Handcrafted in Oregon

Writing about a company that has been handcrafting paddles and oars in the United States for over 50 years is really fun. For many of you, this company has been in business for longer than you’ve been alive. Today they make their products in Talent, Oregon, because of its “proximity to the Rogue River, great business climate for small businesses, and a dedicated river running community.”

This company just seems to get it. They make great products that meet the demanding needs of their customers, and do it in style. Not only do they make durable, high-performance products in Oregon, they also source the majority (more than 75%) of the Douglas Fir, Pine, Western Red Cedar, and composite products from in-state sources. And finally, they are benefiting their local economy and working to protect other species that use our nation’s waterways, like salmon.

Company History

The history of Sawyer is storied and currently led by an employee-owned group. A detailed timeline about the company’s history and the people that led it to where it is today can be found here. The cliff notes version is that it was started by Ralph Sawyer in 1967 in Rogue River, Oregon. With a major canoe racing career to draw upon (as proof, he became a member of the Marathon Hall of Fame (Au Sable River Canoe Marathon) in 2009) and whitewater in the backyard, he began by producing whitewater oars. Twenty years later, Bruce Bergstrom sat down in the hot seat. During his tenure, the SquareTop Oar and the Cobra Oak Lock were introduced, which continue to be used to this day. In 1992 Sawyer acquired Smoker Oars & Paddles, which made the company the preeminent paddle and oar maker in the United States. Then the reigns were held by Pete Newport, a former competitive whitewater kayaker. Early in 2020, the company announced another change in leadership with Sawyer Paddles and Oars LLC and Sawyer Station Retail ownership being split equally amongst the trio of Zac Kauffman, Israel Ramirez, and Shyne Tourville. The three have been with the company since 2012 and active partners since 2017. The company’s future under new leadership looks bright!

Paddles & Oars

Sawyer has a lot of products to choose from. The summary below is not comprehensive, but gives you a snapshot of the types of oars and paddle sport categories they serve.

Oars

Oars are for rowing rafts and drift boats.

  • Wood Oars – hand crafted from specially selected straight grain Douglas fir
  • SquareTop Oars – tapered full-length laminated Douglas fir or solid Ash oars that have been wrapped in carbon fiber or carbon fiber X-Weave down to the blade (check out details about the Artisan Series below)
  • Smoker Ash Oars – made continuously since 1933, SMOKERS are a solid Northern White Ash wood oar
  • Composite Oars – a line of composite oars sought after by those requiring serious durability
  • Oar Blades – composite, wood, and carbon oar blades can be matched with every composite oar shaft
Paddles

Sawyer makes a variety of paddles for each of the following activities.

  • Stand up paddle boarding (SUP)
  • Canoeing
  • Kayaking
  • Whitewater rafting and canoeing

It’s Not Just About the Gear

Sawyer is an employee-owned business. At the time of this post, there were 15-20 employees working for the company during high season. These employees spend money in the local economy, multiplying Sawyer’s beneficial economic impact. A study titled 2018 Small Business Economic Impact Study clearly quantified the benefits of small business and shopping small. It concluded that for every dollar spent at a small business, 67 cents on average remains in the local community. Of this, 44 cents go to the small business owner and employee wages and benefits. The remaining 23 cents gets reinvested in other local businesses. This same study also showed that for every ten jobs at a small business, another seven are supported in the local community – you do the math 😊

As a locally-based business for more than 50 years, we are world-renowned for performance wood and composite paddles and oars, and as a result we have great partnerships with boat builders, guides and outfitters, and recreational river runners who appreciate the quality and convenience of buying local, hand-made products from our employee-owned business. We are “standard” equipment for guides, boat builders, and river runners locally and also support a retail operation in nearby Gold Hill, Oregon. -Sawyer Paddles & Oars

In addition to the tangible impact Sawyer has in terms of wages and spending in the local economy, it’s important to also account for their contribution to the environment by participating in the Save Our Wild Salmon coalition explained in more detail below. This very real environmental benefit is one that compounds the overall impact Sawyer and companies like it are having.

Despite great products and loyal customers, Sawyer is also faced with the primary challenge of companies making outdoor gear in the United States – overseas competition.

As with most premium products made in the US, the consumer has options to purchase products made overseas that are of lesser quality, price, and benefit to the local communities in which our customers thrive. We take pride in our employees, products, and support of cold water and fisheries conservation work that brings value to our community in many ways. When we’re on the water and see our friends and neighbors enjoying their time on the water with our products, our biggest challenge is cheap overseas products that in the long run have a negative impact on our economy and environment. -Sawyer Paddles & Oars

Save Our Wild Salmon and the SquareTop Artisan Series Oars

Sawyer does more than just make great paddles and oars. As they continue to innovate in the 21st century, one of their major success stories is working in coordination with artists in building a product to benefit fish conservation. They have partnered with Save Our Wild Salmon, “a diverse, nationwide coalition working together to restore wild salmon and steelhead to the rivers, streams and marine waters of the Pacific Northwest for the benefit of [the] region’s ecology, economy and culture.” Sawyer donates a percentage of each sale of their Artisan Oars to this organization’s conservation efforts.

Artisan Series

Sawyer’s Artisan Oars are their Square Top Oar with a carbon fiber X-Weave fiberglass shaft reinforcement. The best part is that these oars feature prints of various fish species donated by artists from around the country that are then laminated onto the blade. The five species include the following:

Photo: Sawyer Paddles & Oars

  1. Brown Trout SquareTop Oar (Brown Trout art graphics by Ty Hallock)
  2. Cutty Rain Brown SquareTop Oar (Cutty Rain Brown art graphics by Link Jackson)
  3. Lonesome Larry SquareTop Oar (Lonesome Larry art graphics by Gregg Schlanger)
  4. Sockeye SquareTop Oar (Sockeye art graphics by Ed Anderson)
  5. Steelhead SquareTop Oar (Steelhead art graphics by Link Jackson)

The incorporation of art into functional, utilitarian tools all while contributing to conservation efforts is a notable mashup.

Check out a video with more details here.

 

Gear Supported Weddings – say what?

When asked to share a story about people’s experience with Sawyer products, the company replied with the following.

One of the unique ways that our customers integrate their love of our products into their lives is at weddings. There are many ceremonies each year that feature our products in arches, signage, and rowing away from the venue using our products. Our customers love their time on the water, and it shows! – Sawyer Paddles & Oars

Integrating products into something as personal as a marriage proposal (yep, see it here on Instagram) or a wedding is a testament to Sawyer’s products and the loyal following they have created. Maybe #sawyerweddings will become a thing?

Paddle Hard

A big thanks to Sawyer for being a part of American Outdoor Gear Hub! But don’t go just yet…..

  1. If you use watercraft of any kind get yourself some Sawyer paddles or a set of oars here. And be sure to tell your water loving friends about Sawyer too!
  2. Think hard about your purchases and make them count – buy small and local when you can. Small businesses like Sawyer are a huge part of the nation’s economy and have a very tangible beneficial impact.
  3. Come back to AmericanOutdoorGearHub.com’s The Goods every time you’re looking for new outdoor gear and support local gear makers with your wallet.
  4. Follow American Outdoor Gear Hub on Facebook and Instagram @americanoutdoorgearhub.
  5. Get outside with your American-made gear, including Sawyer Paddles & Oars, and send photos of it in action here.
  6. Be sure to add a little hashtag love #AmericanOutdoorGearHub when you do the social media thing.