What would you guys REALLY ( say the number ) like to pay for a full custom sized and shaped, after a human to human conversation, made in Hawaii, sub 11 ounce, carbon paddle with some wood like flex built in ? Similar feedback welcome for Hybrids.
Thank you and looking forward to the future.
aloha,
pog
Submitted by onnopaddle on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 8:02pm
Tough question - custom shaped can mean a lot of things.
11 ounces is great.
#1 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 8:56am
Refined question ...
Stock profiles fine tuned and layed up to your intended use and expectations. Please state price you would love to pay NOT what you would assume you might have to.
Aloha,
pog
#2 Sat, 01/24/2009 - 9:31pm
Probably still too general.
How would that paddle practically differ from what we use now ?
#3 Sat, 01/24/2009 - 9:55pm
If someone produced a hybrid paddle that was the perfect blend of the strengths of a Quickblade and a Makana Ali'i I'd pay a little more than for either of those paddles.
The trouble is that both of those paddles are pretty damn well suited for me already. My guess is that most people have, by now, found one or two paddles they feel this way about - so something custom is probably going to be an incremental improvement at best (and thus justifying an incremental increase in price).
#4 Sat, 01/24/2009 - 9:57pm
Thanks Malichi,
Playing devils advocate only to continue things with a narcisstic interest : ) ...
Eckhart, please try not to answer a question with a question.
#5 Sat, 01/24/2009 - 11:09pm
two hundred dollars for a custom built paddle would be a steal. especially if you are using carbon, (which is what 100 dollars a square yard?) also if the blade is totally custom, and it is the desired shape of the consumer.
#6 Sat, 01/24/2009 - 11:28pm
Happy with a Black Bart.
$ 250 my current upper limit for a paddle.
#7 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 8:56am
A well built paddle at 200-300g does and should cost 250-300$
Some may think is a lot but a good paddle will outlast many boats ,not because it is tough but becuse once you get used to it it the most comfortable,providing that you got a good one that fits your profile
#8 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 1:44am
I'm frustrated with the cost of OC-1's and now you want to start talking about paddles ArGh! : )
Those Xylo blades with the carbon back are pretty damn expensive at around $250 ~ $280. I hope, lord I pray that a braddah can get a local paddle of comparable quality and construction for 20% less than that Aussie blade.
$200 ~ $225
#9 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 9:24am
I built my own for about $20 - full custom size and shape, exotic timber handle/carbon blade hydrid, custom lay-up, improved power and stability, locally made, still going strong after 3 years......
#10 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 11:54am
capnron - how long did it take you to build it ? What kind of tools were most helpful ?
#11 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 12:01pm
capnron,
Any pictures of your custome made paddle? Would like to see what you came up with.
Eckhart,
Since you have the OC-1 Museum on your, how about a section about the various paddles being used along with some specifications, pros/cons and other stuff?
#12 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 2:45pm
E7M - I am still lacking pictures for the 'museum'.
I do not understand much about paddles.
Maybe I can open a section, hoping that people will provide pics and knowledge.
What features/characteristics could you group paddles under ?
distance - short/long
size
??
#13 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 7:57pm
Eckhard,
Time to make: about one day physical time, a week elapsed time - you know, 2 hours to make and lay up handle laminations then wait overnight for glue to set, an hour to shape handle and glue blade blocks on then wait overnight for glue to set, an hour to shape blade and cover with carbon then wait for epoxy to set, etc.....
I wanted exotic timber that wasn't commercially available here in Oz so half a day to gather the timber from the wild, 6 months to season and dry it, and another half a day to rip the logs into strips for handles.
And a couple of days to make the jig for the handle.. but I made a few paddles for the missus and friends as well and I still have some timber left over for maybe 2-3 more.
Tools: just the standard sort of hand and power tools a handyman would have: jigsaw, sanders, router, drillpress... plus basic fibreglass layup tools and lots of woodworking clamps.
E7M, oddly enough, I haven't taken any photos. I'll try to get a good one and post here. it's traditional yet radical by modern standards....
#14 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 4:41pm
capnron: what is the weight of this hybrid blade?
#15 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 4:52pm
I assume you want a realistic answer to :
"Please state price you would love to pay NOT what you would assume you might have to."
I would "love" to pay $10 even (shipping included). Now, I know that is not possible or at all realistic, but I would "love" to pay that (or less).
If I could get one for under a hundred bucks I would also "love" that.
Not knowing your intent for the question, if you were to ask:
"What is the most you would pay for a paddle (like described above) and think to you self "Damn, this is an amazing paddle for what I paid...I should buy a back-up before he/she raises the price"?", I think you would get so interesting answers. We can only really formulate an answer based on the current choices available to us.
I have had lots of paddles, and have been pretty satisfied with what I got for what I paid. I have no idea how hard it is to make a great paddle (or even a crappy paddle) or anything that goes into the procedure, but for me...$200 dollars or less would be great. I would be pretty happy...as long as it didn't take months to get.
Hope that helps,
josh
#16 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 6:08pm
Ill give you 199$
#17 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 6:22pm
goodwaka, 560 grams
#18 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 7:49pm
Does anybody here 'understand' paddles and would that someone mind to share some basic understanding of what makes paddles perform different ?
Length, stiffness, weight, balance - ok.
But how does blade shape influence performance/characteristics ?
#19 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 8:01pm
Sounds like it's going to be harder than I thought to do a section on paddles. Lots of threads here already that can be used to gather user opinions, but that would take a lot of time to go through them all.
As for grouping, wood only, hybrids, then composites. Traditional outrigger, or other canoeing/touring paddles that have been proven to perform well for OC1/OC6.
Some of the paddle sites have good descriptions for choosing which one to get, but some sites don't have much more details though.
#20 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 9:21pm
Yes, - shoulder , tip, edge ...
I do not know anything about it. It should be quite logical, once we get the lecture started.
#21 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 10:01pm
When I e.mailed Brad Gillespie he was very helpful and Dave at Kialoa was helpful too. easy to talk to. great guy.
#22 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 10:17pm
Ideally, I'd like to pay no more than $200 for a carbon and no more than $175 for a hybrid. With those reasonable prices, you'd probably be out of stock end up with backorders for weeks going into paddling season.
#23 Sun, 01/25/2009 - 10:47pm
The key word here: is "custom." Based on human to human communication. This means a rather exclusive paddle made to order only for me, and not some multiple production one, based on a popular model and cut to size with t-grip stuck on later. I also expect that after communcation, the custom paddle will strictly meet all my specifications, or else, I don't have to accept it. There should be a noticeable quality difference with my custom paddle, as compared to others, be very distinctive, and be very well balance. After all, I expect to pay between $350 to $550 USD or more for it, for the paddle is my most important piece of equipment. Think about it?
#24 Mon, 01/26/2009 - 9:42am
so onnopaddle, are you thinking about producing a custom canoe paddle or two?
#25 Mon, 01/26/2009 - 9:56am
capnron: "50 grams" yeah, weight is about what I thought it must be. Just wondering if you had got the weight closer to the 300 gram end by using the exotic wood for shaft. My cedar/poplar shaft 10.5 inch carbon blades weigh about the same.
#26 Mon, 01/26/2009 - 10:00am
Humble thanks all for the input ...
Just casting a line on the TRUE "Full Custom" ones to feel some stuff out.
Aloha,
pog
#27 Mon, 01/26/2009 - 11:36am
Goodwaka, the timber I'm using is about half the weight of westernred cedar but my main reason in using it is that it is the only timber I know of (without hot ammonia treatment) that will bend to the shape I want without compression fracture
#28 Mon, 01/26/2009 - 12:28pm
maybe everyone should try making their own paddle at least once. you can make a serviceable copy of your favorite paddle without too much effort and not much wood working skill. just take your time. i got over zealous with the blade size on my first attempt so it kicks my ass every time i use it. working on another with narrower thinner blade.
if i can build one, most anyone can. that said, i'll still use a kialoa as my primary paddle till i get better and making em..
my first attempt is poplar shaft with balsa blade. the blade is skinned with fiberglass on one side and carbon on the other. she is bomb proof.
#29 Mon, 01/26/2009 - 12:46pm
bobc. i've recently patched an all carbon paddle that had broke at the middle of the shaft by shaping a poplar dowl to fit snugly inside the shaft tube and epoxy and glass cloth and that made the total weight just at 19onces and it paddles solid now for the past two months!! So now i'm really intrested in making a complete paddle with some wood i've collected over time!!!
#30 Mon, 01/26/2009 - 10:04pm
onnopaddle - go for it. I have seen your craft on your website - it all looks very well done, just what you would expect from a paddle.
#31 Mon, 01/26/2009 - 11:08pm
as far as custom blades goes i think i do it pretty custom.. if a customer want a special blade or shape ill do it.if they want a special shaft if they come to my shop ill make it for them .. i did a bunch of custom ones any they all were very happy. and as a paddle maker thats how i think it should be.. as far as price for a balsa ultra light it should be between $220 and $240 thats the standard price that is out there.. just my thoughts..
#32 Tue, 01/27/2009 - 4:54pm
I paid in the high $200's for a very good hybrid and dont feel comfortable about it. Just think its too much mark up at that point especially knowing that discounts are given for clubs. I personally dont care if they get them in bulk, its still the same paddle. I think $200 - $250 should be the ceiling. I also think $4000 should be the max for a 1 man but were passing that faster than inflation as well.
#33 Tue, 01/27/2009 - 6:03pm