Ash Northwood Beavertail Paddle

The simplicity of traditional gear appeals to me, as well as the knowledge that it worked just fine for untold generations of paddlers. The Sawyer Ash Northwood Traditional paddle is a great example. With a 7-1/2" x 25" lovely oval blade that thickens substantially at the tip to avoid weathering, this is a paddle suitable for pushing off from a gravel bar or braining an irate Kodiak bear. But, it does indeed move the canoe right along in a very quiet, no-fuss or frills manner. The ash wood is clean and straight-grained, the Wood Duck wax and oil finish is lovely and easy to preserve with additional oilings. The makers suggest boiled linseed oil. The Sawyer logo is nicely laser-etched in the blade, and the shaft is full and oval. The only detractions for me were a smallish handgrip -- with big hands, I prefer something that will fill my palm, like the Navarro grip. Also, the paddle is a bit heavy, and there is a slight imperfection along about 2" on one side of the blade where the sander cut the blade thinner and actually made the curve slightly concave. But, a really nice working tool. I would like a custom version from Sawyer with a beefier handgrip for a 10.