I make very unique artistic paddles that are fun to use and perform really well!
Here at Cook Craft, I spend quite a bit of time creating and restoring watercrafts such as canoes and vintage boats. I love working with native woods that are sourced in and around the forests of Algonquin and the Ottawa Valley and creating something beautiful that you can use to explore nature. I take a lot of pride in the canoes and boats I craft, but the paddle is a work of art all of its own. At Cook Craft, I put as much time and consideration into the custom paddles I build as I do the canoes and boats. I am painstaking in my creation of custom paddles and would love to help you understand the careful design that goes into them.
The bulk of my custom paddles are carved from red oak, but I use black cherry and white ash as well. During the creative process, each paddle is treated as a functional art piece. Custom paddles are meticulously carved out, sanded and then stained with consideration to bring out a character that is suitable to the carving. I then finish the paddles with premium spar urethane to protect them from the elements. By carving portions of the blade quite thin and leaving some thickness in other points, I am able to build a paddle that is as light as a leaf, but as strong as a mighty oak tree. The “ridged” texture left behind on the blade has been scientifically shown to increase the paddles’ efficiency at moving water.
When it comes to seeing nature in a canoe, be sure to have an equally functional and beautiful custom paddle to go with it. Give me a call today to learn more about paddles and to see some of my previous work.