100 Canoe Paddle Designs: Second Edition

100 Canoe Paddle Designs: Second Edition


Eleven thousand years of canoe paddles!



A unique source of design ideas for the paddlemaker.
measured offsets and detailed historical background for:

contemporary designs
classics (such as Chestnut, Peterborough, Rushton)
world paddles (North and South America, Africa, Australasia). Some low-area native designs are also given as enlarged versions suitable for today’s canoeist
stunning paddles unearthed in archaeological digs from around the world
extensive bibliography

 

Design and performance



design elements related to handling characteristics
explore paddle shape and performance; the book includes ‘families’ of contemporary beavertail, ottertail and Sugar Island designs of a set surface area; also given is a series of designs based on a beavertail morphing into an ottertail.  Blade-edge length, and area : perimeter ratio data is included
experiment with pulling power; a classic paddle design is given in a range of different surface areas
how do the surface areas of paddles from around the world compare?
paddlemaking throughout history



Get a much deeper appreciation of paddlemaking by seeing how ancient paddlemakers followed their craft


bone, stone and metal tools for making paddles
the wide range of woods used, and why
sources of pigment for paddle decoration



Second Edition. February 2023


25 additional paddle blade designs including:

native designs from North America, Africa and Australasia
Stone-Age paddles from Europe scaled to give a surface areas suitable for recreational paddling
A range of ottertail (lutre) and ‘voyageur’ designs
Children’s Sugar Island and ottertail designs
A SUP paddle




Plus


An expanded version of the article ‘Why Are Canoe Paddles the Shape They Are’; how paddle designs might have originated from shapes in nature
‘The Rise of the Paddle’. A detailed review of the evolution of canoe paddles in Europe over the last 11 000 years. Includes evolution of surface area; woods, fashions in paddle design and design innovation in paddle grips.