A welcome find...

By chance I spotted this beautiful old beaver tail canoe paddle in the charity shop below my office, leaning against the front window next to a broken lacrosse stick. 

The 'CB' almost certainly stands for 'Cherwell Boathouse', a punt hire business on the river nearby. It is very weathered and needs some attention, but should come up fine with some sanding, oil and a fresh coat of resin. I may 'dip' the tip in paint to match the canoe's forest green, and add a green stripe between the grips. 

The £7.50 this cost saves me making two beaver tail paddles this winter, as I promised myself I would: I can use this as a template and model for the second and hopefully stand a chance of having both ready for relaunching the canoe into the river in May.