The other day it struck home how important it is to have a proper edge guard on a paddle. The trim is actually a structural element and does more than just protect the paddle from ground strikes. It helps provide strength to the outer edges of the paddle to prevent core damage.
A friend of mine asked if I could reglue the edge trim of their paddle. Sure no problem, or so I thought.
When he dropped it off the entire edge guard was pretty much falling off. The paddle had a very light almost flimsy edge trim and so it was easy to remove.
Once I got the trim off I noticed the paddle edge was completely destroyed. The paddle core was all compressed pretty much the entire perimeter of the paddle except for some of the areas just up from the handle.
Ya he’s a bumper. Meaning he likes to smack paddles after a good shot or the end of a game. To each their own, but over the course of a few months he had damaged the paddle beyond repair.
I gave the paddle back, and advised him to go easy on the bumping and when looking to replace the paddle, look for something with a more sturdy and robust trim.