I started using Rubio Monocoat to finish Greenland paddles a few years ago after being blown away by how well it has held up on my wooden kitchen counters. It’s expensive, but it also goes a long way because there are no solvents.
After painting it on with a foam brush, the finish gets scrubbed aggressively into the grain with a white scrubby pad for about five minutes and then any excess gets wiped off.
Even though it’s called Monocoat, on thirsty wood like cedar I usually do two coats about 48 hours apart. As far as I’m concerned, the only other non toxic finish that even comes close would be pure Tung oil burnished hard into the paddle with a stone, but that’s a lot more labor-intensive and not really that much cheaper.
Technical notes: the Natural color actually has color in it so if you don’t want to add color to your paddle, you need to use the color called Pure. Also, it’s a more durable finish if you use the hardener as well.
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