What type of finish do you prefer on a wood paddle? Do you find that it makes a difference in causing blisters or hot spots?

If I had a wooden paddle I actually used, I'd prefer the matt finish of oil for the shaft and grip. If you find you don't like it visually, you can always varnish or poly over it.

Linseed oil is mold food but that shouldn't matter for a paddle. Tung oil is normally sold as a wiping varnish. Most are not really an oil finish at that point. Pure tung oil is thicker than motor oil and needs to be thinned with spirits but it will penetrate, fill the pores with wood slurry and harden thereby also hardening the wood, protecting it from dents and the like like no surface coating could. It takes months to truly dry though. I finished a project using pure Tung oil on reclaimed wood so as to preserve the patina and old tool marks that still smells like oil up close over two months later.

That said, my paddle grip is epoxy coated styrofoam and the shaft is sheathed in plastic. I never get blisters but my calluses usually last a good month after a trip and some never seem to go away anymore.

Anyway, you can't go wrong with oil and you can always sand off varnish and poly. Oil will need to be redone every once in a while. Just be careful how you dispose of the rags you use. They can get hot enough to ignite.

Ha! I've never even heard of pine tar before. Love learning about new old stuff. Thanks! Let us know how it works if you try it.

This looks interesting:
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It's not just for "boat soup".
If you've never had the pleasure and like to really smell/feel like a man, then give this stuff a try

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Do you just do the grip or do you oil finish the entire shaft to the blade?

Sorry to be so slow in responding.  I don't wax the shaft unless it's been sanded down to the bare wood.  Then I treat it the same as the grip.  Almost all my paddle shafts are varnished so this hasn't happened much.

I've had both...I prefer the oiled grip if I'm not using the graphite paddle.  By the way if you happen to use Deet ever and get a bit on your hands it does remove the varnish.

I am liking the oil finish on the paddles that I refinished this spring. There is no sliding in the hand when wet. Zara I have not been able to find a willing maiden to buff them out. I asked the wife she had a whole different idea on how to buff my paddle.