Sanborn Canoe Co.

Switching to oiled grips

2012-01-24T08:27:00.000-08:00

A new feature that we’re bringing to all of our paddles this year is oiled paddle grips. We’re switching over all of our designs. So I thought I’d post a bit about oiled grips.

What’s so special about oil?
If you’ve ever paddled an oiled paddle you know how silky smooth it feels in your hands. There’s a good reason for this. And I’m sure there’s some drawn-out scientific verb-age I could use to explain it, but put simply it’s the oil in your hands sliding against the oil in the grip that creates the smooth feeling.

Less Friction = Less Blisters
One problem many paddlers encounter after paddling all day, or for some even just around the pond, is the forming of painful blisters. This is caused by unnecessary friction caused at the touch points while repeatedly sliding your hand over the grip. Most folks tell me that this happens most frequently when they’re using a paddle with a very glossy varnish finish. Well, oil is here to the rescue! I’m sure it comes as no surprise that oil will help immensely when it comes to minimizing friction. For the same reason there are all kinds of uses for oil, from oiling bikes gears to oiling a cooking pan, oil on a paddle grip causes less sticking. You’ll definitely be glad if you paddle a lot when those pesky blisters don’t pop up anymore.

Warm it up!
If someone has ever spoken to you the virtues of a wooden paddle over a composite paddle you’ve heard the argument that wood warms up in your hands better than composite. And I’ve found that an oiled grip warms up even better than one that has been varnished. I’m not sure the reasons, but I’d guess it has something to do with less coating in between your hand and the wood. And on a chilly day a warming paddle grip feels so good!

Is it more work?
You might think that because it’s oil it must take more upkeep and that means more work for you. Without going into the talk about paddling gear being a labor of love, I’ll say that upkeep on an oiled grip is pretty minimal. In fact the easiest way is just to paddle all the time. If you paddle enough the oil from your hands will naturally replenish the wood keeping it sealed up nicely. But if you don’t paddle that much and the grip starts to dry a little I’d recommend reapplying the oil finish.

Reapplying oil finish
1. Wipe on penetrating oil finish (linseed/tung/etc.)
2. Wait 10 min.
3. Wipe off excess oil

That’s it! Pretty easy, huh! You can do this as often as it takes to keep the finish up. Also you can quickly sand using a 400-600 grit wet sandpaper in between coats.

Paddle Sizing

2011-12-06T09:49:00.001-08:00

Posted by: Zak

Just as folks come in a bountiful array of sizes and paddles come in assorted lengths there are countless varieties of techniques and tricks for sizing someone to a paddle.

I rate a good sizing system on two criteria.

#1: Does it measure someone to the shaft length?
Too often a paddle sizing technique will size someone based on height and say that you should have a “x” length bent shaft paddle. Okay let’s say this length is 50” for you - you buy two bent shafts at 50” - one has a 18” blade and the other a 28” blade. That would mean the shaft on the first one would be 10” longer than the other. Not good! You’re hands would probably be too close together on one and too far apart on the other - making neither paddle the correct length! So that’s why in evaluating a good paddle sizing technique I always look for one that measures shaft length and then it’s as simple as adding the blade length to that measurement.

#2: Is it simple? I get plenty of calls from folks wondering how to pick the correct paddle size. And it is plain to me that a simple sizing technique that is easy to understand is best. Believe me if you’re measuring your nostril circumference or factoring in your favorite sock color when someone is fitting you to a paddle size it’s not gonna work. And unless you are a professional dragon boar racer or marathon paddling champ just a simple paddle sizing technique will do just fine.

So with those two criteria in mind here is what I use to size a paddle ~

Directions:
1. Sit on a chair with your back straight.
2. Measure from the seat to the middle of your eyeballs.
3. For 10-14 degree bent shaft: Add the length of the blade.
For 5-10 degree bent shaft: Add length of blade plus 2-4”
For straight shaft: Add length of blade plus 4-6”

That’s it!

Note: No idea where this information originated, but a shout out to the folks up at Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply. Picked up this great paddle sizing technique when we were delivering some paddles to them last year.

Last Giveaway of the Year!

2011-12-01T09:12:00.000-08:00

Have you enjoyed our Paddle Giveaways this year?

Well it's December and that means, sadly, that this is the last of our "Year of the Paddle" giveaways! Sign-up here ~ http://bit.ly/ef7PCD

A Bit More About Us

2011-11-30T08:20:00.000-08:00

I updated our “About Us” Page this morning. It needed a bit of revision and addition. It hadn’t been updated in quite some time!

Excerpt:

SANBORN CANOE COMPANY is a paddling brand concerned with fine craftsmanship, aesthetics and above all else preserving & cultivating the great paddling heritage that has been born by many over the centuries. We handcraft canoe, kayak and stand up paddles from wood - offering many customizable options. And proudly utilize non-powered tools as much as possible. Block planes, spoke shaves, chisels (our Grandpa handed down to us), wood clamps and other hand tools litter our workshop. If you’d like to see what we do come on by the shop sometime—we’d love to show you around!

FOUNDED: MMIX

MISSION: Our mission as paddlers and craftsmen is to cultivate passion for the proud paddling heritage. To add what we can to that heritage: honoring past traditions - fostering new connections for the paddling community - and forging new horizons for paddlers.

HERITAGE: As long as there have been waterborne craft and tools to ply them there has been the need to adorn them with artistic symbols of our heritage and folklore — be it a mermaid lunging forward the bow of a great ship to the etching of one’s name to the oar continually strapped to his hands. This is held true in the pride of our craft that has always been instilled in paddlers, from the great whale hunting Inuit paddlers of centuries past right up to the modern couple that treks into the wilderness lakes of Canada with a map, a few changes of clothing and their paddling equipment. We, as paddlers, are all bonded together by that great paddling heritage.

OUR STORY: Sanborn, at its origins, was a summer hobby by a few guys to build a cedar-strip canoe with little more knowledge than what we had gleaned from a how-to book purchased at the local bookstore. By the end of that first summer we had a sturdy canoe and a keen interest in crafting a few paddles to ply it. Learning everything the hardest way possible, it seemed, by trial and error we succeeded in carving out a few paddles. Those first paddles led to the desire to learn more and then more about paddle making until we had made more paddles than we could ever use. And curiously to us some folks liked them. Maybe not the first ones we made, although everyone was always gracious with us!

From that all-too-clichéd “business in our buddies garage” we earnestly set out to carve out our niche in the paddling community. This was familiar territory for us having paddled and extensively backcountry canoe camped throughout canoe country—for some of us since our early childhood. And that heritage had been bred in the early years of the 1900s(and most certainly earlier than that) through past generations of our families’ paddling in northern Minnesota and beyond. So through our history and eagerness to learn we quickly grew as a paddling brand. Honing our craft and eventually expanding to allow for us to offer our paddles to retail locations and other online ventures.

We are always searching for new ways to contribute to the paddling community through new designs, techniques and aesthetics. As well as supporting paddlers in their adventures whenever we can—be it sponsoring a couple guys paddling nearly across our country to raise support for orphans and pastors to lending our knowledge to a newbie paddle maker looking for a few pointers. Always Sanborn will be a paddling brand concerned with fine craftsmanship, aesthetics and ways to throw our hat into the fray that is our great paddling heritage.

More Little Jo Options!

2011-11-28T20:03:00.001-08:00

Don’t know what to get that little one for Christmas? What about one of these ~

Little Jo Toddlers Paddle ~ http://bit.ly/vcGZ8c

We’ve added more models to our line of Little Jo paddles! You can now get a miniature of any regular Sanborn paddle in Little Jo size! Check ‘em out ~http://bit.ly/vcGZ8c

There’s still time left to get 20% off at sanborncanoe.com! Learn more ~http://bit.ly/tV47WS

Paddle as Art.

2011-11-23T20:43:00.000-08:00

INTRODUCING: PADDLE as ART. PADDLE as TRADITION. PADDLE as HERITAGE.

Check 'em out ~ http://bit.ly/rpuyyj

As long as there have been waterborne craft and tools to ply them there has been the need to adorn them with artistic symbols of our heritage and folklore — be it a mermaid lunging forward the bow of a great ship to the etching of ones name to the oar continually strapped to his hands. This is held true in the pride of our craft that has always been instilled in paddlers, from the great whale hunting Inuit paddlers of centuries past up to the modern couple that treks into the wilderness lakes of Canada with a map, a few changes of clothes and their paddling equipment. We are all bonded together by that paddling heritage. And pride in our gear.

In our painted paddle designs we continue our contribution to this great paddling heritage. With a blend of artistic design and functionality we bond a work of fine art to a craftsman's skilled form.

Art. Tradition. Heritage.

"Catch the Sleigh" ~ and Get it By Christmas Sale!

2011-11-22T14:38:00.000-08:00

DETAILS:

What: 20% off everything on the website.

How: Use the discount code “Christmas” when checking out.

When: Now until midnight on Sunday Dec. 4th.

Why: Wouldn’t a paddle look great under your Christmas tree? Yes! Yes it would! That’s why we are guaranteeing that every purchase made during this sale will be on your doorstep by Christmas. Even our custom paddles and made-to-order products! (Sorry we can only guarantee delivery by Christmas to the US...but get your overseas order in ASAP and we’ll do our best!)

Make sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter for announcements throughout the sale about more exciting things coming to Sanborn. From features about current products, unveiling of new paddle features and announcements about new products!

Gear Patrol - Gunflint Paddle

2011-04-27T06:12:00.000-07:00

Check out what Gear Patrol had to say about our paddle...

From Gear Patrol:
"Made, by hand, in Winona, Minnesota (yes, we’re all about Minnesota), two year old Sanborn Canoe Companyhas been creating some of the best looking wooden canoe & kayak paddles we’ve encountered. Founded by a cadre of enthusiasts looking to play a closer role with the products they used, Sanborn Canoe Co now produces an assortment of well-priced wood paddles we can’t decide if we want to mount on our walls or hit the water with. Our favorite: the Gunflint Paddle ($125). Made from western red and white cedar, the Gunflint isn’t just a hunk of wood that moves water. It features a slightly wider span and 14° bend for more powerful strokes, hard epoxy tip for protection from underwater nasties, and an indexed shaft to preclude hand and joint stress. The fact that it looks like a million bucks is just icing.

Buy Now: $125"

Check out Gear Patrol's Website.

Could be Coming Soon

2011-04-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

I thought some of you would be interested to see what may be upcoming at Sanborn. We've been working on a new paddle design. We're really excited about this one. At this point it is just a project paddle that I made for the start of spring. But we've has many nice things said about it already so we're exploring the possibility of taking it further.

Some of the features of this paddle:
Hardwood tip: Instead of our usual epoxy-mixture tip this paddle has an Ash tip.

Oil: Instead of varnishing the entire paddle, like we do on all of our canoe paddles, the shaft and grip of this paddle are oiled. And let me tell you it feels wonderful!

Oil Me Please

2011-04-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

With the arrival of our Greenland paddle we've felt the need to educate the virtues of a nicely oiled paddle. Even though it might take a bit more work an oiled paddle just feels so much better gripped in your hand. Here is a copy of the content on our 'Oil Me Please' page.

If you’ve purchased one of our oiled paddles please take care to keep up with its care. It’s really a simple and enjoyable process. Oil may be a bit more work, but it’s well worth it to have the very best paddle finish!

What to use? Tung Oil vs. Linseed Oil

Tung Oil: If you use Tung Oil make sure that what you buy has actual tung oil in it. Some products are sold as ‘Tung Oil Finish’ These are not actually tung oil. Look at the ingredients on the side of container. If it doesn’t say tung oil look somewhere else.

Pros: Highest quality oil for finishing paddles.

Cons: A little trickier to work with than is linseed oil. (Tends to gum up a little faster)

More expensive.

Linseed Oil: This is the cheapest and easiest to use.

Pros: Easier to work with.

Cheaper.

Cons: Less water resistant. Poorer quality finish.

Application: Oiling a paddle is a very simple process.

Step #1: Make sure you have a smooth paddle surface. Lightly sand with a high grit sandpaper #220 or higher or #000 Steel Wool until all surface particulates are gone. You’re not trying to sand into the oil too much. Just get the surface dust and dirt off.

Step #2: Wipe off dust with damp cloth.

Step #3: With a lint-free cloth wipe on oil.

Step #4: Wait about 10 minutes and wipe off excess oil with other side of cloth.

How often: The common rule here is…

-Once a day for a week.

-Then once a week for a month.

-Then once a month for a year.

-As need after that.

If you’ve purchased one of our oiled paddles we’ve done the ‘Once a day for a week’ for you. So continue from that point. I find it easiest to apply oil after every trip in the summer (I go on a trip about once a month) Also at the end and beginning of the season.

April Newsletter

2011-04-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter - click here.

Hello everyone. April is here and with it has come even warmer weather (and, yes, yesterday even some snow!). That’s living in Minnesota for you. But orders are still flying out the door.

Road Trip

We had a great weekend over the 8^th and 9^th of April. We took a little road trip to deliver paddles to Duluth Pack and Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply. Great to connect and get to know some new folks and put faces to email contacts. We also got to sit in on a great 'Wilderness Canoeing' seminar by Cliff Jacobson. Let's just say WOW! Such a vast collection of valuable knowledge and enormous energy packed into one man! I learned better compassing skills, how to talk down a bear, what portaging means in the Canadian wilderness and some great tips for canoe trip packing. Great weekend.

April Paddle Giveaway

As you may know this is “The Year of the Paddle” and we’re giving away one paddle a month for the entire year! Get in on ourApril Paddle Giveaway!

Don't keep this to yourself...Please tell your friends and neighbors about our Paddle Giveaways!

New Dealer – LakeSUP.com

Our newest dealer hails from our very own great state of Minnesota and is also our first Stand Up Paddle dealer. LakeSUP.comdeals in Stand Up Paddleboards, paddles and other paddleboarding supplies. And do a great job promoting the sport of Stand Up here in the Midwest. If you’re interested in Stand Up Paddlesports make sure to check out LakeSUP.com!

You can find us on Facebook too!

Want to learn more about us and see more photos? Check out our facebook page!

April Paddle Giveaway

2011-04-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. I'm a little late in getting this on the blog. The month is over half over!But there's still plenty of time to sign-up for our April Paddle Giveaway.

A random drawing will win someone one of our Gunflint bent shaft canoe paddles. All we need from you is your name and email. Click here to sign-up!

Booklet of Wares

2011-03-29T07:25:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone. Been busy working on our brand new 2011 'Booklet of Wares'. Just a fancy-pantsy way of saying catalog. We're actually getting some printed to hand out at an event we're attending in a couple of weeks up in Duluth(more to come on that soon). I was able to download a Photoshop trial for a month so that I could do this project. I really need to buy it though! Maybe this summer!

Here's a mini online version of the booklet to check out. You can click on it to be taken to a full-size version.

Booklet of Wares 2011

Publish at Calaméo or browse others.

Sanborn Goes to the Library

2011-03-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

We are fortunate enough to have had the Winona Public Library invite us to display some of our paddles from yesterday until the end of April. So we have 10-odd paddles hanging, surrounded by Hemingway, A.A.Milne, Chuacer, Grisham, Dr. Suess, C.S. Lewis, Norman MaClean, Franklin and all the other great authors. I could go on and on. So thank you to the Winona Public Library for letting us invade their space for a time.

Along with our 'regular' paddles we have many custom and fun paddles on display - including Sanborn's 1st paddle and a super long 30-some-inch-bladed beavertail Todd made. And we set up a progression of the different stages that we go through when making paddles - from gluing to shaping to finishing. We explored doing a paddlemaking class with this, but thought it might be a little dusty and loud to pull off inside the library :)

We had a good time hanging the paddles yesterday. Although my daughter, Glady, kept shushing us because we were pounding nails into the wall. To be fair I did tell her when we were walking into the library that she had to whisper when we were inside. "You aren't whispering Dad. Shh!" Another bonus was sharing a little time picking out some books with Glady and signing her up for her first library card.

To check the paddles out you can head down to the Winona Public Library any time they are open until the end of April. You can even pick up a book while you're there!

Here's a link to the facebook event page.

Copy of our March Newsletter

2011-03-21T05:48:00.000-07:00

March Newsletter

Hi folks. Another month has passed. And with it goes the last of the bitter cold weather here in Winona. It’s warming up fast! The snow is melting. And we all know what that means: it’s almost summertime. The time for camping, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding, campfires, s’mores, school break, warm nights, thunder storms and lots and lots of paddling!

New SUP Paddle

After much hard work and many revisions our first SUP paddle is finally here! We’ve really taken our time with this paddle to make sure every little detail is how we envisioned it to be. I think it turned out great! We decided to call it The Laker in homage to all the lakes and nickname of our great state of Minnesota. But don’t let the name fool you – it will handle any all types of paddling, from ocean waves to river currents to calm reflection ponds.

New Dealer – Kayak Corral

We are very excited to say that we have recently added Kayak Corral to our growing list of great dealers! They are in fact the first place other than our website where you can purchase one of our new Greenland kayak paddles. If you live in the Saline, MI area, or are planning a trip stop in and check out all they have to offer. You’ll be glad you did.

From Kayak Corral’s website:

“Your Great Lake's resource for kayaks & accessories
Serving Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Ontario and our many friends afar.”

Take a look at Kayak Corral’s Website.

March Contest

As you might recall here at Sanborn we declared 2011 The Year of the Paddle. And with that we are giving away a paddle every month for this entire year! Check out our contest page for rules and how you can enter!

Planning a Wilderness Canoe Trip

If you’re in the Duluth area on Sat. April 9th come check out what will be a great seminar on Planning a Wilderness Canoe Trip by the author/guide Cliff Jacobson and put on by the Duluth Pack Store. We’ll have a table at the event. We’re looking forward to chatting to some great folks - if you're there please stop by and say hi. For more details and to purchase tickets to the event go to Duluth Pack’s website.

Thanks,

Zak

New SUP paddle and Spring Weather

2011-03-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

Glady and I made good use of the beautifully warm and sunny weather we've been having to get our new Stand Up Paddle, The Laker, outside. I think I promised Glady a tootsie roll if she would hold the paddle for me to snap a few pics.

She told me the paddle was too big! "I can't use that one daddy!" :)

Oh well. I'm sure it's the right size for someone to be using really soon since spring is finally here!

First Greenland Dealer

2011-03-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

From Kayak Corral’s website:

“Your Great Lake's resource for kayaks & accessories
Serving Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Ontario and our many friends afar.”

Take a look at Kayak Corral’s Website.

Paddle Giveaways Are Back!

2011-01-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

NOTICE TO EVERYONE: Sanborn Canoe Co. is declaring 2011 the "Year of the Paddle" And in honor of this momentous occasion - that we just made up - we are going to be giving away 1 paddle a month for the entire year! There will be different contests for every month…

Check out more details as well as the current months contest on our Giveaways Page!

Snow in November

2011-01-11T18:07:00.000-08:00

Well, we had over two feet of snow dump on Winona a few weeks before Christmas that we are still digging out from. But before that storm hit we took a November canoe trip up to the BWCA and it snowed on us up there too!

The first night we drove up and stayed in our friends cabin outside of Ely, MN. A nice gas stove and heater work wonders in a small a-frame cabin. It was toasty warm that night!

In the morning we drove a few miles and put in on the Kawishiwi River. We stayed on the Kawishiwi for most of the trip except for a few jaunts up to other lakes. That morning though we were paddling up the river. The many small rapids were an adventure to try and paddle, pull or portage around. Luckily we had nice weather that day.

We camped a few nights and on the last night snowed somewhere around 5 inches, got windy and cold. We quick packed and ate breakfast that morning and trucked it back out - down the rapids that time. Even though we were going with the current it was a tricky day with all the slick rocks, snow falling, cold temps and low water. The rapids weren’t very treacherous but since the water was so low the rocks were all barely submerged and we were hitting all of them.

We made it to Ely in time to eat lunch and catch the Bears-Vikings game-(the first one). Wish that could have turned out differently!

We stayed another warm night in the cabin and headed home. A great trip!

Greenland Arrival

2011-01-04T20:54:00.000-08:00

Our new Greenland-style kayak paddle is finally here! We’ve been working really hard over the past few months ironing out the design, learning the skills, testing and then reworking everything until we were satisfied this paddle was up to Sanborn standards. And we’re really happy with how it turned out!

I know it’s a little weird for a canoe company to make a kayak paddle, right?! And to tell you the truth before we began developing this paddle and testing it and learning we really didn’t have a lot of experience with kayaking. But I would have to say that I really fell in love with kayaking over the past months! I think a cedar-strip kayak is definitely going to be in the works once it warms up!

Learn more about this paddle - and maybe buy one - click here.

New Logo

2011-01-04T20:53:00.000-08:00

We felt that the logo needed a little updating. What do you think? This is also what our product tags will look like in the upcoming year. We’re looking around for a great printer to get them done for us!

Want to make some money off of us?

2010-12-08T15:43:00.000-08:00

Do you have a paddlesports blog or website? Do you want to make some money on us? Check out our affiliate program.

AFFILIATE PROGRAM
Do you have a blog or other website devoted to the outdoors, canoeing or paddle-sports? Would you like to make money by driving people to our site?

HOW IT WORKS
You sign-up for our affiliate program which will walk you through how to post specific affiliate links to our products. Once these links are on your site you will earn 10% of all sales when someone clicks through the link on your site, and makes a purchase on our website. We handle all the sales and shipping and everything. Then at the end of each month we will send you what you’ve earned. It’s that simple!

· · SIGN-UP is FREE

· · EARN 10% on every sale

· · EASY - Use the easy set-up and once the links are on your site your work is done!

· · PAID Monthly! We’ll pay you at the end of every month for all purchases made!

· · CUSTOMIZABLE - Know a little something about code? Create your own look for the links!

· · TRACK your sales with your earnings report!

WANT TO JOIN?

Click here for detailed instructions about how to join and set-up our Affiliate Program!

Little Jo Toddlers Paddle

2010-12-03T12:03:00.000-08:00

Product Description:
The 'Little Jo' is our toddler’s wooden canoe paddle. Constructed of beautiful light-weight Western Red Cedar laminated together these little beauties are a great way to introduce the great outdoors to your child at an early age.

The idea is similar to when a dad goes out and buys a baseball mitt for his kid before they're even born. You want to teach your children to love camping and canoeing and all that...so get them started early.

What’s with the name? The reason for selling toddlers paddles came when one of the Sanborn guys made a little paddle for his daughter Gladys Jo. She loved it! Mostly because she could toss it out of the canoe in the middle of the lake and make daddy turn the boat around to go retrieve it. So we named it after her. The Little Jo. Hope you all have as many great times out on the water with your children as we do!

Specifications:

Length: 28”
Average Weight: 1/2 lb.
Blade Dimensions: 5 1/2” x 11"
Wood Type: Western Red Cedar
Laminated Shaft and Blade
Finished with SPARurethane to entire paddle
‘Sanborn Canoe Co.’ is branded onto one face of blade

Paddle Care Tips

2010-11-29T20:04:00.000-08:00

This is a page from our website about Paddle Care. I thought it would be informative here. Take a look. Tell me what you think. Taking care of your gear will ensure that your gear is useful for a long time.

PADDLE CARE
I know that when we go on our treks to the Boundary Waters our paddles take a beating. There’s just so many rocks and stuff up there! So how do you keep your paddle looking great for years to come?

PREVENTATIVE CARE
There are a few things to keep in mind while using a cedar paddle that will greatly extend their life. First try and keep the banging on the gunwales to a minimum. Cedar is a soft wood and even though there is quite a bit of epoxy and polyurethane protecting them the repeated friction this causes eats away at your paddle. Second remember that the rock guard is there to protect inadvertent jabs on the rocks. If you repeatedly use your paddle to dig into rocks and even get it twisted between things this will jeopardize the longevity of your paddle. Now if you do any of these things inadvertently or occasionally it probably won’t affect your paddle. It’s when you do these things repeatedly over months and years of use. So practice good paddling discipline and technique!

RESTORATION
Even the most careful paddler with the most durable paddle will need to do a little up-keep. So what does it take to restore the finished beauty to your paddle you may ask? Most things are easily restored with a minimum amount of work involved. First you need to identify where and what needs a little spit and polish -

Does your paddle have minor scrapes and scratches to the surface?
Once a year you should re-poly your paddle. I find the best time to do this is when the season wraps up the late fall. All you do is locate the places that require a little finishing and give them a diligent sanding - don’t go overboard with sanding. Just sand enough to give a little tooth to the surface. Use something around 200-grit sandpaper. Then brush on a marine varnish or polyurethane. For better results brush on two—three coats, sanding in between each coat. Follow directions on product. (Note: we use satin-finish to finish our paddle)

Is the damage a little more than just scratches? Can you see the fiberglass cloth poking out anywhere?
If you have gauged into the fiberglass cloth anywhere you won’t be able to get a good finish with just re-varnishing. You will need to apply some epoxy resin to the area to wet-out the fiberglass. This isn’t too much work, but does require some know-how. If any of the following talk isn’t making sense or you need more instructions please shoot us an email and we’ll help you out!
Here’s the quick version. You will need to sand the area. Make sure you sand out the varnish around the problem area. Around 200-grit sandpaper will work great here. Then you will mix the epoxy/hardener according to the product and apply a thin coat to the area - wetting it out. After this dries you will be able to sand the area again and proceed with re-varnishing the area.
(Note: epoxy resin is highly toxic and sanding uncured epoxy is even worse. Take the necessary precautions!)

Are you questioning the integrity of your paddle? Does if have splitting or cracking or something?
There are any number of things that happen to paddles over time. If it is getting into this grey area between a functioning paddle and toxic kindling send us an email and we’ll try to help you out with fixing it.

Paddle Junkie Reviews our Paddle

2010-11-24T06:03:00.000-08:00

Earlier this summer we sent one of our Gunflint Paddles to the guys over at ThePaddleJunkie.com to test out for us. After a vigorous testing over the summer they wrote this review for us. You can check it out and more over at their website too - http://www.thepaddlejunkie.com/ - but I posted the main part of it below. Thanks for the kind words guys!

From The Paddle Junkie: Check out the review here.

"The sheer number of choices you have when choosing outdoor gear has grown to staggering heights. In a time where science and technology have invaded every facet of our lives, there is something refreshing about handling a product made from natural materials. Carbon fiber, Kevlar and fiberglass all promise increased strength and durability while reducing weight. These are all good things, but they seem remarkably alien when against the rugged backdrop of canoe country.

The guys over at Sanborn Canoe get this, while yet taking advantage of the advances available today, when appropriate. I had the opportunity to try out their Gunflint paddle this summer and it did not disappoint. This 14 degree bent-shaft paddle, designed to provide powerful strokes, helped me battle through some of the nastiest weather I have seen from inside a canoe.

When you first pick up the Gunflint you can’t help but notice how light it is. At just 18 ounces, it’s nearly 20% lighter than similar paddles from the major competitors. Strength was not an issue for this stick either. I banged it off of rocks and logs, pushed off boulders in the Horse River and used it as a third leg while trying to drag myself up a muddy rocky portage, all without any significant damage. An Epoxy blade tip, 4oz. fiberglass wrap and sparing use of epoxy add toughness without weight.

More importantly it still looks and feels like a wood paddle. It is not drenched in epoxy or marine varnish, allowing it to keep a warm natural feel. Made from red and white cedar, the color contrast in the laminates is great. Every inch of this paddle has been worked by hand and you can tell.

Not in love with the Gunflint design? Choose from any of Sanborn’s four other designs, or for a little extra you can get a custom paddle made just for you. They even have one for the kids…"

Beyond Cedar: Hardwood Baby

2010-11-23T16:21:00.001-08:00

Product Description:

In our Minnesota line of paddles we have ventured beyond using just cedar into using hardwoods. We feel the added ash on the edge of the blade will provide added durability as will the Mahogany that sandwiches the cedar along the length of the shaft.

Our Minnesota line of canoe paddles is especially designed for the types of paddling plied in our great state - any and all types of paddling! It has a beautifully constructed hybrid blade shape. The rounded narrower tip will slip in and out of the water with ease, reducing fatigue and stress on your body, as would a traditional beavertail paddle. But flaring out towards the middle this blade will still give you the power to plow through the toughest wave or current.

The blade is sheathed in fiberglass and a hard epoxy tip is added to ward off pesky logs and rocks. And the dedicated Gunflint grip, indexed shaft and thin blade are all designed to remove stress from your hands and joints.

Choices. Choices. Choices. You can choose to get the Minnesota 14 degree bent shaft or get our Minnesota 7 which is a 7 degree bent shaft. Same great design, just a little different bend.

Great name! Our state of Minnesota has everything from canoeing on the Mississippi River to Voyageurs National Park to the one and only Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We feel this paddle is well designed to handle those and any other conditions. So we felt Minnesota was a fitting name for a well rounded canoe paddle.

Be Looking For...

2010-11-22T13:20:00.000-08:00

Wow. It's been forever since I've updated this thing I guess.

Just wanted to update y'all on what's been going on here at Sanborn. We had a busy summer. We sold a lot of paddles. Thanks!

We're starting to gear up for the upcoming season of paddling already! It seems like the last one just ended(for some of us! We actually just returned from a trip to the BWCA. It snowed about 5 inches on us, But still a great trip!) Some quick things we're working on for next season are kayak paddles, stand-up paddleboard paddles and we're starting to dabble in soft goods! Be looking for hammocks and things to help you with hammock camping to be rolling out soon...

I'll leave you with a few photo's of our early stages of kayak paddle designing...

Thanks to Bryan Hansel for the photo's! Find him at the great website he runs over at http://www.paddlinglight.com/

Busy, Busy, Busy...

2010-05-21T06:10:00.000-07:00

It looks like it's been a while since I've updated our blog. That's because it's been a little crazy around here with orders, new designs and everything...

We had a winner of our March contest. A few people submitted the winning name of Wapasha Beavertail. There were some great entries. We went with Wapasha because of the historical significance to our little region of the globe. Chief Wapasha was the father of Princess We-no-nah for which our home of Winona, Minnesota is named.

We've also added a number to our growing family of dealers. I'll post something soon about each individual dealer, but in the meantime check out The Canoeist, the Duluth Pack Store, Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply and Three Rivers Outdoors.

Also stay tuned for some great new paddle designs coming out soon!

March Contest

2010-03-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

Name that paddle - WIN THAT PADDLE!

Our newest beavertail paddle is currently without a good name. We'd like you all to help us with that! Submit your name ideas at the link to win one of our new beavertail paddles!You can submit your name ideas and see the official rules on this link - March Contest.

North Shore Visit

2010-03-01T11:14:00.000-08:00

Over the past weekend a few of us Sanborn guys took a business/camping trip up the North Shore of Lake Superior and into the Boundary Waters.
On Friday we stopped at The Duluth Pack Store, The Canoeist and Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply and talked paddles. Thanks you Tom, Erik, Mike, Bryan and Jack for the great day. Great people and great shops.
Also on Friday we were able to check out a couple Langford canoes. Those are some beautiful canoes. I especially liked checking out the rib and plank cedar canoe. Great lines and craftsmanship go into every detail!
Then it was on to the camping portion of our trip. On Friday night we slept along the shore of Lake Superior near Grand Marais. Beautiful sunset and bright moon! It never really got dark that night.

On Saturday We put on our snowshoe's and hiked up the Onion River, thanks Bryan for the advice, and had a great morning exploring.

After our morning hike we drove up to Sawbill Lake. We hiked across Sawbill and onto Alton Lake, camping there on Saturday night. We slept in snowcaves we dug out that day and even made a snow-fort-type-thingy.

We had beautiful weather...it was as warm as it could be! Any warmer and everything would have been wet from melting snow.

New: Newsletter

2010-02-02T06:11:00.000-08:00

Starting next month we will be starting a newsletter for all of you who'd like to know more about us. We'll keep it simple - a once-a-month newsletter about what's going on at Sanborn Canoe Co. We'll throw in some discounts/promotions that are exclusively for our newsletter subscriber's!

Here's a couple great winter photos to round off this post.

2 New Dealers!

2010-01-11T11:43:00.000-08:00

We are thrilled to introduce our two newest dealers. Gear to Go Outfitters and Voyageur Canoe Outfitters are carrying our paddles in their online stores'.

Gear to Go Outfitters is run by Kevin Rosenberg and located in Brooklyn, NY. Here's a little bit about them from http://www.geartogooutfitters.com/ -

"Gear To Go Outfitters was founded with the idea that, for most people, spending thousands on outdoor gear doesn’t make sense when you only get to use that gear once or twice a year. Some try to borrow from friends and family but that often leads to your neighbor digging that old external frame pack or that old Army Tent out of a dusty corner of their closet. Gear To Go Outfitters offers up to date rental gear at a fraction of what it would cost to buy the same gear and to make things even better, WE DELIVER. As a bonus, if you decide that you would like to buy the gear you rent, buy from us within 30 days of your rental return and we will apply 50% of your rental fee towards the purchase price of a new item of the same type. If you decide that you would rather own your gear we can serve your needs as well. Leaving for a trip in two days and realize you need some new gear? Don’t waste money on overnight shipping when we can deliver it to you, often the next day (Delivery Area Map). Gear To Go Outfitters provides only the best in outdoor gear. While many outdoor retailers carry every product ever made, at Gear To Go Outfitters we only carry what works. Need some advice? Send us an email or give us a call and we will be more than happy to help out. WE ARE EXPANDING OUR PRODUCT LINE AS WE GROW SO CHECK BACK SOON."

Here's what Voyaguer Canoe Outfitters has to say: http://www.canoeit.com/

"We are Mike and Sue Prom, owners and operators of Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and year round residents of the Gunflint trail on the edge of the wilderness. We are here to introduce our guests to the special joy of wilderness paddling. Relaxing at a campsite, enjoying abundant wildlife and paddling the crystal clear lakes which is the core of your adventure. Once you paddle through Voyageur you will never want to outfit anywhere else. We are confident that you will completely enjoy your time with us and we guarantee your satisfaction. Think about it, life is too short and vacations are even shorter. It makes the best sense to go with a sure thing."

Affiliate Program

2010-01-07T10:17:00.001-08:00

We're excited to announce that Sanborn Canoe Co. now has an Affiliate Program for you blogger and website people out there.

Do you run a blog or other website devoted to the outdoors, canoeing or paddle-sports? Would you like to make money by driving people to our site?

We are offering product specific affiliate programs for the four paddles listed above and a "Common Hop-Link" option with a link to our front page.

HOW IT WORKS
You sign-up for our affiliate program which will walk you through how to post specific affiliate links to our products. Once these links are on your site you will earn 10% of all sales when someone clicks through the link on your site, and makes a purchase on our website. We handle all the sales and shipping and everything. Then at the end of each month we will send you what you’ve earned. It’s that simple!

· SIGN-UP is FREE
· EARN 10% on every sale
· EASY - Use the easy set-up and once the links are on your site your work is done!
· PAID Monthly! We’ll pay you at the end of every month for all purchases made!
· CUSTOMIZABLE - Know a little something about code? Create your own look for the links!
· TRACK your sales with your earnings report!

WANT TO JOIN?
Click here for detailed instructions about how to join and set-up our Affiliate Program!

www.sanborncanoe.com

New Year...New Website

2010-01-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

Check out our new website design!

Shortly after launching our original website we realized the limitations inherent in a fully flash-based website. It was slow and hard for search engines to register...

So we set to work to create a better experience for all involved. This new site should load faster, be easier to use and create a better environment for Sanborn Canoe Co. online. Let us know what you think of the new site...and let us know any bugs we need to work out. Thanks!

New Paddle Design

2010-01-02T07:14:00.000-08:00

We'd like to introduce our newest bent shaft paddle design...

It's named after the beautiful Saganaga Lake in the BWCA, and we're calling it the 'Sag'. We went simple on this one. One piece on either side for both the blade and the grip, letting the beautiful dark grain of the cedar to define this paddle.

Product Description:
Taking it’s name from Saganaga Lake, one of the wonderful areas of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, every Sag canoe paddle is handmade from beautiful western red and white cedar to be both lightweight and extremely durable. The slightly narrower and longer blade alleviates stress on the joints while the 14 degree bend at the throat allow for a powerful stroke. The blade is sheathed in fiberglass and a hard epoxy tip is added to ward off pesky logs and rocks. And our very own fox-head palm grip, indexed shaft and thin blade are all designed to remove stress from your hands and joints.

Specifications:
Length: 50", 54", 56"(Custom lengths available upon request)
Average Weight: 17oz.
Blade Dimensions: 7 1/2" x 20"
Blade Thickness: 3/16” – ¼”
Shaft Style: Bent Shaft: 14 Degree Bend
Grip Style: one-sided fox-head grip
Grip Width: 3 1/2”
Wood Type: Western Red and White Cedar
Laminated blade
5-piece laminated shaft
Extra 1/4" epoxy blade tip
Blade is sheathed in 8oz. Fiberglass
Entire paddle is coated in epoxy
Three coats marine grade polyurethane to entire paddle
'Sanborn Canoe Co.' is branded onto one face of blade

T-Shirts Arrived Today!

2009-11-04T21:23:00.000-08:00

Our first batch of t-shirts arrived today. Thank you to Quali-Tee Screenprinting of Winona, MN. The shirts turned out great!

Get yours today at http://www.sanborncanoe.com/

FREE T-SHIRT CONTEST

2009-11-01T19:27:00.000-08:00

This contest is pretty straight-forward. Whoever recruits the most people to become a fan of our facebook page WINS A FREE T-SHIRT! (the easiest way is to go into our facebook page and click on "suggest to friends" and send an invite to your friends - facebook page here)

This will be a maroon t-shirt with the Sanborn Canoe Co. logo on the front(pics to come soon)

Yeah I know we're blatantly using you to promote our business...but so what someone will get a FREE T-SHIRT out of it! :) So have some fun with it!

See rules below!

HERE ARE THE RULES:

1. Whoever recruits the most people to become a fan of our facebook page by Dec. 1st wins a free t-shirt(S-M-L or XL) We will even ship it free within the USA or Canada! (and if you pay shipping we'll ship it anywhere in the world!)

2. If you participate you will need to email us a list of the names that you personally recruited by the end of Dec. 1st(Be honest! This is just for fun)

3.We don't really care how you recruit people, but here are a few ideas - door-to-door, mailings, tv commercial, flyers, email, etc.

Just Kidding - the easiest way is to go into our facebook page and click on "Suggest to Friends" and send it to your friends...(Facebook page here)

Our email: sanborncanoe@gmail.com

New Camping Recipe

2009-10-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

Don't know how this started(Kevin or Micah I think??) but while our recent trip to the BWCA we created a new camping recipe - at least new to us!

Recipe:

Cooking Gear:
1. Ziploc Bag
2. Deep Frying Pan
3. Tongs
Ingredients:
1. String Cheese
2. Desired Flavor of Shore Lunch
3. Frying Oil
4. Water
5. Marinara sauce(if desired)
Directions:
Heat oil over fire or camping stove.
Take your string cheese(either full length or cut in half) and dip in water. Then with your shore lunch and wet string cheese in your ziploc bag shake well.
Place your now breaded string cheese into hot oil and fry until it begins to float. Wait 30 seconds and remove with tongs.
There are a variety of different shore lunch flavors to choose from so experiment for your favorite one. Makes a great appetizer while camping.

We used Cajun Shore Lunch for our sticks...they had some kick!

Oct. '09 BWCA Trip

2009-10-19T11:55:00.001-07:00

Photo's from our Fall(At times felt like winter!) trip to the BWCA! It snowed every day, but even so we had great weather.

Lakes we traveled through in our 4 day trip: Little John, Mountain, Moose, Clearwater, Caribou, Little Caribou, Pine Lake and a few other little ones...We hiked up to Gogebic Lake, It's a little stocked trout lake at the top of a 1-2 mile hike from Clearwater. Well worth the hike...it was beautiful, and usually great for fishing(or so I'm told) nothing hitting that day.

Days were nice, fishing was so so, scenery was beautiful and the only other souls we saw were three guys flyfishing on the stocked trout lake.

I enjoy camping up there is the fall for a few reasons. The bugs are gone, fires feel so much better when it's cold and the fall colors mixed with a little snow is absolutely gorgeous.

Campsite on Clearwater Lake. This campsite connected to the Border Trail that we hiked a couple miles along to get to Gogebic Lake. A nice stocked trout lake.

Lake Trout. Too bad they are out of season...he was looking mighty tasty!

Yep...there was snow every day, but the weather was great regardless.

View down Pine Lake from the portage.

Last night...about half an hour later we decided to pack up and cross two lakes to the van and drive home :) Made it home by 4:30 am. Good, fun night. If you've never tried night canoeing, do so...safely!

Check out more photos from this trip HERE!

Little Glady Jo

2009-09-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

The idea is similar to when a dad goes out and buys a baseball mit for his kid before they're
even born. You want to teach your children to love camping and canoeing and all that...so get them started early.

This is our 'Little Jo' canoe paddle. Handmade from the finest cedar this wood paddle is beautiful and light. It is just over two feet long so it is great for babies, toddlers or older. We do recommend tying a string to it when you are out in the canoe:)

Below is Gladys Jo and she is holding one of our

'Little Jo' paddles that are named after her.

"Gunflint"

2009-09-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

Product Description
The Gunflint Canoe Paddle is an extremely lightwieght wooden canoe paddle. It weighs in at 17 - 19oz. and has a 14degree bend. Western red cedar is used for its exceptional beauty and light weight. Not to worry though this is one sturdy canoe paddle. It's blade is wrapped in 4 oz. fiberglass and an epoxy tip is added to ward off rocks and debris. Satin finish polyurethane is used to better protect the hands from blisters and wear that more glossy paddles are known to produce.
Every gunflint paddle is handmade in Winona, MN. Carved from laminated cedar with spokeshave, block planes and a number of various sanders. Hard work and extreme care go into every paddle.

The Website is Up and Running

2009-09-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

We finally have our website up and running and functional. We're working on getting more stuff on it soon, but check it out. Let us know what you think.

www.sanborncanoe.com

Pipes

2009-09-08T06:47:00.000-07:00

One of the things we like to do best is set ourselves firmly into a lawn chair next to a Boundary Waters lake and smoke a pipe. It's very relaxing...and we're good at relaxing. Taking up the art of pipe-making was the next step and Todd, one of our very own Sanborn guys, is pretty good at it. Take a look at his pipes...

Become a fan at his facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Winona-MN/Todd-Randall-Smokin-Hot-Pipe-Co/127561032965?ref=nf

First Sale

2009-09-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

We made our first sale! Two 'Kawishiwi" canoe paddles. We learned we had an order for some paddles about a month ahead of pick-up(Thanks Uncle Eric!!!) but we were still in the midst of developing the process of fiberglassing and finishing them with an epoxy tip...it was a challenge to complete them, a lot of trial and error but they turned out great and we learned a lot along the way!