We have well tended Paulownia Elongata timber for sale right here in the USA (Kentucky). Email [email protected] for your paulownia needs.

Hey,

I loved my paulownia paddles too.  Unfortunately I made them a little thin too close to the loom and got only one season out of my paddles.  Both broke about 9" down from the end of the loom.  both at the start of a roll.

Listen, I finish my boats in automotive 2 part urathane clear coat.  After reading Anderson's comments on his paddles which I thought made a lot of sense I finished my last paddle auto clear coat the same as my boats.  I get my paint from Kustom Shop.  Its like $40 a quart.  Tung oil is nice and easy but it is not as water proof as 2 part urathane.  i also mix up chopped glass and cabosil and a little opaque white tint with epoxy into a thin paste.  I mask the edge and end of the blades and cover with the paste for a dent resistant end and edge.  then to sharpen it up I painted the edges and ends ith VC performance that Iuse on the hulls of my boats.  its real hard paint.

Both my paddles one finished with vsrnish one with tung oil discolored. I have a third with tung oil that's OK. My daughter built a 14.5 shearwater hybrid with a paulownia deck and has a spot of discoloration, three spots about as big as a quarter, on the aft dech under glass and lots of varnish. Must be something in the wood beacuse it just started to show after lots of time in the sun. The finish started out to be good enough to win best kayak at Ofest and there are no scratches over the discolored area. Who knows?   SEEYA Jack