3 Minutes with a Maine Guide # 73 Making a Leather Paddle Sleeve

[@ri-jm5tn]

My first ottertail paddle came yesterday. I re-watched this as I will be adding leather asap. Really enjoy your channel👍

[@3_Minutes_With_a_Maine_Guide]

Thanks so much for watching. Good luck with your project. There is nothing more satisfying than working on canoe gear and making it your own.

[@jimfromoregonusa9899]

Lisa....this was great and you explained the "stitch" so well.....I grew up learning that was also referred to as the "saddle stitch" and have used it a lot over the years!!

[@DiabloOutdoors]

That's awesome and I'm going to make some, that's 100% sure!

[@MaineGuide34]

Once again Lisa great video with good projects for the cold winters. Thank you

[@Mainepolingguide]

Shawn, thanks for always watching and always commenting.

[@rockytopwrangler2069]

... Appreciate and love this series ...

[@scottmcfarland2149]

Nice touch.

[@kennethsarnes2087]

Lisa, would it be helpful if the leather was wetted first then stitched with waxed dental floss? I really enjoy your instructional channel. At this time I no longer have a canoe but am in the process of getting another while I acquire necessary equipment. You are a great inspiration and one day would love to experience Maine as an outdoorsman. My thanks in advance for listening. Kenny

[@3_Minutes_With_a_Maine_Guide]

Kenny it couldn’t hurt. Typically that leather sleeve gets wet while you’re paddling. The waxed dental floss should do well.

[@downeastprimitiveskills7688]

I have some bank line as a wrap on one of my paddles and would like to switch it up, I may try some rawhide from an old road kill deer that I never finished, might try that although it could get slimy if wet, maybe a good oil treatment prior to stitching would help, I'm not a big seamster/sewing guy but can bumble my way through this. great another project. I'm making patterns for the canoe box in my Tripper now. I make my own paddles too. I hear only 50 days or so to open water fishing season, coming up fast.

[@richardswinson4381]

Have just watched the video. Could you please give the length and width of the leather. Could you also give the distance the holes are from the edge and how far apart the holes are from each other. Thank you.

[@3_Minutes_With_a_Maine_Guide]

Thanks for watching. The sleeve is 5 1/2 inches long. The holes are 1/4 inch apart. In order to get the circumference, take a string and wrap it around the top of where the sleeve will be and do the same where the bottom of the sleeve will sit. The numbers won’t be the same. Most paddles are not symmetrical. There should be a small gap that the stitching when pulled tight will close. If it doesn’t it’s no big deal the leather when wet will stretch. Better a bit of a gap than too loose. Good luck. As in all things canoeing explaining it out makes it seem way, way more complicated than it is when you do it.

[@richardswinson4381]

⁠@@3_Minutes_With_a_Maine_Guide many thanks for your reply on the sleeve dimensions etc. I’m not keen on using paracord to protect the paddle.

[@andrewkvasnak183]

Lisa, what is the spacing between the hole punches? Thank you!

[@3_Minutes_With_a_Maine_Guide]

It’s about 1/8 inch. Good luck.

[@vinoto]

Just found your channel and I absolutely love the no nonsense style. I'm looking to buy a tandem canoe, mainly plan to paddle with my 80lb dog (and rarely one extra person). I weigh about 150 lbs and am reading a lot of advice that seems to say a 16-17ft tandem is hard to paddle solo and direct me to buy a smaller solo canoe. I notice you paddle from the stern and seem to be in a 16ft canoe, what are your thoughts on this ?

[@robbullis5025]

Lisa can you do a video on how you go about sizing the leather sleeve for your paddle?

[@Mainepolingguide]

Rob, yes you’re not the only one who asked. I forgot to do that. 👍

[@danlibby8366]

Lisa what purpose does this wrap serve? thanks!!!

[@3_Minutes_With_a_Maine_Guide]

Dan, it protects the paddle from getting all scraped up it makes contact with the gunwale of the canoe. If you favor indigenous peoples canoe strokes that use the gunwale as leverage because it’s more efficient and easier on the body, the leather sleeve protects the paddle.

[@BFD378]

That's what I was hoping for, the "why." Thanks, both of you!

[@jdeveau6718]

Would a rope common whipping do the same job or would it slip too much?

[@3_Minutes_With_a_Maine_Guide]

I don’t know. It would probably work the same if you could seal it to keep it from separating. Thanks for sharing.

[@David-hz1od]

Hi Lisa - do you have any recommendations on where to source the leather? Thanks!

[@3_Minutes_With_a_Maine_Guide]

Yes I do! Mainline Leather in Lewiston Maine. www.mainelineleather.com/collections/leather/products/tooling-bellies-7-9-oz

[@David-hz1od]

@@3_Minutes_With_a_Maine_Guide awesome! Thank you.

[@alanbierhoff6831]

Nice! Do you measure your leather piece the exact circumference of the throat or just a little smaller? I’ve always used Sno-Seal or mink oil.

[@Mainepolingguide]

Alan I do just a wee bit smaller, the littlest gap. Yes snow seal and mink oil are excellent.

[@lisajohnston6422]

What were the dimensions of the leather? Thanks.