Hand-rubbed Varnish Finishes - Our Unique Specialty

Have you ever heard of a hand-rubbed varnish finish before?

What is it?

A hand-rubbed varnish finish is another term used to describe a fine polishing by hand.

This technique (hand-rubbed varnish finishes) has been taught over four generations at Badger & Son's and was passed down from Great Grampa Sidney Badger. For a full history of Badger & Son and our family please visit the Badger & Son Website.

Badger Paddles - Hand-Rubbed Varnished Blades

Our paddles are treated to a high quality finish - like that used on furniture. Our hand-rubbed varnished paddles are strong and smooth to the touch yet our finishing process helps to eliminate some of that "slippery" feeling when wet (like a regular varnish finish). You can see where the varnish ends the the hand-rubbed oiled shaft and grip begins.

After being given 3 coats of a high quality marine varnish - our paddles are left to dry. Once the proper amount of time has been given for the finish to cure, we begin our hand-rubbed treatment.

Polished smooth to the touch, this hand-rubbed technique gives the strong varnish, a silky smooth texture and high-quality finish. Many people may have noticed the finishes on their

varnished paddles from other paddle-crafters may have

defects like bubbles or maybe a hair from the brush or drip marks. Our hand-rubbed varnish finish is without these issues.

When you feel the hand-rubbed varnished blade of a Badger Canoe Paddle is becomes a pleasurable tactile experience. We fall in love with nearly every paddle we rub down... it is hard to see them go out the door sometimes. But we love to hear from our customers how delighted they are with their purchase and how much they love the hand touch we bring to all our paddles.

For more information about our varnish finishes please contact us. If you would like the paddle you already own to be given a similar treatment - please know we also do PADDLE REFINISHING. Contact us for more detail.

We offer hand-rubbed varnished blades with oiled grips and shafts, however, we will do a hand-rubbed varnish finish on the entire paddle as a custom order if desired.