Looking for help - 121321 16 AND E 8357 16

gblanck

Curious about Wooden Canoes
Any information people could provide would be amazing. I have just acquired these beautiful canoes and would love to learn more about them
 
Welcome and congratulations, the Old Town canoe with serial number 121321 is a 16 foot long, AA (or top) grade, HW model with open mahogany gunwales, mahogany decks, mahogany thwarts, mahogany seats, a keel, a floor rack, and sponsons. It was built between April, 1937 and March, 1938. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on July 8th, 1938 to Lake George Village, New York. A scan of this build record can be found below.

This scan and several hundred thousand more were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others. A description of the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will donate, join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/about-wcha to learn more about the WCHA and https://www.woodencanoe.org/pricing-plans/join to donate or join.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer this description doesn't match the canoe. Old Town didn't commonly use letters in their serial numbers so pictures of the numbers and surround areas from each end of the other canoe could help as Paul suggested. Feel free to reply if you have any other questions.

Benson



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Upon further investigation the second canoe is E835T 16. From what I have read Old Town used a T to designate premium mahogany? Also after some research I think the E is actually a 1 and 5 that has worn away and the actual serial number here is 15835T 16.
 

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Here are a bunch more pics of both canoes
 

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My guess is that you have the Old Town canoe with serial number 118351. This is a 16 foot long, CS (common sense or middle) grade, Yankee model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, ash decks, ash thwarts, ash seats, a keel, and outside stems. It was built between June and December, 1936. The original exterior paint design was similar to the one shown at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/designs/design37.gif which was known as the design number 37. It was shipped on July 2nd, 1937 to Ticonderoga, New York. A scan of this build record can be found below.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer this description doesn't match the canoe. Penn Yan is know for occasionally using letters in their serial numbers to indicate a wood but Old Town didn't commonly use letters in their serial numbers. Feel free to reply if you have any other questions.

Benson



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Last edited:
The wood grain will play tricks on you!
I don’t think Old Town used letters in the serial number. However, I just heard of one with pine planking, so anything is possible.
 
My guess is that you have the Old Town canoe with serial number 118351. This is a 16 foot long, CS (common sense or middle) grade, Yankee model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, ash decks, ash thwarts, ash seats, a keel, and outside stems. It was built between June and December, 1936. The original exterior paint design was similar to the one shown at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/designs/design37.gif which was known as the design number 37. It was shipped on July 2nd, 1937 to Ticonderoga, New York. A scan of this build record can be found below.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer this description doesn't match the canoe. Penn Yan is know for occasionally using letters in their serial numbers to indicate a wood but Old Town didn't commonly use letters in their serial numbers. Feel free to reply if you have any other questions.

Benson



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Thank you! Is there a 158357? I really do not think the last character is a 1. I have read that a T after the serial number indicated that it was a premium AA grade? It is also possible that the last character is a 7. Here is the best pic. That all said I am near Ticonderoga so that is certainly possible too.
 

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Is there a 158357?

Yes, the Old Town build record for serial number 158357 shows a 15 foot long, fifty pound model canoe in AA grade with mahogany trim and a floor rack and no half ribs or outside stem that shipped to Michigan in 1952. This is not a good match for the canoe in your pictures. Can you provide a link or reference to the comment that "a T after the serial number indicated that it was a premium AA grade?" Thanks,

Benson
 
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