canoe maker

Kent Lund's New Snake Paddle

A previous post showed off some of Kent Lund's paddle designs including a replica of the 19th century folk art "Snake Paddle" posted on the Gould Auctions site. Here's a shot of his latest creations - another snake paddle (curly maple and cherry) and a native inspired paddle made from sassafras


Snake Paddle; Sassafras Paddle
Kent's 2nd snake paddle includes an interesting twist...a carving of a frog swallowed by the snake that makes up the shaft of the paddle.


Swallowed Frog
This one is also has a thinner blade (planed to 5/16th) compared to the first edition. Here are the 2 sides of the curvy tail - one painted, the other left in its natural cherry grain...


Here are closeups of the grips - a standard grip on the snake paddle and a flattened grip on the Sassafras version, which includes some decorative patterns made from a nail.


Grip designs


Decorative Pattern
After completing these fun paddle designs, I say Kent is the resident snake paddle expert.