Just dropped $400 on a custom graphite paddle... and my cat knocked it into the annealing kiln before I could even use it.

Found it this morning, perfectly annealed and now with a permanent paw print impression. Anyone have a good spot for a weirdly shaped paperweight?

3 comments

3 Comments

ryan_hayes21mo ago

Man, would you have just been mad about the money a few years ago? I used to get so hung up on stuff being perfect right out of the box. But seeing that, a flaw that tells a story you didn't plan, it actually makes the thing cooler. That paddle is now one of a kind because of your cat, not in spite of it. It's a pretty good lesson that the best gear sometimes comes with its own history baked in.

torres.drew2d ago

Scratches on my truck tell the same story lol

nelson.finley1mo ago

My old coach would have called that a total loss and told me to buy a new one. Seeing that paw print baked into the graphite actually makes it a better story. I used to think gear was just about performance, but a mark like that gives it character nothing from a store ever could. It's not the paddle you planned on having, but it's the one you've got now, with a memory stuck right to it. I'd keep it on the workbench as a reminder that the best tools sometimes come with surprises.