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wrote:
I have just about completed carving my Greenland style paddle. I am trying
to decide if I should varnish it or not. Any suggestions?

I've experimented with a few finishes and I'm not fond of varnish. It
creates a very slippery surface. Even if you degloss it with Scotchbrite
or steel wool, it polishes in use and becomes slippery again. When it
gets damaged - and it WILL get damaged - water will seep in and become
trapped, encouraging.

Oils on the other hand, create a very soft finish. It feels good in the
hand, but it wears off rapidly, requiring fairly frequent
re-application. Oil finishes allow the wood to breathe, so moisture that
gets through isn't trapped.

My personal favorite finish is a 1:1:1 blend of tung oil (the real
stuff, not a "tung oil finish" product), varnish and turpentine. It
penetrates well, provides the same soft look and feel of an oil finish,
but it's more durable. If you can't find 100% tung oil or don't like the
price, you can substitute boiled linseed oil, which is inexpensive and
available almost anywhere. You can use any oil based exterior varnish in
the mix. I use turpentine as a thinner, simply because I like the smell
better than mineral spirits. Either will do the job.