Canoe Bob.
New Member
For a wolderness tripper, which do you find to be more robust. Which of the two last longer?
Bob.
Bob.
hand caned vs babiche seats?
- Thread starter Canoe Bob.
- Start date
Todd Bradshaw
Sailmaker
The babiche is probably more durable in terms of tensile strength and puncturability, and if well varnished it may tend to sag less on days when you're paddling in the rain. Note that there are two grades of rawhide available, full-grain and split-grain. The full-grain stuff is worth the cost difference in terms of durability and stretch resistance. One of our boot reps used to say that buying something made from split leather usually means that somebody else got the best part of the hide, and he wasn't far from the truth.
My biggest gripe with rawhide seats is that they can be quite abrasive. I had a very early Mad River Malecite, built during the short period when Mad River and Vermont Tubbs were hooked up. Tubbs built the snowshoe rawhide seats for it. A friend and I took it to Quetico for a week and during the trip we both wore holes in the seats of reasonably new Levis. You can help to prevent this by sanding lightly on the edges of the strips, breaking any sharp corners on the lacing after it has been woven and has dried, but before you varnish it. Lacing also tends to curl a bit as it dries. If you weave with the hair side up, the curl will be downward at the edges of the strips and less abrasive. You also want to watch out for porcupines and any other rodents who might be looking for a meal.
Cane is easier to puncture, but generally tough enough to do the job and in most cases, I think its tighter weave is more comfortable. It will often tend to sag a bit after a few days, especially in damp weather. I usually varnish the top side of mine, as I think it keeps it cleaner in the long run, but I haven't really noticed much comfort or stretch difference between varnished or unvarnished. With care and when stored carefully, it can last for decades.
One of the best accessories I ever made for tripping was a canvas seat pad containing a hunk of 3/4" ensolite foam. It was sized to cover the seat portion of the frame and the cane and tied onto the frame. The difference in comfort after a few days of paddling between a bare cane or rawhide seat and the seat plus the pad was amazing. I wouldn't dream of ever leaving on a multi-day paddling trip without it.
My biggest gripe with rawhide seats is that they can be quite abrasive. I had a very early Mad River Malecite, built during the short period when Mad River and Vermont Tubbs were hooked up. Tubbs built the snowshoe rawhide seats for it. A friend and I took it to Quetico for a week and during the trip we both wore holes in the seats of reasonably new Levis. You can help to prevent this by sanding lightly on the edges of the strips, breaking any sharp corners on the lacing after it has been woven and has dried, but before you varnish it. Lacing also tends to curl a bit as it dries. If you weave with the hair side up, the curl will be downward at the edges of the strips and less abrasive. You also want to watch out for porcupines and any other rodents who might be looking for a meal.
Cane is easier to puncture, but generally tough enough to do the job and in most cases, I think its tighter weave is more comfortable. It will often tend to sag a bit after a few days, especially in damp weather. I usually varnish the top side of mine, as I think it keeps it cleaner in the long run, but I haven't really noticed much comfort or stretch difference between varnished or unvarnished. With care and when stored carefully, it can last for decades.
One of the best accessories I ever made for tripping was a canvas seat pad containing a hunk of 3/4" ensolite foam. It was sized to cover the seat portion of the frame and the cane and tied onto the frame. The difference in comfort after a few days of paddling between a bare cane or rawhide seat and the seat plus the pad was amazing. I wouldn't dream of ever leaving on a multi-day paddling trip without it.
