The Craft of Custom Paddles

Ever wondered why paddlers become so attached to their paddles? The answer lies in the perfect marriage of craftsmanship, personalization, and performance that transforms a wooden tool into an extension of yourself on the water.

Corey and Maria from Haliburton Paddle Shop take us behind the scenes of their passionate journey from working at Haliburton Forest to establishing their own custom paddle-making business in Minden, Ontario. Their story is one of determination, creativity, and a deep understanding of what makes a paddle truly exceptional for each individual paddler.

The magic happens when you realize that paddles aren't one-size-fits-all. As we discover through their expertise, everything from your height and hand size to your paddling style and water conditions influences what makes the perfect paddle for you. Black cherry might be their bestseller with its rich patina, but white ash offers greater stiffness for power strokes, while basswood brings flexibility that reduces fatigue on longer journeys. Each wood type creates a distinct paddling experience, revealing the nuanced relationship between material and performance.

What truly sets Haliburton Paddle Shop apart is their commitment to customization. Their consultation process ensures your paddle fits your specific needs, while their high-end laser engraver opens up endless personalization possibilities – from simple initials to elaborate designs, maple leaf cutouts filled with colored resin, or even wedding guest book paddles that become family heirlooms. All this while maintaining a commitment to sustainability, sourcing wood locally and repurposing every scrap into smaller creations.

Whether you're a seasoned paddler seeking the perfect tool or just beginning your paddling journey, there's something special about wielding a paddle made specifically for you. Visit their shop to experience firsthand how the right paddle can transform your time on the water, or explore their website to begin your custom paddle journey today.

https://www.haliburtonpaddleshop.com/

@haliburtonPaddleshop

https://www.facebook.com/haliburton.paddleshop

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Haliburton Paddle Shop
• 6:26 From Forest to Own Shop
• 11:54 The Custom Paddle Process
• 17:59 Wood Types and Paddle Characteristics
• 23:16 Flexibility and Performance Differences
• 29:58 Laser Engraving and Creative Customization

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:00

So I walked the certificate. And we have some certificate.com outside and we have the family. Located a couple of hours northwest of care travels. They're not here padding. They're here tests. They make everything from solid snoop paddles to paddle board paddles, kayak pedals, special two wood paddles, charcuterie board paddles, and grave paddles, you name it. Please welcome Corey and Maria from Haliburton Paddle Shop. Welcome.

SPEAKER_02: 0:36

Thank you. Thank you. Happy to be here. Hello.

SPEAKER_03: 0:39

Thanks for coming by for a chat. Glad to have you here. This has been a while in the making. Yeah, no kidding. Probably over a year. I actually probably can't. Sorry, Corey, say that again.

SPEAKER_00: 0:50

Well over a year, probably. So did we lose that?

SPEAKER_03: 0:53

Yeah, absolutely. I'd I'd go no, no, I we got you again. We're we're welcome to welcome to our favorite people living uh uh far away from us and where you like we're here in Toronto, we're so used to just you know uh highway speed uh uh internet where it's that's not the case in where everyone that uh live the places I would like to live. Uh so we'll we'll we'll work our way through that. Yeah, I want to say uh it's definitely over a year. I I mean the first time we met with the uh lock and paddle in Peterborough uh last summer, 2024, I think. Uh and you took away my my favorite paddle and uh uh made it be pretty again because it was getting a little beat up. So yeah, and I think I think we talked about it before that, and then it's just been it's been a while in coming around. And we're so glad that you finally finally had time. Maybe tell us a bit of the story about why you've been so busy. We saw you in a very big shop, and then Thomas and I just just went by not last weekend, weekend before. Last weekend. Last weekend. Last weekend, holy crap. And well, brain doesn't work so well. And we saw you at the the new cozy shop, which is smells fantastic, by the way. Just uh so yummy with all with all the wood smells, but uh yeah, uh tell us a bit of of how you went from there to now your own place.

SPEAKER_00: 2:23

Yeah, so up at Halliburton Forest is where I first started with um the paddle shop and uh learned all the the necessary uh steps and uh procedures to to get a nice finished product. Um they were looking to move on from having the paddle shop under their uh their wing, so to say. And so we took the initiative and uh went out and purchased all new newer updated equipment to start our own uh paddle shop location in Minden. Um the skills that I'd learned over those few years, it um yeah, it was quite nice to to be able to see the progression of what I was going through, and I wanted to continue that uh that uh sort of paddle making tradition and um yeah, start our own location.

SPEAKER_02: 3:16

It was funny, we had some friends reach out to us as we're moving on from the forest, and it would have been nice to stay in that location. Um, again, the shop was already set up, everyone sort of knew that area. Um, but we again with the opportunity of having to move out of that area and sort of take the paddle shop over from Halburn Forest, and so Corey and I running it, we had a good friend reach out and said, Hey, we have this location. The location is amazing, it's on Highway 35, um, but it's not really a shop, it's more like a smaller house that's been gutted. Um, so it might be a little bit tight, but we think you can make it into whatever you want. And Corey has uh he's way more positive than I am. Um he sort of looked at the space and he said, you know what, I think we can make this work. Where I was just seeing dollar bill signs and panicking and and sort of a sweaty and wanted to stage the space. Um, he sort of said, No, I think tightening up the shop might actually be more beneficial. Um, smaller steps, um, a better area that's there. So he's actually done a really good job once we've purchased the equipment, um, sort of placing the equipment for his what he needs to do in his moving around the the area in the shop now.

SPEAKER_00: 4:32

Yeah, so equipment started to move in well basically almost a year ago now. And uh we had it stored in that little that little shop for over the winter, and then by oh, it was February, we started the renovations to hopefully be open by spring with all the sort of uh unforeseen circumstances and and little things here with contractors here and there. Um it definitely took longer. Um we were close many times, it felt like uh we ran into a few obstacles along the way, but um throughout the summer we managed to uh keep some productivity up and getting uh product out there to the customers. And yeah, after the the full renovation sort of complete, still some small things to to figure out, but uh we were able to open about three, four weeks ago now, full time, and um yeah, enjoying every day so far.

SPEAKER_03: 5:30

Well, yeah, I mean looking at when you're talking about contractors, um looking at your I don't even know what you want to call it, your power room with all your all all that pretty wiring and and all the additional equipment stuff. It's like holy crap. Never would have occurred to me that you needed that much power until you know you get inside the shop, you see all these big chunks of equipment and go, yeah, that's uh that's gonna be hauling a bunch of electricity to to do what it needs to do. And I was like, what's not? You don't just plug in you know 220 or two phase or three-phase uh just just out of the blue. It doesn't exist in houses and stuff like that. So that must have been that would be a whole bunch of work for it for an electrical contractor, Matt.

SPEAKER_00: 6:15

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And so gotten through all the sort of trials and tribulations and yeah, just looking forward to where we're where we're heading. We sort of look ahead and in a year from now we'll be saying, Do you remember that a year ago where we were and what we were dealing with? And uh we'll be able to smile and laugh, hopefully, and yeah, carry on.

SPEAKER_02: 6:35

But I feel like any new business has that learning learning experience there that happens, right? You think you know what you're getting into, and you're like, oh, we're gonna set the budget at this, and then reality steps in and says, here's a new lesson that you have, or here's something you even think about that you'll have to to build. And so I think that's part of the adventure that Corey and I have sort of been on. Um, just trying to ride the wave basically as much as we possibly can and put out a good product in the end.

SPEAKER_03: 7:04

Well, an adventure is always a a more positive word to use than than some you might choose. Right. Well, that's cool. That's I mean, i it it's not. It's a what a pain in the butt to to get started up and and have to figure all those things out. But I'm I'm I'm glad you're there. Like I'm glad I was quite quite impressed with the the previous shop and all the space and and you know the the the whack of blanks that you had and finished paddles and stuff like that. So so now, you know, over the course of the year you've you've uh probably substantially lowered your inventory uh that you had built up previously. Um what uh what are you doing now? Like I I know that I Thomas and I having been there, I've I've seen a piece of equipment I very think is very cool. Uh and and I'm and uh thoroughly interested to see as you spend more time experimenting on it, see what kind of things you can bring out the other end.

SPEAKER_01: 8:11

Uh you can't have one.

SPEAKER_03: 8:15

I I want one. I don't care. I can go up maybe four courts. I've got lots. I I keep thinking about the resin idea.

SPEAKER_04: 8:27

Right.

SPEAKER_03: 8:31

I've been I've been thinking about paddles that have resin in the center of it. It's like, oh, what a brilliant idea. That's gonna look so cool, man.

SPEAKER_02: 8:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 8:41

I think that's one thing custom made all the things. Come on.

SPEAKER_02: 8:45

Yeah, I think that's one thing that I was really impressed with. Um, so we had a lot of orders. The last time when we were at the Hamilton Adventure Expo, which will be again this year or 2026 will be there. Um, we that's when orders started coming in. That's when I think we really sort of were shocked that people are wanting to buy our paddle and see them more and have that custom size to it. And so one thing I was really impressed with is we had orders coming in from April and they were sitting there, and we would reach out every couple of months to the people who have already placed orders and said, Hey, listen, this has come up or this has come up. We're so sorry. And they're like, no, no, we'll wait. We'll wait for the paddle because because it was custom and something that they wanted to wait for. And for the last little while, Corey, we've been trying to get those paddles out, and we have been getting those paddles out to our customers now, which has been fantastic. Um, and now being in a location that is going to be more visible, we'll have some foot traffic coming in, um, which is amazing. So that will be a different realm to it. I think again, we will be focusing a lot on the the canoe paddle as our main sort of bread and butter that's there with some off trickles that are happening. Um, I'll let Corey talk, but I think we might be stepping away just because of the size. So one of the barriers with our shop now is the size of the inside. So swinging a kayak paddle around and um stand-up paddle. Yeah, then the stand-up paddle, sort of really making those good quality might be something that might be a one-off that's there right now just because of the space. But we'll grow with it and we'll maneuver it. Um, we'll definitely build up an inventory again. Um, we have some plans in the future to put a small little store that's there. So if people want to come by and actually just take up a paddle and sort of move along, we'll have that opportunity. But I think right now, for the time being, we're really focusing in on those made-to-order custom paddles that are there.

SPEAKER_00: 10:50

We have customers coming in, uh walking in basically off the street and ordering a paddle, but a little bit in a rush, but we're able to walk through the process of sizing the paddle up correctly for them, going through all those aspects, and um within say four to five days, having that turnaround for them, and they're able to come to pick up their own customized paddle that uh is just for them. It's not a cookie cutter off the off the rack.

SPEAKER_03: 11:20

Yeah, so so to be honest, I I might have been browsing your website. Uh I wasn't sure what the turnaround was, and I and I also wasn't sure it's not it's not that your website doesn't provide it. It was just like I don't know if I I don't know if I have enough knowledge about what I want to be able to answer that question as I'm going through it. Not that I was going to order paddles or anything, sweetie, um because I don't have too much category already. Uh but what maybe maybe take us through that process of going from somebody goes, I want my own custom paddle, you know, what uh what's the how does that play out? What how do they choose the wood? What uh style of paddle, you know, beaver tail, otter tail, uh whatever.

SPEAKER_01: 12:08

Um what factors do you take into account?

SPEAKER_03: 12:11

Height or uh uh arm length and uh grip and style style of paddling or you know, you've got the you've got the solid wood ones, you've also got the ones I which I think are so cool. I I in my brain, feather is the word that comes to mind. But with the the the striations off the sides that look so cool. How do you laminate those? Tell me all the things, man.

SPEAKER_00: 12:35

There's a lot, there's a lot there. Um as far as that was a lot of questions.

SPEAKER_03: 12:42

That was me asking a question, I sit back for 15 minutes, like people.

SPEAKER_00: 12:47

So when a customer contacts us, reaches out right away. We're having um usually a good rapport. Hardly anyone reaches out for a paddle in a b and they're in a bad mood. They're usually thinking about their trip coming up and uh you know, daydreaming about using their new paddle on this trip. So with that in mind, I have a discussion with the customer and um go through the type of water they're paddling. I ask questions about their canoe, um uh how the seats are mounted in the canoe, all the little variables um that can really change and affect the the end result of the of the paddle for the customer. And um, you know, discussing if they're mainly lake paddlers, uh river padders, something in between. Um the blades are are quite specific to the types of use. A lot like a lot a lot of what's out there in the outdoor industry is like that. That's why you have three different canoes, um, a dozen paddles. There's a lot of pretty specific scenarios that you can get into with um with these tools that you're using out there. And so after the discussion, you know, the the variables as far as the length of a paddle is concerned, there's so many different things to take into consider. Um the quick and and sort of dirty measurement off your toe, that sh the the the grip should be coming up to around you know your chin and nose. But there's a paddle style out there that can come up to your shoulder and uh armpit height. And uh it just really depends on what your your style of paddling is going to be out there. Wood choice, popular wise, uh black cherry is by far the most popular wood heading out the door easily, probably four to one. Um that dark rich patina that's in that wood, uh, that wood grain that just uh darkens up really nice. And uh it's really nice to work with as well, as far from a woodworker's uh standpoint. Um white ash, my personally my favorite type of wood to work with and use out there. Um has a lot of the same characteristics as uh black cherry, but can be stiffer, it can be just as light, uh, but performance-wise, it can be a bit stiffer of a of a tool out there with more dead resistency, it can take a bit of a um a bit more of abuse out there. And those are my main two hardwoods I use. I do make a lot of maple as well, um, but these are these are considered more of a little bit more broodish of a paddle. The weight and flex are are are that you can't really fine-tune that. It is what it is with a sugar maple um type of hardwood. And uh been playing a little bit with specialty woods. Uh we're getting some black walnut in from just uh north of Peterborough, and um yeah, bird's eye maple always popular with um with uh the customers out there, and any sort of curly um or figured wood as well is quite popular.

SPEAKER_03: 15:59

So yeah, the um that was another thought I had about your woods. Would it it it you try to keep them fairly locally sourced?

SPEAKER_00: 16:09

Yeah, we do. Yeah, that's the the main goal, keeping it all um from small Ontario producers and uh as local as we can get it. I'm not necessarily grabbing a whole lot of wood from southern Ontario or anywhere out of Ontario. Um I do have a real nice local supplier here in Minden and another in north of Peterborough. And uh the one in north of Peterborough has a little home kiln as well, so I'm able to get uh this this wood custom milled up and and dried right there on site and go and pick it up and bring it back within a half a day. And so that's that's quite nice to have that supplier so close.

SPEAKER_03: 16:54

Nice. Yeah, nice. Sorry, Maria, I think I caught you saying something. I I sorry for interrupting.

SPEAKER_02: 17:01

No, no, no, that's okay. That's it's a it's a lot of information that sort of goes into there. Um, like he was saying, first you're picking your wood, and then we're going into the blades, the different blade styles that we have. Corey will walk you through, as you mentioned before, what style of blade are you looking for? What are you mostly paddling? Um, and we'll talk about each blade style that's there to really narrow it down. Um, some people go just for the look of it, um, right? And then some people are like, we just need a paddle like the basic, you you know, you can use it for everything that's there. Of course, we we steer them towards the beaver tail that way. Um, and if they're doing a lot of leg paddling, then there's the otter tail. We have some modern sort of style of paddle blades that are there too, and then we go on and talk about the different grips. We do sort of put the grips with standardized, you know, the beaver tail will be with this grip and the otter tail will be with this grip. But the cool thing with us, and one thing that I really like is because between my hand size and Corey's hand size, there's a huge difference that's there. And so I like a smaller grip on my paddle, and that's something that I can customize and say, hey, I want an otter tail with a smaller grip, or I want a beaver tail with a larger grip, because there could be, you know, Corey's coming in who's 6'3 and a bigger guy, and he needs something to fill his hand up basically when he's paddling and feel that. And so that's something I really like about the difference between instead of just going into a store and picking something off the rack, I can say, I already know I would like to have this type of paddle and this type of blade. Um, and then we can customize that basically to fit you. And sometimes the sizes are not there. Sometimes, you know, I have a friend and she's 5'4, and it's hard for her to find a paddle to fit that height or something like that. Or we have friends who are taller than Corey, and you know, now we can make that paddle fit them even more, which I think is is cool.

SPEAKER_00: 19:03

And I'm happy to have that conversation with the customer, and you know, through emails, phone conversations, uh, we definitely make that happen. Really enjoy the in-person, and uh that way we're able to truly sort of measure them up right on site, and um yeah, it just creates something truly unique for for that user.

SPEAKER_02: 19:25

I would say even when you are buying a paddle online, if you go onto our website and you order a paddle, we're emailing you and we're saying, Hey, thanks for ordering this. Can we do something more? Let's talk to you about what's going on. Um explore the options. Yeah, explore the options more. So they're making sure that they get the paddles that they want exactly for them.

SPEAKER_03: 19:46

Yeah, that was definitely a a thought that was in my tiny brain when I was looking at the website. Uh, was was that yeah, I I put the order in. You need to call me because I'm an idiot and I don't think I know all the things I need to know about what I actually want. You're gonna have a way better idea about about how how to make sure I get the best paddle for me.

SPEAKER_01: 20:10

Well, sometimes what people want is not necessarily the right thing. So you guys would know better, like you maybe you want uh you think you want this, but uh what you're doing or not.

SPEAKER_03: 20:22

Yeah, so so me to paddle in the back corner here. I paddled that my entire life. That's uh literally the only paddle I've ever used. So I don't know anything other than that. I would suggest order something like that because that's the paddle. No, maybe not. Maybe here, let's what do you think about because this is actually better for your style of paddling or or the at least the the type of paddling that you do, this might actually make you be a better paddler and not have to blame the kid all the time for when you're doing crappy strokes and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02: 20:58

Yeah, that that totally uh resonates and makes sense. That's it. And the same thing. I got was given a paddle when I started getting into this, and I was just so honored to have this paddle, and this is really nice. And now, you know, being with Corey and him being the paddle maker, I have several paddles now. Now I'm still a person that will go to the paddle and be like, hey, I feel I want to paddle with this one today and feel what that looks like. Um, I don't feel the change as much, I think. I'm normally just in the front, so I'm doing the the power stroke that's there, and just as long as my head's down and I'm paddling, um, then I feel okay, I'm going in the right direction. I don't very often get into the back of the boat um and play that way, but I've noticed there is small little tweaks that can happen, you know, if I'm carrying a heavier paddle and paddling that versus something that's a little bit more finesse y that's there. So I'm just starting um to learn that a bit more, which is which is interesting.

SPEAKER_03: 21:58

Well, yeah, I think I think that learning if it ever stops, that's that's crappy. I think you should always be learning. Uh uh just to bounce back for a second. So my paddle is uh cherry wood, so it's quite stiff. I certainly don't notice any flex in it when uh when you guys were doing the refinish on it last year for me, or the refurbish, I suppose. Refinish because it's so much prettier in the matte color just like I I had it resolved locked up before because that's what we did back in the 80s. I got a loner and I want to say it it was a very light color, like a like almost a white color. Uh it had a more squared uh uh blade to it, and it had a boltload of flex. I'd never I've never touched a paddle that had flex before. Totally freaked me out. But but it was really interesting to see how how uh uh finesse is is probably the right turn because it you you can do so much more just by a little bit of a tweak of a of a of an angle to it, and then it flexes that little bit and then finishes up strong. It was uh it was it was an experience just paddling with that paddle.

SPEAKER_00: 23:18

I think it was the uh paddle I had on the as we traded paddles off. It was uh a fastwood voyager style of paddle. So um, yeah, sort of a traditional square-looking blade with a square nose. And uh very light. Yeah, so that's a soft hardwood, but um really nice to work with, but uh not very rugged or robust. It can take a dent and um get banged up quite easily. And um, yeah, so there are trade-offs, like with anything. A stiffer paddle will allow for more uh bite, more get up and go from your initial sort of say standstill. You're gonna be able to get a lot of bite with that forward paddle motion. Um, whereas a flexible paddle will obviously have that give, and um initially off the startup, the get-go, you're not gonna have that same sort of bite. You're gonna have a little bit more, say, pull-through the water. But once you're up and moving and um in the in your in the forward direction, the efficiency, uh, I believe, in a in a flexible paddle, um just skyrockets. And um, it's just easier on your body too, by the end of the day, the flexibility isn't as jarring um to to you and uh to your body as you're as you're paddling through the day. Um so yeah, they both have their uh spots and their purposes, and uh there's there's the trade-offs that you're you're willing to give um for that paddle. That's why you need uh as many as you can hang on your wall.

SPEAKER_03: 25:00

I was I was yeah, it was quite quite I I remember when you handed it to me, it was like this this can't be a paddle. This weighs weighs nothing, it weighs ounces as opposed to the five pounds that my thing weighs or whatever it is. Like and how long ago did you make that now? I'll try anything once. Oh man, 40 years ago. Maybe more than that. Yeah, it's got I was I was in my mid-teens, probably probably 14 or 15.

SPEAKER_00: 25:29

Yeah, a lot of a lot of miles on it.

SPEAKER_03: 25:31

So it's bond proof because I have beaten it. It's got some miles on it, man. But that's that's what I'm saying, is like you know, looking at the website and and listening to you talk about different things, uh uh like I don't know anything else. That's literally the only paddle I've ever used. So I have no idea what what would be what would be best because because that's all I know.

SPEAKER_04: 25:58

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 26:00

We like getting paddles into people's hands. Try out the variables, try out the differences. Um you're you're spending a good day with that paddle, the grip in the palm of your hand, and um Christmas is yeah, so you know that's we that's why we like to encourage um anyone to come and visit us, and we'll we'd be very happy to walk you through the steps. Um yeah, when you have a grip in your hand all day like that, we can uh get it fitted right to you. If you have smaller hands, like Marie was saying, we just scale it down, and or the opportunity to even design something completely unique to you uh is is a possibility. I've I've definitely designed uh blades, new blade shapes and and grip shapes for for customers. Um one grip was for um a good friend where they have a little bit um stiffer hands, stiffer knuckles, and um it was called a free grip from what I researched in the canoe books and online. And basically it was just a big club at the end of the paddle. Not a big club, but uh more like a yeah, tennis ball size of a club at the end of the paddle for you to grip. Um it didn't give you any sort of notification on where the blade uh was oriented, but as long as you were paying attention to um how that blade was in the water, yeah. Normally your grip uh directly references to where your blade is in the water when you're doing your J stroke, etc. Um but for this club grip, yeah, it was just a nice ball grip for their their hands to to settle around on.

SPEAKER_03: 27:42

Interesting.

SPEAKER_00: 27:43

Good to club the fish too at the when you're picture that.

SPEAKER_03: 27:48

Sorry, say that again, Corey.

SPEAKER_00: 27:51

Good to club the fish when you're out fishing. Give it a club over the head to knock it out if you're keeping it for food.

SPEAKER_03: 27:58

The fish I never catch. Yeah, I hear you. I just I suck. Uh the uh so can we talk a little bit about your new toy that you're not you're still learning how to use, but what your what it is and what you hope to do with it.

SPEAKER_00: 28:18

Sorry, and so new toy. Um I would mind is this the laser engraver cutter?

SPEAKER_03: 28:24

The new toilet Yes, yes, sir, it is.

SPEAKER_00: 28:29

Yeah, so uh we purchased uh a really high-end laser engraver and cutter, and uh to just to continue further personalizing that paddle for our customers, uh we've barely scratched the surface of what we can do creatively creatively. Um and so the options for this is just uh unending uh between you know sort of a full engraving sleeve tattoo that you can put on the blade. Uh, we don't recommend necessarily on the shaft underneath your hand where you're gripping, and same up on the grip. That hand feel just isn't quite quite nice, but um, yeah, there's lots of space on the blade and uh the upper shaft to personalize your engraving. Um and then this engraver is so powerful that uh it can cut laser cut as well, and uh this model will cut up to a half inch of hardwood material, and yeah, like you were saying earlier, the opportunity to yeah, customize you know a simple maple leaf cutout uh in the blade, uh fill it with uh a resin or a red resin or um yeah, just uh to spice up what uh what the creativity can can be with the Even further. Is that that's a tool there? Yeah. So with the laser cutting and uh being able to personalize it with uh that uh colored resin, um you know, we could do glow in the dark as well, which is a super neat option, and uh we're quite happy with it. And uh yeah, so the company is uh a Canadian distributor, uh distributor that um was super important for us to have access to this company. Uh the company's name is RM Laser, RM Laser, and highly recommend them for their customer service. If anything were to go wrong or haywire with this machine, I wanted a direct line to a customer service where I could get answers and uh things fixed and back up and running right away. Because the machine is running daily, it's uh it's it's it's a big part of our our operation.

SPEAKER_02: 31:00

We actually we were I was paddling this past August. Um I had 10 friends went out and we paddled the Barren Canyon. And so we had 10 women out there, we all had our paddles. Um, and I would say probably over half of them were Halburn paddle shop paddles that were there, and we were at one end of a portage, all the girls got into their boats, were paddling back out, and um another girl not in our group was yelling, Hey, I think you forgot a paddle, and we're like, No, I don't think so. He goes, No, I think you left a paddle, and she goes, Well, bring it to you. So she paddles out to us, and we weren't too far away. She goes, Is this your paddle? And we all held up our paddles that were engraved or had something personal already on it, and we're like, No, we know for sure it's not our paddles because all of our paddles have been customized or have our initials on it or a picture or something. She's like, Oh, okay, that's really cool. I'm gonna take this paddle back too and put up the portage. So it's just a fun, a fun thing to say, this is definitely my paddle because, like Corey says, laser engraving, you can do so many different cool things, and it can be as simple as just an initial. We had someone who just wants a little flower on it, or it can definitely be like a whole scene. Um, we started doing wedding paddles, which is a bigger blade, um, and people are using for wedding guest books. So we'll we'll design a bigger blade for it. We will engrave, you know, whatever the bride and groom wants on it, their name, the date, um, and then provide them with a paddle holder, and then all the guests can sign around that paddle and that ingrip that inscription that's on the paddle. And so it just makes it a little bit more, I don't know, unique and sort of special.

SPEAKER_03: 32:48

Yeah, that sounds like a very cool idea. Uh what else did I see? So charcuterie boards. Is that the right way to say that? Okay. Uh and I think, Corey, when we were there last time, you mentioned something about bow ties.

SPEAKER_00: 33:02

Right. Yeah. So all the material that I use it in cutting and making a solid wood paddle, all the cutoff material gets saved and used in production of smaller items. Whether it be that laminate style uh feather paddle that you were talking about earlier, uh, really enjoy doing the laminate paddles. They are definitely made to be used. Uh, they're rugged and as robust as a solid wood paddle. And uh there is some sort of special care that you need to take with them, but uh they're they're definitely made to be used. And all those cutoffs just keep getting smaller and smaller. So um the cutoffs from the the laminate paddles, I'll use and create little bow ties from those laminate pieces that are all glued. Um hard to throw all that hard work away that uh you know it can be used into something smaller. Uh just trying to keep in line with that sustainability aspect of it. Um woodworking creates a lot of sawdust. Uh and so that's always something to be managing. And uh we we've got some people online uh that are homesteaders that are gonna use it for their livestock. We use it in our garden for uh pathways and in our compost. And uh yeah, so as long as it's all kept clean, there is um the you know, sometimes with the resin, uh, when I'm doing a resin tip on a uh a canoe paddle that someone's requested, that little bit of resin can get into the sawdust, but I'll I'll do my best to keep that out and separate so it's not getting out there if it's getting into the environment. And uh yeah, so it just the the hardware.

SPEAKER_01: 34:57

You guys are eco-friendly and sustainability oriented as well.

SPEAKER_00: 35:01

That's right.

SPEAKER_02: 35:02

As much as we can be, we tried and do that. Um yeah, again, as much as we can. We're always trying to learn. Um, and so we we we're open to that feedback if something's not happening. So I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_04: 35:14

Well, that was all right.

SPEAKER_01: 35:16

That's it for us for today. Thank you so much to Corey and Maria from California. Please do check them out if you would love your own protocols.