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How to Hang Oars On a Wall in 4 Steps

After hammering out hundreds of pairs of boat oar hooks, I have some tips and tricks for how to hang oars on a wall.

My name is Terran Marks and I’m the blacksmith at Brown County Forge. If you have an oar to hang, here’s how I would do it.

Step 1: Measure Your Oars to Find Your Hook Width

Oar Circumference - Brown County Forge — Measuring Circumference

Not all boat paddles are the same size so you’ll need hooks that will fit your particular oar.

The easiest way to measure your oars is to measure across the oar for a diameter measurement.

Using a ruler or tape measure, rest your measuring device on top of the oar.

Where the edges of the oar handle hit is your rough diameter.

That’s the measurement we’ll use to make the hook.

The most accurate way to measure your oars is to wrap a string one time around the oar handle to find the circumference.

Then, with a little math we can find the diameter and then the hook width.

Step 2: Research Hooks Online to Find Some that Will Fit

Oar Hook Sizes - Brown County Forge

Now that you’re armed with your measurements, you can venture into the world of hooks and hangers online.

I’m consistently amazed at the variety of ways people have come up with to keep things off the ground.

Make sure they come with screws and that they’re the correct size and length.

You don’t want to have to run around to five hardware stores trying to find the right fasteners.

I’ve been custom making oar hooks one at a time for a few years now (All Screws Included).

All mounting hardware is included and they ship directly to your door.

Order Your Oar Hooks By Size:

On Etsy: Oar Hooks

Step 3: Your Hooks Have Arrived. Now Let’s Hang Them!

For the most secure mount, you will want to screw your hooks into studs.

Depending on the construction of your home, your wall studs will be either 16 inches on-center or 20 inches on-center. That just means that every 16 inches (or 20), you will hit the center of a wooden stud.

Using a stud finder is a safe bet to be sure you’re mounting into solid wood.

That last thing you want is to mount your hooks in plain drywall and risk your heavy oar coming crashing down.

I recommend drilling pilot holes first to make it easier to place your screws when it’s time.

Before you drill ANY holes, make sure your two hole heights from the floor match! Unless you want your oar to tilt, it’s best to use a tape measure to measure from the floor up to your desired oar mount height.

Mark lightly with a pencil. Then drill your pilot holes.

Step 4: Slide that Beautiful Oar Into Your Hooks

And that’s how to hang oars on a wall in 4 simple steps!

Now you can enjoy your securely mounted oars for years to come.

Maybe your oar is from your college days of rowing crew.

Maybe it’s an antique store find.

Or maybe it’s an authentic gondola oar from Venice to remind you of your honeymoon!

No matter the size, weight, or length, there’s a custom pair of oar hooks waiting to be made for you.

Brown County Forge’s Oar Hooks

Throughout this post, you’ve seen examples of the oar hooks I make. Each pair can be custom-fitted to any size oar.

The steel hooks coated in beeswax are our most popular. They come in 1.5 inches, 2 inches, 2.5 inches, and larger if you need it.

Most oars will fit in 2.5 inches and below.

All steel sizes up to 2 inches are $39 per pair with hammered finish – Free shipping in the U.S.
2.5 inch hooks are $49 per pair with hammered finish.
If you need larger hooks, just let me know!

If you’re ready to order, go to our Etsy shop at this link: Oar Hooks

Your hooks will ship in 3-5 business days with USPS Tracking.

I’m Happy to Answer Any Questions

I’m always happy to answer questions about hardware and hooks.

Please email me directly at:

browncountyforge@gmail.com

On May 11, Brown County Forge hosted its 4th Ax Making Class with guest instructor Benton Frisse of River City Forge & Tool.

Here are some photos from the day in class.

The class involves hours of heavy hammerwork to create a functional, 1.5-pound camp hatchet out of a billet of 4140 tool steel.

We use a variety of different hammers ranging from 6-pound sledge hammers at the beginning of the process all the way down to 2-pound ball peen hammers to refine the blade edge before air cooling and grinding.

The basic process goes like this:

Heat the billet to a bright yellow in the forge. Higher carbon steels require higher temperatures to make them easier to work.
Punch your ax eye through a series of heats (upwards of 20).
Spread the eye with progressively larger ax eye drifts.
Fuller (spread) the area just behind the cheeks that surrounds the eye.
Fuller the bit edge from toe to heel adjusting your blows to create your desired beard shape.
Thin the bit to near its final thickness.
Set aside to cool before grinding. This makes it easier to grind.
Grind the bevel and clean up the eye, cheeks, and butt.
Re-light the forge and gradually heat up the bit to just past magnetic. This is important for hardening (one half of the heat treat process).
Quench the bit with slicing motions through vegetable oil in a tub.
Set aside to cool.
Polish the bit so the “silver” comes back out. This will allow you to see the temper colors come through (tempering is the other half of the heat treat).
Temper by dancing the bit in the fire of the forge, checking frequently.
As soon as “straw” color appears, quench in the oil again.
Set aside to cool.
Grind to finish
Head the ax with oak, ash, or hickory handle. Rasp or grinder work will be necessary to get the right fit.

This photo shows the original 4140 steel billet sandwiched between two student made, finished axes. Fully hung, heat treated, and sharpened. Ready for work.

This in-depth class is offered just a few times per year. The students who gain access to the class have taken at least one, and ideally two, classes at Brown County Forge first.

The reason for this is so that I can get a feel for hammer skills, hand-eye coordination, ability to follow instructions, and physical/mental stamina.

If you think you might be a good fit for this class, please take a look at our introductory classes here: browncountyforge.com/classes.

Looking forward to working with you!

-Terran the Blacksmith

Category: How We Make Things

How to Hang Oars on a Wall