blades are 3 ½" wide at the tips and are about 35" to 38" long, depending on paddle length. Blades are Spruce and Santa Maria with a polyurethane tip and the shaft comes in Laminated spruce, walnut and ash.

Mitchell Paddles, Inc.
Mitchell Horizon Reviews

Read reviews for the Mitchell Horizon by Mitchell Paddles, Inc. as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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5

I've had this wonderful…

Submitted by: otaypanky on 11/4/2020
I've had this wonderful paddle for 14 years. It takes time spent in my kayak to a new level of enjoyment. I've used it with a Wilderness Systems Pungo 120, an inexpensive 10' fishing SOT , and my new Eddyline Skylark. I also have an AquaBound carbon paddle and a bent shaft Werner, both great paddles, but the Mitchell Horizon is in a league of it's own. The feel in your hands is great, a perfect shape, like it was made to be there. It's so smooth and lightweight, and it's the perfect paddle for the Skylark. The stroke is silent and strong and the narrow blade design is extremely efficient on a windy day. Yesterday I took some time to give it a little TLC with several coats of shellac, then sanded, polished, and waxed. I was so anxious to get out on the water I forgot to put my drip rings back on. But I found after the refreshing and waxing I gave it that the paddle shed water much more efficiently than before. I stayed quite dry and will no longer be using the drip rings. If you love to kayak I highly recommend this paddle.
5

I just picked up a 90" Spruce…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 3/25/2009
I just picked up a 90" Spruce model brand new for 100 beans! I used it in a Wilderness Pungo140 which is 28" wide and really loved it. First time using this paddle and although I do not know a lot about them, it came to me naturally and the stroke felt good. It was fun to change up from my regular paddle to the Greenland style. For the price I guess you can't go wrong. My friend made one with a $3 piece of wood. He hasn't tried it yet but it looks good. I liked the idea that these were laminated.
5

I can't elaborate too much of…

Submitted by: paddler232945 on 11/12/2008
I can't elaborate too much of it's design - it is a traditional greenland paddle that is offered in a 85" and a 90" length. I ordered the 85" length and it is perfect. My hand position feels right on - I can execute a sweep stroke and transition back to paddle position effortlessly. I would not change a thing.

The quality is top notch. Their paddles are laminated wood (not one solid piece) to provide strength and resist warping. The ends have beautiful walnut inlays with an epoxy tip. The paddle throughout has a durable polyurethane finish.

Mitchell offers a variety of woods that you can choose from. I went cheap and ordered spruce (which included ash, Santa Maria and Walnut) made the paddle slightly heavier. But I knew that going in. It would be cool if Mitchell could update their website to include pictures of all of their wood combinations. My paddle does not look like the paddle currently on the website.

I would definitely recommend the Mitchell Greenland Paddle.

5

For those who take the time…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 10/9/2007
For those who take the time to learn its unique stroke and cadence, the traditional Greenland paddle is a viable alternative to more commonly used European designs. Many paddlers find the Greenland stroke more intuitive than that of the paddles they first learned to kayak with. Some folks also find them easier to initiate and maintain good torso rotation.

There are a number of fine craftsman offering superb custom made examples of these age-old paddle designs. Finding an excellent Greenland paddle at a reasonable price, however, is a taller task. The Mitchell Horizon fills this need very well. Made from a selection of fine woods finished with hi-gloss polyurethane, the care and craftsmanship that goes into this product is evident even to the casual observer.

Out on the water, where it counts, this Mitchell paddle performs very well. It's light, agile and responsive. The grip remains very good regardless of water temperature, either bare-handed or while using gloves. It moves smoothly in your hands, easily transitioning from a regular to an extended paddle position and back again. The blades enter and exit the water with almost no sound. Even after very long back-to-back days, you will find the Mitchell Horizon to be a winner from just about every viewpoint.

5

The Mitchell Horizon…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 5/29/2007
The Mitchell Horizon Greenland paddle (GP) is a wonderful addition to any kayaker’s paddle quiver. The Mitchell Company, located in New Canaan, NH, has been in business for 30 years making wood canoe and kayak paddles, and they have recently added wood-carbon fiber composites to their product line. As a Massachusetts native, I had always heard about Mitchell Paddles during my youth, but only recently was I able to own a Mitchell Horizon when Paddling.netter billinpa sold me his wonderfully refinished GP. I was immediately struck by the smooth finish, the lovely lamination, and the gentle stroke of this paddle. I understood that Greenland style paddling necessitates the use of the entire paddle, and the paddle dimensions must be precise for the paddler. Doug Van Doren, featured on cackletv.com and with his own set of Greenland videos, has many suggestions about getting the most from any GP. Using this as a guide, plus the experience of Greg Stamer (featured on the Nigel Foster DVD series), I ordered custom Mitchell Horizon paddles, and have found the service and caring of the company second to none. Yvonne Mitchell and her team have, through telephone calls and emails, secured all of my desires for the paddles: custom blade width, loom length, total paddle length and even materials selection. The price is highly reasonable given this special attention to such a personalized product, and Paddling Perks members receive a 15% discount, and there is even a deeper discount for larger orders. Mitchell Paddles is part of the paddling.com community and you will notice their top page banner at times on this site.

The paddles are always laminated, including the shaft, and the importance of this cannot be underestimated. Lamination is not only attractive, but serves the purpose of preventing bends, twists and warping as would a solid paddle, and also permits the paddle to be very thin, and thus lightweight. As Mitchell brand paddles are made with hardwood (walnut, ash, basswood, cherry) rather than softwood (cedar, pine), they have to be thin to maintain light weight. The strength despite thinness is achieved through lamination. The purchaser selects the wood type for the paddle.

The performance of the paddle is outstanding. Its reinforced, rounded edge it can handle some bumps and beach push-offs and still remain intact and elegant in its presentation in the water. Please note that, although some paddlers prefer a self-made paddle with a more gradual taper from loom to blade (i.e. thicker in the area of hand placement), the Horizon GP is soft shouldered (has a gradual transition from loom to blade), and one might select a narrower than expected loom length so that the palm of the hand contacts a “fatter” portion of the inner blade rather than all on the loom. I selected a 13-14 inch loom, which still provides me plenty of comfortable hand placement on the inner blade (the “effective” loom width is likely 17-19 inches). The balance of the paddle, with weight distributed over the entire length as opposed to a Euro paddle with weight at the blade ands, makes the Horizon GP seem even lighter when in use.

Any good Greenland paddle should perform well with hands at any point on the paddle, such as for extended paddle bracing. The Mitchell is thin at the blade ends, and thus takes some “getting used to”, but in no way is uncomfortable to the grasp.

In summary, I find the Mitchell Horizon GP to be a fabulous product with top notch care put into a custom, hand crafted paddle at a reasonable price. Anyone paddling with me is welcome to try one out. I own plenty of Werner and Epic carbon paddles, and yet the earthy warmth and graceful performance of the Mitchell GP has made it the first paddle I grab when I head to the lakes.