Ray Special

If I were to rate this paddle on a scale of 1-10.....a 20 wouldn't do it justice.

Starting at the beginning, when speaking with Greg Fishell, not only was he informative, helpful, pleasant, insanely knowledgeable...but he projected a deep caring about my paddle needs, and asked probing questions to ascertain my paddling skill and primary paddle application. I did ask for some special considerations which Greg was happy to provide. The paddle was not only delivered on time, but it far, far exceeded my expectations! This is not just extraordinary craftsmanship, it is functional artistry. it pains me to think about the battle scars that it will inevitably accumulate. I have to keep reminding myself that it is meant to be used, and each ding or scratch will add to the story. At the end of the day, it's a tool, not a jewel. I look forward to many years of service from this functional work of art.

I received a Ray Special for the Holidays this winter in varnished cherry. I have been a dedicated doubleblader in my solo canoes for years now. But after watching many Youtube videos of lake paddlers with traditional blades and techniques I decided to give it a go. I paddle an hour almost daily. I really enjoy paddling my Ray Special using the strokes I learned from Youtube: the J, the Knifing J, the Indian, the C. The paddle is gorgeous to look at too. I'm having a blast and I'm putting in more hours now with my Ray Special than with my doubleblade.

I would also add that Greg Fishell of Fishell Paddles has been very helpful and friendly over the phone. In fact when I told him my gift blade was too short he exchanged it for a longer blade at no cost.

Glenn

I ordered the Ray Special modified Ottertail canoe paddle in Cherry wood from Greg Fishell. It arrived on time, as promised, and I was thrilled at the made-to-order, handmade quality of this piece, and impressed by his thoughtful service and packaging. It's just beautiful and the design is exactly what I need for long paddles on mountain lakes. Not only will it get a lot of use, it is already an heirloom that I will treasure. Thank you so much, Greg.

Greg,

My daughter and I just got back from a trip on a river using your Ray Special paddle. I am very, very impressed by that design! It slices into and out if the water with incredible, silent ease. Both its cross-sectional contour and it longitudinal contour are wonderfully streamlined. This makes it the most effortless paddle I have ever used--not only for general paddling, but also for sculling, which is a big part of my canoe control. We were able to slip the canoe sideways through the water to avoid obstacles more efficiently and easily than I have ever experienced. It also is better balanced, out of the water, than any paddle I have used. Having the widest point is at the base of the blade and a fine tip places its greatest mass closer to the hand. This means that lifting it on the return is far easier. But the best news to me was that at the end of the trip, I had no (zero) shoulder discomfort in my rotary, which has been a disconcerting problem for me in recent years after several days' paddling. Following this trip I had none, and I attribute that entirely to the efficiency of your paddle's design. Less energy is wasted with your paddle, and that means there is less strain on the body. That was a very pleasant surprise to me.
Thank you for making such an amazing paddle.

Joel Sanderson

Quincy, Michigan.

We love these Ray's Special Fischell paddles, got the "wedding package" for our anniversary.

Greg is so great to work with, he got them to us so quick and in time for the gifting.

they power our 19 ft Wenonah Itasca like nothing else fact is last time we were out I grabbed another paddle when retunong to the put-in and after about 15 or so the wife turns around like "are you paddling at all?!" Then she sees Im trying the high dollar bent shaft, carbon fiber (.....) and is like" oh I see". These things rock, are they heavier than that high end bent shaft? well yes, but you need to make 2 strokes with that bent shaft to equal one stroke with Ray's Special.

Well here it goes. I have several paddles and you don't know how glad I am that I listened to Greg Fishell’s of Fishell Paddles recommendations especially regarding length and style. i.e. "The Ray Special". What a work of art and a real dream to paddle. Easy to handle and moves water like I couldn't believe. This style actually moved my canoe faster and less effort even compared to my lighter paddles. I was in heaven. This style shape & length is incredible, and I now see why Greg Fishell recommended it. "Spot On" my Friend!! I highly recommend contacting Fishell’s Canoe Paddles. Greg is patient and extremely helpful if one listens!

i am a guide in the Adirondack park. I paddle daily for work.

This is my favorite paddle.

Beautiful. Efficient. Tough.

I was recommended fishell by a friend, after my 2nd bending branches (now called by local guides ‘breaking branches’) paddle broke apart for the season. My friend, showed me the beautiful Ash blade he purchased from fishell , as a solution to the forever issue of cheaply made paddles splintering then shattering with a mere scrape of a rock or glance off the bottom of a pond.

I now use this elegant wood blade in all canoe environments from pushing off the bottom (essentially poling) on water to shallow to paddle and too deep to walk, glass calm ponds, to technical class 3 whitewater.

Construction: Fishell’s paddles are cut from a single piece of top quality hardwood and thus are sturdy like a club with no weak points, unlike the many weakness found in a laminated sorftwood paddle. You can choose from 3 basic hardwoods. I prefer maple, for durability and some heft ( i prefer heft.) the cherry paddle i ordered is light like composite material, and stronger. The cherry compared to other blades is not a compromise like most assume about wood paddles. As for my friends white ash blade, it’s a good compromise between the cherry and the maple. Light and tough.

Beauty: Unbeatable. You can choose from 3 basic hardwoods or request specialty woods depending on availability. I just ordered a walnut paddle, it’s stunning. I order my girlfriend a cherry paddle. It’s sort dark red, and i swear i see it glowing once in a while, when the light hits it just right.

Performance: I ordered the ray special and i have not tried the quill or modified special. The ray special is made with an deep understanding of how a canoe actually works. The long blade allows for a deep, smooth and sturdy catch. The length also allows the majority of the power phase to happen beneath the paddler’s center of weight as it cuts in and under the canoe. Best of all, the narrow and long blade makes for a comfortable and efficient release/correction phase. The length provides leverage and ample surface area during the correction phase, so that paddlers can afford a subtly as it only takes very little pressure and angle to keep the canoe tracking straight. This is made even easy and more efficient by a power phase being inline with the paddlers center of weight, as very little correction is needed in the first place.

Not everyone is going to take this blade into whitewater, and to my want to keep around a cheap plastic blade as sacrifice from paddling through rocks and rapids. IF you take it into rapids, like any blade you do run the risk of damaging your gorgeous hardwood canoe paddle. BUT, if you do want to paddle a rapid with this blade then, it’s tough enough to handle a few runs. The most damage my maple paddle has taken is a wearing down of the varnish and the tip of the blade. It shallow water to will be mostly pushing with the paddle rather than paddling, this is when the paddle it most likely to break. In deep water rapids, this paddle provides a surprising amount of control and therefore confidence. Don’t kid yourself though, this is not whitewater kayak paddle meant for hucking yourself through wave trains and booking off drops. It’s a reliable sturdy wood canoe paddle that offers control on class 2 sometimes 3 rapids. But hey it’s canoeing so you shouldnt be launching through waves anyway, rather we canoeists will know that a slower more controlled approach works.

NOTICE, you will need to learn a bit about canoe technique to enjoy all the paddle has to offer. For example, if you simply put the blade in the water and pull straight back with the blade at a totally flat angle, you will not get enough power. However, if you are practicing a proper and smooth J stroke, while setting a roughly 10-15 degree cavitation, it will naturally direct you into an efficient powerful stroke.

Comfort: I recommend the leather wrap. It provides great grip and cuts down on blisters and hot spots. I choose the oil finish for the pommel. It feels great on my top hand and again rolls smoothly in my palm and cuts down on blisters. Also, it just feels right. Second, i chose maple ( the heaviest of the options) with proper technique the weight is negligible. Keeping the paddle’s pivot point sliding along the gunwals, I didn’t notice the weight, as the canoe essentially bore the weight for me as i refined my technique to accommodate a more elegant blade shape. I will say that the designer smartly tipped the balance of weight towards the blade side of the paddle. This means that all i really had to do during the catch phase was allow for the blade to drop into the water and really do the work for me. Also because the valence pulls the blade side down and the pommel side up, the blade naturally tracks straight through the water and guides you along it’s preferred path through the stroke. Simply beautiful.
Finally, the hardwood construction offers some flex. While stiffness = power transfer and flex= power loss, stiffness also equals shoulder pain and potential overuse injury if you dont have the shoulders of a NFL line backer. The slight flex as taken a lot of stress off my joints and tendons. However, if you a stiffer blade with a quicker power transfer try the cherry, its the best composite material match/alternative.

Conclusion: this is a great paddle, dont judge it too quickly, try one out at least once. If you order one customize it and make it your own. The performance matches the beauty, and it was more beautiful it person than i had hoped for when ordering.

Well done.

Superb!

Beautifully designed and fabricated.

Incredible service. Super simple to order, communicated to clarify instructions, safely packaged for shipping and rapid delivery.

Couldn’t ask for anything better.

Hi all. My experience with Fishell paddles goes back multiple years as a counselor at a summer camp called Camp Hurontario on the Georgian Bay. For years Fishell has supplied our staff with customized paddles and I have greatly come to enjoy the relationship between our staff and the Fishell team. I have bought 2 ray specials over the years and both have exceeded my expectations of beauty, longevity, and performance. As well, I can not speak highly enough of the character of the Fishell team. Recently, my partner purchased an extremely old and roughed up Ray Kettlewell paddle for me as a gift and contacted Greg about potentially fixing it up. Greg did an exceptional restoration of the paddle and was happy to chat with me about the history of the paddle and maintenance tips. The service at Fishell in my experience has always gone above and beyond. Overall Fishell is a top tier option for your any paddlers custom paddle needs, and is run by an exceptional group of people.