On 1-Sep-2004, " 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?

Varnish can make it look pretty, but you end up with a hard surface that
gets slippery. You can dull down the varnish. Blends of varnish and
oil also reduce the gloss and slipperyness, too.

Personally, I prefer just oil - tung oil specifically. It's easy to
apply and gives decent protection. The surface texture is that of the
wood and is reasonably grippy.

If you're using western red cedar, consider not finishing it all. It will
hold up well. I prefer the colour of oiled cedar, though.

I find that putting epoxy on the tips is good for protection from
wear. You can add cabosil for increased wear resistance or put
fiberglass on the tip, but epoxy alone is easy and works fine.

Mike