chestnut good era

[SWEETWATER]

can someone tell me the differences in the good era vs. the bad era in the chestnut canoes, what to look for. i think the one i purcheased falls somewhere right on the line.

 

[Andre Cloutier]

can someone tell me the differences in the good era vs. the bad era in the chestnut canoes, what to look for. i think the one i purcheased falls somewhere right on the line.

Well i think every year after 1920 was the bad era, but i'm biased.
Seriously, when one speaks of the bad era they are typically referring to the later days of production when standards, wood selection and so on were beginning to suffer. There are some boats that very clearly are not of the same quality as those built in the 30s 40s and 50s, however i have had some of the later boats that were not all that bad. Generally speaking, the mid 60s to the end in 1979 produce some boats of poor quality construction.

 

[Larry Meyer]

In the late 60s Chestnut was under the gun to cheapen production. So starting in the late 60s you started to see a decline in production quality. My Prospector was right at about 68. What you see is: 1. Asymmetrical thwarts and thwarts not finish sanded on the underside, 2. One steel nail holding rib to inwale, 3.poor quality varnish (linseed oil based so the finish yellows). Then later maybe spliced outwales. Or rectangular profile outwales (not rounded over—Ed Haynes told me about that).
Integrity of form and general quality of wood was still good. Ed Haynes had at his store his own late 60s Prospector, which was good for a complete trip up the MacKenzie.