Brian,
THanks, that's a good idea. I didnt have any trouble finding clear 2x4's at this place, but finding 10 or 15 in the right grain orientation might be a bit of a problem.

BTW, I cut up one of the two I bought yesterday. I'll get three hollow cores out of one 2x4. The wood is so wet you could practically wring water out of it. For my own use that isnt so much of a problem, as I simply put the cut strips into my little oven and they'll be dry in a day or two. But for carving solid paddles, wouldnt that be an issue?

: Don,

: Rather than looking for CVG 2x4's, buy 4x4's and re-saw them. It makes it
: much easier to get good paddle blanks. It may run an extra buck or two per
: blank in material costs, but it's faster than sorting through stacks of
: "2 by's" and the overall quality of the wood seems better. The
: re-sawed blanks will also be a bit thicker that 2x4's, so you have more
: material to work with. If possible, allow them to dry for a few days after
: re-sawing.