~~~ A Jimistyk is more than a good investment- it's more like an old friend who helps you when the going gets tough and also
shares the serenery with you. But there is a level of maintenance which optimizes the value of the paddle. I will refinish or refurbish (new tips/veneers/glass/ finish), repair, refeather, or length adjust
any Jimistyx or Backlund products for a charge. It usually takes about 2 weeks.**** Before you received your paddle I roughed up the grip areas with 0000 steel wool to make them "scrunchy" when
wet. If it's not scrunchy enough after one or two river trips you can use 0000 steel wool to rough them up a bit more if you like. Never use sand- or anything you wouldn't rub on your car's finish.
~~Historically, the paddles which have the best longevity are ones belonging to people who occasionally repaint their paddle with polyurethane. I'm not sure why that is- but it's true. Keep in mind
that one of the biggest things you have to watch out for when maintaining a paddle is to not gunk it up with a bunch of finish which adds significant weight to the paddle- especially the blades. The one thing you
really don't want to do is paint the blades or shaft with pure epoxy as a temporary refinish and let it go at that. Unprotected epoxy is quite vulnerable to sunlight and it will turn dark amber and peel off in
just a few months. Epoxy is a good touch up material- especially for dings in the shaft (so is clear nail polish)- but used as an exterior finish layer, it's bad science. Even if you think
you can sand the blades down "pretty good" before and after the epoxy layer- you've added significant weight and it's bad policy over the long haul. Like I said before- a single polyurethane layer
once or twice a year seems to be the optimal maintenance. If you send a paddle to me for refinishing, I strip down all the epoxy layers and rebuild from the wood out if necessary.
To apply a single coat of
finish I recommend using Zar exterior gloss polyurethane. If you can't find Zar ( a UGL product-ph.1-717-344-1202) just buy the smallest container of most expensive exterior polyurethane possible. You will
also need 100, 150, and 220 grit sandpaper, 0000 steel wool, a 2" foam brush (the ones with round handles are best), and a tack cloth. Find a corner somewhere where the paddle can sit to dry and check that it
only contacts the paddle at a couple small points and is generally clean anywhere the paddle will be touching. Then go away from that area to sand the entire paddle- starting with 100 grit on the shaft and
edgings, then using the other grits, in order, over the entire paddle and finishing with steel wool. I like to wear vinyl gloves to paint the finish on- both to protect my hand from errant finish and to
protect the paddle from hand oils. I open the finish, put gloves on, and then tack off the paddle immediately before I paint it. When you paint the paddle, stand where you can hold the paddle
askance to a light source to make sure you are getting complete coverage without drips and check your work often. Never dip the brush more than 1/2" into the finish. Start with a blade and paint
down the shaft to your hand, spin the paddle and get the other half, then set the paddle in its drying spot to paint the place where you were holding the paddle. Let it dry overnight at least.
~~~~ So-
what is a repair concern and what is normal wear and tear? Your chief concern should be avoiding dings on the shaft which go through to the wood. The easiest way to get these is to jam your paddle in the
cockpit or throw it up on shore- so avoid those options. Don't worry about dings on the edgings, tips, or blade surfaces (unless you can see the core wood is soaking up water). The blades are double
glassed all over and triple glassed through the center section- so they will take a huge amount of dingage. Through experience I've found to be watchful of "paddlehandlers"- anyone who "helps
you out" by moving your paddle from wherever you left it to a "safer place". Just keep an eye on it is all I'm saying.
If your paddle was shipped to you- it might pay to save the box it was
shipped in. They are kind of expensive and hard to build and you might want one someday to send the paddle back for repairs. At some point the tips will wear completely down to wood and then it is time
for a refurbishing- a little over a hundred dollars- which makes the paddle pretty much like new. It might take three years or so to get to that point.
SO~~~ Maintain with a coat of
urethane or two every year, watch out for the paddle handlers, and refurbish when necessary. Beyond that it's yours to enjoy- possibly for decades. JIMISTYX are built from the best of materials for the
best of times.
