The Process
A paddle is the slow accumulation of many small decisions. Each step below takes hours; the whole process takes months.
Selecting the Wood
Yellow cedar is chosen for resilience in salt water and the way its grain mirrors the flow of a wave. Most pieces begin as driftwood gathered from Alaskan beaches in winter.
Drying & Layout
The wood is dried slowly under cover for many months. Once stable, the paddle's silhouette is laid out by hand — measured to the paddler and to the older paddles the design descends from.
The Adze Work
The blank is reduced with a traditional curved adze. Thousands of small strikes remove what isn't the paddle, finding the shape inside the wood.
Balance & Sanding
The paddle is balanced in the hand and tuned until the swing feels right. Then it is sanded through successive grits until the surface stops drinking light.
The Oil Finish
Multiple thin layers of natural oil are rubbed in by hand, often over several weeks. The wood drinks the oil until it doesn't anymore.
Photography & Delivery
Each finished paddle is photographed and documented before being shipped, hand-delivered, or installed in its collection.