Dri-Ki Paddles

[Deuce]

I ordered two paddles from Dri-Ki woodworking a few weeks ago and thought I would share my experience. Rick was great to work with; very responsive to my emails and very personable over the phone. I wanted a sixty inch beavertail for myself and a 48 inch for little Deuce with her name and birthday on it (she turned ten at Rendezvous). I forget exactly when I ordered them, but they arrived two days after he shipped them (from Maine) and were here in time for 'vous. They look great and are a pleasure to paddle. I was able to control the boat yesterday with very little effort (Mrs. Deuce was in the bow but was only a passenger), and though we weren't in any hurry I did some paddling on the flat stretches and really moved the boat along easily. Time will tell how durable it is, but I deliberately abused it yesterday at ever opportunity; pushing off, digging it into gravel, etc. and it doesn't have a single scratch or gouge. It's solid ash so I assumed it would be really heavy, and yes, it's a little heavier than the lightest BBs et al, but I was pleasantly surprised by the weight (or lack thereof considering). Best of all; two paddles, one with custom lettering, and shipping from Maine totaled 75 bucks. I'm really looking forward to putting some river miles on it this fall. In fact, I think I'll order a couple more. Now, I'm surely no expert, but if you're looking for a great rec paddle at an unbelievable price hit up Dri-Ki. You won't be disappointed.

[Al Donaldson]

Folks:

Have had similar experiences to those of "The Deuce." Rick and company are great folks, and you'll not find a better one-piece paddle anywhere.

If you can handle the weight of an ash paddle and don't mind some maintenance, these paddles are the best buy in the USA. I'm expecting an order of Rick's paddles tomorrow, including some kids' paddles (good kid canoe paddles are otherwise impossible to find at any price.)

Check them out at:
http://dri-kiwoodworking.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BTW, I am not either a paid employee nor a PR person for Dri-Ki. I just like letting folks know when there is a great product available. (AND, one that is NOT made in China!)

Regards,

al

[pistolpete]

Hi all -- resurrecting an old thread; I found this via Google. I'm not from Arkansas, but wanted to know more from those of you with experience with paddles from Dri Ki Woodworking. I just received my first one, a 60" beavertail, and it is a gorgeous piece of art. However, though their website lists the weight of this paddles as, "around 18 ounces," mine weighs 38 ounces. I certainly understand some variance in wood density, moisture content, and craftsmanship, so I called them to see if this was an outlier. The lady said she wasn't sure where the website figure of 18 ounces came from, but also wasn't sure if it was accurate or not.

I see their website hasn't been updated in a number of years, so I can't imagine that the 18 oz listed weight has not been corrected in that time span if it is so incorrect; at the same time, I also can't believe that natural variation can account for my paddle which weighs over twice as much. Thus, I'm asking you all: what do your Dri Ki paddles weigh?

Thanks for your help,

Pete