I reply directly to you because I am a lurker and have an impossible lack of posting pictures etc (being over 70 doesn't help I'm afraid)

Your link to "artofmanliness" was wonderful for me in many ways...I belong to a group that was started by a friend who is a mentor to me but is not necessarily a "mens" group as we have a few women that do attend....we meet every other week or so on Fri afternoons and I refer to it as "cracker barrel meetings"

There are no rules, anything from politics, economics, religion etc (heaven forbid!) is discussed and be prepared to defend your opinion....we are all very open minded. The group consists of young and old, rich and poor, academically educated and self educated...just a mixture of everything from ditch digger to doctor...The membership is about 15 with attendance usually 8.

Summer outside with a cooler for beer pop water etc and open to cigars cigarettes whatever...Winter is in the barn that my friend and I built that has a pot bellied stove that we gather around for warmth.(Northeast Ohio and the cooler is inside now too!) Our discussions are totally open to business and/or personal and what is

 discussed is left behind.

For these reasons I appreciate your leading me to this website. I am also referencing this article

http://artofmanliness.com/2011/08/25/make-a-canoe-paddle/

While visiting relatives in my home towns in Northern Minnesota and Ontario two summers ago (I hadn't seen them in over 50 years) My one cousin was showing me the

 woodworking skills of his two sons and some of these were two canoe paddles which I am attaching pics. They did these as High School projects and I was quite impressed!

Sorry for the length of this email but I wanted to thank you.