Canoe Paddles - by Graham Warren & David Gidmark (Paperback)

About the Book

A complete guide to making, caring for, decorating, and using, canoe paddles. Illustrated throughout with photos and line drawings, it is ideal for the beginner woodworker as well as the skilled wanting to experiment with desing and technique.

Book Synopsis

This book combines practical woodworking technique with practical canoe use experience... [It] covers every single aspect of canoe paddle building.
-- Sawdust and Shavings

Despite the growing interest in making paddles and canoes, it can be difficult to find reliable information on that craft -- except for this book. First published more than a decade ago and having sold 35,000 copies, Canoe Paddles: A Complete Guide to Making Your Own is the ultimate modern guide to the traditional craft for both the how-to beginner and the skilled woodworker.

In Canoe Paddles: A Complete Guide to Making Your Own, longtime canoeist and woodworker Graham Warren provides detailed information and guidance to make a canoe paddle that will be used with confidence and cherished for generations.

The book is thoroughly illustrated with photographs, line drawings and plans with measurements for:

• How to make a paddle having a single blade, a bent shaft, or double blades
• How to protect a paddle with oil or varnish
• What to look for when test-driving a paddle
• How to decorate a paddle
• How to care for and repair a paddle.

The authors include an appreciation of the evolution of the paddle plus a special chapter by renowned canoe-buuilding teacher David Gidmark which celebrates paddle-making in the native tradition.

Review Quotes

I've wanted to create my own paddle for some time. And this "Updated and Expanded" edition of Canoe Paddles: A Complete Guide to Making Your Own is very informative offering instructions on creating a variety of different paddles. Complementing the information on making a paddle are chapters on the evolution of the canoe paddle, design, woods and adhesives, tools, care and repair, paddle protection and more... Complementing the text are numerous photographs (including 16 pages of colour photos) and illustrations. If you enjoy canoeing and are looking for a project to do while staying at home check out this book!--Glenn Perrett "Toronto.com" (4/29/2021 12:00:00 AM)

A how-to book that's valuable even if you choose never to use the how-to parts.--Linda Turk "Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal" (7/8/2001 12:00:00 AM)

An excellent book to educate you on creating your own paddle. The informative guide -- which has been updated and expanded -- takes you through building your own paddle from designing it, to choosing materials for it and the tools that you will need, to making the paddle... Complementing the informative text are numerous black-and-white photos and diagrams as well as 16 pages of colour photos of some incredible paddles!--Glenn Perrett "Simcoe.com" (4/13/2020 12:00:00 AM)

Canoe Paddles makes it possible for many of us novice woodworkers to create our own personal paddles. Whether you are making a paddle from a single piece of wood or a laminated paddle consisting of several pieces, this comprehensive book will show you the way....[This] is an excellent book for creating beautiful, functional paddles.--N. Glenn Perrett "Metroland North blog" (11/10/2008 12:00:00 AM)

Just about anyone can custom craft their own canoe paddle using this book as a guide ... Whether you are a recreational canoeist, a weekend woodworker or someone interested in wilderness skills, this book should provide hours of entertainment, year round.-- "New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal" (5/26/2001 12:00:00 AM)

This bible of paddle making begins with a quick discussion on the history of paddles, but shortly gets to the point of teaching you how to make a canoe paddle. It covers making a paddle from a single piece of wood to laminating a blade and shaft. I think this is one of the best books out there that will teach you how to move your boat with a piece of art that you created.--Bryan Hansel "Paddling Light" (5/1/2020 12:00:00 AM)

This book combines practical woodworking technique with practical canoe use experience... [It] covers every single aspect of canoe paddle building.-- "Sawdust and Shavings" (1/1/2011 12:00:00 AM)

Will challenge any canoeist ... to design and craft a paddle ... This fascinating book ... is richly illustrated.--Art Lander Jr. "Lexington Herald-Leader" (4/1/2001 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Graham Warren has been building wood-canvas canoes and paddles since 1991. His articles on canoeing have appeared in many journals.

David Gidmark teaches canoe building in Wisconsin, New York, Tahiti and Quebec. His previous books include Building a Birchbark Canoe and Birchbark Canoe: Living Among the Algonquin. Gidmark and his wife live in Maniwaki, Quebec.