PROP CARE
Keep The Illusion Alive
Caring for your handmade GENG S-staves
You're holding a hand-finished flow prop, sealed and shined to move and last. Wood is alive. It carries grain, warmth, and a little soul, and like anything made by hand it asks for a little care in return.
It's wood, so treat it like the handmade piece it is. A hard drop, especially onto concrete or asphalt, can chip, dent, or crack it. Small marks are just proof it's been loved. Spin over grass, a mat, or carpet while you find the flow.
THE RULES
How to care for them
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Built to take a splash.
Crafted from the highest grade okume marine plywood, sealed under epoxy and finished in polyurethane to shrug off humidity, sweat, and the occasional splash. Still wood at heart, so don't soak it or leave it out in the rain.
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Mind the tips.
The ends run thin so the shape reads clean in motion. Set your GENG down rather than dropping it, and check the tips after a hard landing.
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Wipe it down.
A soft, dry cloth after every session keeps the finish clean and clear.
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Skip the harsh stuff.
No solvents, alcohol, or abrasive cleaners. A barely damp cloth handles anything a dry one can't.
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Mind the heat.
Keep it out of hot cars, out of long direct sun, and away from open flame. These are day props, not fire props.
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Store it happy.
Your GENG comes with its own bag, so slide them back in after each session and keep them somewhere cool and dry.
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Refresh the shine.
Over time the luster softens with use. A fresh coat of quality paste wax, buffed light, brings the shine right back. Car wax works too if that's what you've got.
What they're made of
Your staves are cut from the highest grade okume marine plywood, then finished in two layers that do two different jobs. Epoxy goes on first and seals the wood, filling the grain and locking moisture out. Polyurethane goes over the epoxy and takes the wear, which is why the surface shrugs off humidity, sweat, and the occasional splash.
Sealed is not the same as waterproof. The seal is a surface, and surfaces wear. That is the reason behind every rule above: keep water off the wood rather than out of it, keep solvents away from the finish, and top the finish up when it starts to go quiet.
Why the tips run thin
The ends of an S-stave taper so the curve reads clean while it's moving. That shape is the whole point of the prop, and it is also the part with the least wood behind it. Nothing about that is fragile in normal use — it just means the tips are where a hard landing shows up first. Set your GENG down instead of dropping it, and give the ends a look after a bad catch.
When the shine softens
This is the one bit of upkeep your staves will ask for, and it is not a sign anything is wrong. Work a thin coat of quality paste wax across the surface, let it haze, then buff it light with a soft, dry cloth. Car wax does the job too. You are refreshing the surface, not refinishing the wood, so thin and even beats thick and heavy every time.
Care for it, and it'll carry your flow for years.
CARE TIPS, EVENTS & MORE
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