by Alicia MacLeay
Today we published the first in a series of articles by Erich Volkstorf on canoes and paddling. Erich's initial piece explains the various materials — from birch bark and wood and canvas to Kevlar and carbon fiber — found in canoes today.
While publishing the article, I came across a number of craftsmen (and women) still making wooden canoes by hand. As anyone who has seen a handcrafted canoe knows, they can be beautiful works. The time-lapse video below shows the folks at Northwoods Canoe Company making one of their wood and canvas canoes in their shop in Atkinson, Maine.
You also can watch a photo essay by Doug Bruns with craftsman and Northwoods Canoe founder Rollin Thurlow discussing the art and history of canoe making.
Or check out Northwoods Canoe's canoe shop cam for a live peek during shop hours.
