Wooden Boat People
By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
Franks custom oars vs. Sawyer solid ash smokers?
It's time for me to buy another set of oars. I'm currently using sawyers solid ash smokers and like them a lot. The reason i'm interested in replacing them is both the safts and the blades are checked. I bought them used/cheap and they were in that condition when I bought them. I've been using them for 10 years. Each oar has it's prefrence in which side of the boat it want to sit it. If i don't set each oar in it's prefrered side, it's is rolly polly in the lock. These oars will become spares when I purchase new ones.
Anyone pull Franks oars? I read a good blog on them today and they sound like a great oars. Could anyone lend a perspective on Franks vs. Sawyers solid Ash. In other words, help me decide! I need to pull the trigger on this one.
mitchell
Anyone pull Franks oars? I read a good blog on them today and they sound like a great oars. Could anyone lend a perspective on Franks vs. Sawyers solid Ash. In other words, help me decide! I need to pull the trigger on this one.
mitchell
Views: 1766
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brad Dimock on
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The thing I like about the Smokers is the tapered shaft, which puts both more weight on the inboard side of the oarlock, and more flex on the outboard side. The old Smokers were especially good, being very thin at the blade end, giving a very dynamic, light feel. Nowadays Bruce at Smoker/Sawyer is very reluctant to make them that thin, due to the large number of returns he gets from hackers who break them.
Although I really like what I've seen of Frank's whole work ethic (He seems like a very cool old dude) his oars look like the'd be very stiff and blade heavy. For an old guy like me who rows a lot, that spells tendonitis and a foul attitude.
But if you do go with Smokers, try to ask for the thinnest blade they will give you--otherwise, they'll be just as stiff and heavy as the rest of the competition.
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P.S. I'll take your old checked oars! I'm using some really old Smokers that look like they should break any minute, but they have been that way for many years. Honestly, if you are worried about them, maybe just get a good spare or two but keep using the old ones until they break--because they might not, and a good oar is a prize. as they say down here, it's hard to get a good piece of ash.
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Permalink Reply by Lawrence E. Long on
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Mitch: you bought a set of used oars? You have used them for ten years? They have checks in them? They need to be sorted as to port and starboard? Paint one handle green the other red and get on with life. If this is too complicated get a copy of Chapmans to define the red/green thing.
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Brad: lay off the ash - as we say here in Maine- "put the ash to her"- as in canoe padles.
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The phase I love, referring to rowing really hard--"bending the hickories."
Although I don't know if I've ever seen a hickory oar.
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Peak on
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you should probably get Franks... I'll buy your old Smokers. Can I pick them up in July?
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Permalink Reply by Robb Grubb on
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Mitchell, When I was at the Eagle Rock Boatshow this year, I was talking to the Sawyer guy (Richard ?) and he was saying that they were offering to refinish / overhaul oars for 40.00 ish dollars a piece, revitallizing tips etc. Seems like a deal to me, if you did not have your own revitallizing machine... My favorite pair of oars, a set of laminated 8.5 Sawyer fir oars with a little bit of convex blade chord to them are on the brink of needing some TLC. So true Brad, row them 'til they don't row no more.
Cheers, Robb
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