I'd like some opinion on oar handle shape

[John B]

I had the pair I hadn't even finished stolen along with the car last friday night so I've started the new pair. I decided to control the shape down with a plane { as you do} and thought I'd taper a handle/grip in. It's at a radiused off square shape stage and it feels quite nice in the hand.
It occurs to me that it gives a rather better feel for the blade position this way. A sort of naturally vertical blade.
( they are for kids and they won't be feathered.)
What do you think?

[Zane Lewis]

John Welsford has a very good article on shaping both blades and handels. He has described what you are talking about as something he does on all this touring oars to get the blade angles sitting correctly.
The article is on his personal web site and the woodenboat.net.nz site. I think it is in the open water rowing section.

[TomRobb]

I've no idea why the handles are round unless it's easy to turn on a lathe as commercial oars seem to be made. A proper ergonomic shap would be, IMHO, triangular or square in cross section (at least oval). Virtices rounded off of course. Perhaps they're round because poeple come in various sizes and the angle between the arm and the blade will vary so much. One thing is more or less sure: the thumb end ought to be fatter than the little finger end.

[Tom Dugan]

John,

Check here for some info on making oars

http://homepages.apci.net/~michalak/15feb01.htm

IMHO, tapering as TomRobb describes is the only way to go.

-T

[Bayboat]

I make my oar handles tapered, as Tom R. and Tom D. suggest, slightly oval with the long axis at 90 degrees from the blade. It gives you a good feel for feathering. It's best not to put any finish on the handles--the natural wood is easier on the hands, which can get blistered from varnished or painted handles.

[John B]

Ah. So I've stumbled onto something.

Thank's for the help. I'll continue on... a bit more radius or perhaps even ovoid. Not round though.
As you say... Round is probably standard finish in production oars for simplicity /mass production more than anything else.
I'm making them with a front and back to the blade this time too. The kids are old enough to distinguish.( I'm always on at them in their swimming lessons to cup their hands slightly )

The other thing I do is put a red and a green spot on the handles. Teaches em port and starboard and you can yell.."no, no , the green oar" LOL.
Thanks again.

[PugetSound]

John,
Whitewater kayakers use a double bladed paddle in which the middle part of the loom is not circular but oval shaped. It is called "indexing" and the sole purpose is so that the kayaker can orient the blade to the water properly (by feel) without ever looking at it. The same will work for oars.

[John B]

Thanks Puget. It makes sense. now i've even got a name for it!!