Blade Shapes
Modern blades come in two main shapes. The most common is the "cleaver" (also called "hatchet"), which is used almost universally. Some clubs use the older "macon" style blades (also called "spoons" or "tulips" or "shovels") for novice crews. A very small minority of coaches favor macons for their top crews, but it has been generally accepted since their introduction in 1992 that cleavers give a speed advantage over macons under most conditions.
Macon blades are symmetrical, with an elliptical shape and a ridgeline running down the center of the blade face. The blade is squared off at the end. Despite the blade being symmetrical, modern asymmetrical collars or aesthetic issues regarding decorative paint on the blade face may dictate which side of the boat the blade can be rowed on. Macon blades achieved prominence at the 1959 European Championship in Mâcon.
Cleaver blades are asymmetrical, with a somewhat rectangular shape resembling a meat cleaver, hence the name. The shaft of a cleaver blade connects to the spoon offset to the top edge of the blade. The shape of the face and the offset connection is designed to maximize the surface area of the blade in contact with the water during the rowing stroke, while also minimizing the amount and depth of the shaft that is submerged and contributing to drag. A cleaver blade may only be rowed on one side of the boat or the other. Cleaver blade designs were first developed by Dick and Pete Dreissigacker in 1991.
Prior to the development of the macon blade a longer, thinner shape was used, known as "square" blades or "standard" blades. They are still occasionally used in training for technique. The development from standard to hatchet, via the macon, is therefore a progression from long, thin blades to shorter, wider ones. In each case there has been a reduction in the area of the blade that actually moves the wrong way through the water: in practice a point of the blade remains stationary relative to the water, with the portion outboard of that point providing drive, and the area inboard of it providing drag. Shorter, wider blades place this pivot point closer to the blade's neck, reducing the area dragging in the water.
Read more about this topic: Oar (sport Rowing)
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