Lew's Canoes
Canoe Builder
Please run serial number 56381 -16. Thank you, LEW
Possible OT?
- Thread starter Lew's Canoes
- Start date
Roger Young
display sample collector
Old Town serial # 56381 was assigned to a 16' CS grade HW model canoe with western red cedar planking, spruce gunwales, maple decks, thwarts and seats, and originally painted dark green. It was shipped to Wilkes-Barre, PA on 15 December 1917, from what I can see. (Previous reference to 'open' gunwales has been corrected - see below; my error.)
The scan of this record is attached below-- click on it to get a larger image. This scan and several hundred thousand others 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/ot_records/ if you want more details. I hope that you and anyone else reading this will join or renew membership in the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php to renew.
It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
The scan of this record is attached below-- click on it to get a larger image. This scan and several hundred thousand others 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/ot_records/ if you want more details. I hope that you and anyone else reading this will join or renew membership in the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php to renew.
It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
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Lew's Canoes
Canoe Builder
Roger - Thank you for your quick reply. The canoe in question matches up almost perfectly with the build record, except in one regard. You mentioned in your response that the build record indicated open gunnels, and the canoe itself has closed gunnels. Yet when I look at the attached image of the build record, I see only that the rails are spruce. So, my question is - how did you ascertain that the canoe should have open gunnels? What am I missing here? Everything else seems to fall in line perfectly, and it sure looks like an OT HW. Thanks again for your thoughts on this - it sure seems like we may have a match here, but I would like to know for sure. LEW
I suspect that Roger may have made a mistake that frequently happens to me, i.e. using a previous message to create a new one but neglecting to update one crucial detail. My experience is that Old Town records which do not explicitly specify "open" on the "Gunwales" line are closed so this is probably the correct record for your canoe with closed gunwales. Good luck with the restoration,
Benson
Benson
Roger Young
display sample collector
Lew:
My apologies. It was my error. In my haste to get you the information requested, I included the reference to 'open' gunwales when that should not have been mentioned. Be guided by the build record as Benson has pointed out, and my appreciation to you both for the correction. I'll have to be more careful next time.
My apologies. It was my error. In my haste to get you the information requested, I included the reference to 'open' gunwales when that should not have been mentioned. Be guided by the build record as Benson has pointed out, and my appreciation to you both for the correction. I'll have to be more careful next time.
Lew's Canoes
Canoe Builder
Roger and Benson - thank you both for your input into this serial number search, and specifically your insight, Benson, into the OT protocal regarding the listing of gunnel styles on build records. Looks like this a perfect match! I have not (yet) acquired this canoe, but I hope to and then bring this 92 year old canoe back into shape for another lifetime! Thanks again - this is a wonderful resource!! LEW
