Environmentally friendly wooden oars

In recent weeks we have been busy making two traditional wooden oars for an Austrian customer. They are made from wind-dried European ash wood. This, in contrast to oven-dried wood, retains its natural flexibility. Flex is very important for wooden oars but also for canoe paddles. It gives a second “catch” at the end of the paddle stroke.

It took us some effort to find a good supplier of wind-dried wood, but with Helsen Hout from Wechelderzande we have found a wonderful partner.

Almost all of their wood is of European origin and is also PEFC labeled. PEFC (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes) is a global certification system that offers the guarantee for sustainable forest management. Specifically, PEFC promotes forest management that is environmentally friendly, socially beneficial and economically viable. The PEFC label guarantees consumers that the product they buy comes from sustainably managed forests. The subsidiary of Helsen, Scierie de Niedervisse is a member of PEFC. With wood extracted from sustainably managed forests, our wooden oars, canoe paddles and canoes are also becoming more environmentally friendly.