The handle is made of Bass, Poplar, and 2 thin strips of Cedar. All sandwiched into an almost unbreakable handle and shaped to be functional. The sides are made of the same parts and shaped to the gentleman’s specifications. I have made lighter paddles but not stouter units. He wanted it strong enough that if he and his wife got in the creeks and got attacked by ” creatures of the water “they stood a chance of getting out. So, I made him one. The entire head assembly has 2 layers of glass and epoxy on both sides and the handle only needed one ,.