Shaw & Tenney

Lifetime Achievement Awards

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:42:22 -0500

Shaw & Tenney is proud to support MACKRO, Maine Canoe and Kayak Racing Organization, in honoring these members with Lifetime Achievement awards. This project combines our miniature award canoes with our custom laser engraving.

Wooden Paddle Showcase

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:59:45 -0500

Sometimes we get certain pieces of wood that are so special we just have to share them.

Pictured are two curly maple Penobscot paddles that are just that, too beautiful not to share!

If you like how these look, you can order a set frrom our website.

In Australia again!

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:31:55 -0500

The Australian Canoe Association will be presenting 14 Awards to its members this year. We were pleased that they chose to give those members 18" laser engraved maple paddles from Shaw & Tenney!

Miniature Stand-Up Surf Paddles!

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:27:29 -0400

Shaw & Tenney now offer miniature stand up surf paddles. These very special paddles were made for Bluerush Boardsports and were presented as awards at San Francisco's Battle of the Bay this past Saturday!

Learn more at www.battleofthebay.com, or contact us if you have a special project you'd like us to work on for you.

Our custom engraved paddles go to hollywood

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:04:38 -0400

We make custom engraved paddles for many occasions, but this time we made 44 of these 42" cherry Penobscot paddles for cast members of the upcoming movie "The Wedding".

We laser engraved the title of the movie and its logo as well as the lead cast members names. The lead cast members then signed the paddles and were presented by the director to all the members of the cast. The movie is due out next year.

Forty foot flagpole replacement in New York

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:52:28 -0400

We recently completed a new 40' replacement flagpole with a 12' yardarm for the Lake George Yacht Club in Diamond Point New York. We appreciate the photo that they sent us!

Miniature Spoon Oars

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:47:11 -0400

We have always made miniature or "pasta" paddles in 18" and 24" sizes which folks use for everything from engraved awards to cooking. Many customers have asked to make miniature oars over the years and we finally came up with a neat design. We are now making 24" miniature wide blade spoon oars in spruce. These are authentic replicas of our oars with an antique reverse taper grip (the way we made them in the 1800's!)

A Special Treat

Thu, 26 May 2011 11:42:24 -0400

We here at Shaw & Tenney take enormous pride in producing a hand-made quality product, and we believe that our wooden oars are second-to-none. That knowledge brings us daily satisfaction in our work, but every once in a while, one of our customers takes the time to let us know how much they've enjoyed our hard work. This letter in particular went above and beyond the thank you notes we typically receive, and we just had to share it. Note the illustrated envelope it was sent in.

We hope you enjoy reading this story as much as we did.

25 March, 2011

It is Spring in Maine and one’s thoughts turn to getting some boats in the water. This has been on my mind since Fall, when I realized how much work I had ahead of me to get the big cutter, the dory and the skiff all repaired, painted and varnished in time for good weather. Having so much time ahead of me, or so it seemed, I naturally expanded what I wanted to get done.

Part of the early activity has been getting the oars for the dory in top shape. I think that I purchased these oars from you about fifteen years ago. My first S&T oars were some straight tips that I bought in the 70’s for a sweet Whitehall rowing boat that I had at the time. This was a boat that could not be sullied by second-rate oars, only the best would do.

They didn’t come cheap and I had a young family then and not much spare cash, but I figured that the best deal would be to buy the best that I could afford and they would be a bargain in the long run I was not disappointed in the decision to stretch for the high end.

When I sold that boat, I was tempted to keep the oars out of the deal, they were so handsome and functional that I wanted to find a new boat to put under them. But, they really did belong to the Whitehall and they were tricked out with blue chevrons that matched the sheer stripe of the boat and so I reluctantly sold them as an entirety.

I spent all of my boating energy on the cutter for a number of years but, missing a rowing craft, I kept my feelers out for a decent little boat. I saw and ad and placed a bid on a Swampscott Dory. I had never seen this boat, but I put such a low bid on it that I felt, whatever happened, I would come out all right. It turned out that I was the successful bidder and when I went to look at the boat, I found it laying half-sunk on a muddy riverbank, with a family of ducks in residence.

Undaunted I set about to make a full restoration When I got to the pomt where I was sure that the resurrection of the boat would be successful, I started thinking about oars There was no question but that they would be Shaw & Tenney, the only thing to decide was what type, length and material. At first I thought that a straight-tip would be most appropriate to a dory, but as I ruminated over the S&T literature, I couldn’t help but to keep coming back to the spoon-tips They were a perfect melding of beauty and function, but would they stand up to the hard use that they would see with me?

I decided that the spoons were the only thing and, before I could change my mind, I called up S&T and ordered a pair of 8-footers with walnut tips There was a brief concern in my mind about the ability of the walnut tips to stay glued on through the life that I had planned for them, but it did seem that this extra reinforcement would stand me in good stead when I would be poking around in places that would put a lot of strain on the tips. I went ahead.

When they arrived, I immediately set out to complete them in the way I had envisioned. This meant putting on a few more coats of varnish, painting some hull-colored chevrons on the blades, sewing on long (19”) leathers and tying on turk’s head buttons after slipping on a set of S&T round, bronze oarlocks. This last bit makes sure that the oarlocks never come off the oar and one can instantly switch from rowing to sculling from the stem with no fuss. After this, the only thing to do was to try them out.

The experience of rowing with a good oar is a great pleasure and the spoon-tips only enhanced the task. The flexibility of the spoon seems to put a spring in your step, as it were. They seemed to fit well with the restored dory and with them I was capable of pulling her along to great advantage. Over the years I have used them to pole through many narrow, shallow bits, to punch through ice while rowing through hard water, to pry the boat off of rocks in tidal falls, and to whack innumerable barnacle-encrusted chunks of ledge while grounding out the dory on uninhabited isles. They have never failed. My grandchildren have tested their abilities as well.

I must confess that when I started out with the spoon-tips, I was a bit wary of their abilities and so I lashed a pair of standard, garden-variety, painted oars in the bottom of boat, just in case. I have never found the need to use these, except when we are rowing doubles. My wife thinks that we should get another set of spoon-tips so that we can be fitted out in style; who knows. I do find that the spoons work well in sculling, where I put the oarlock into a socket set in the transom. The curve of the blade enters the water at a good angle and the flexibility of the tip aids the process.

Just figuring things out roughly, I would say that I have put over a million strokes on Shaw & Tenney oars. Other than smearing on a bit of lubricating Vaseline on the leathers from time to time, I have done little to maintain them. This year I have decided to strip all the varnish off with a heat gun and re-varnish and repaint them. I will probably use the same leathers, but I had to cut the buttons to get them off. Perhaps I will use a colored twine for the new turk’s head buttons. I will also probably change the painted chevrons to a different pattern; it is good to have a little variety every few decades. As I have been stripping varnish, I have been noting how the oars have fared in their working life — other than a few scrapes and dings and a bit of wear at the ends of the leathers, they are in fine shape. The walnut tips are as secure as the day they were made. This to me is the sign of a finely made tool and I am quite certain that I made the right decision all those years ago when I had to stretch to afford them. I expect that with this bit of maintenance, the oars will last as long as I will have the ability to put them to use.

I offer my thanks to all of the fine craftsmen who have made these oars over the years. In our country, where very little manufacturing is done these days and where a hand-made product is even rarer, it is wonderful to have such a resource. When I first started acquiring tools, and after a few distasteful experiences with cheap ones, I decided that the only thing would be to get the best that I could find. This way I would have the pleasure of having a fine piece of craftsmanship in my hand and the assurance that the tool would last as long as I wanted it to. So I have a small shop, but most of the tools in it are of excellent quality. I consider oars a tool as well; they are a means to get me where I want to go and to do what I want. While a good tool is often a thing of beauty, Shaw & Tenney oars are exceptional in this regard. Like any fine tool, they have a good “hand” and they perform their task with no concerns as to whether they are up to the task. When they are asked to go beyond their designed limits, they do so with grace.

I just wanted you to know that I have gotten years of enjoyment from these oars and that I am looking forward to many more. Thanks for keeping them available.

Best regards,

Rick Klepfer
Cushing, ME

Shaw & Tenney expands to Australia

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 13:13:03 -0400

While we have always shipped our products to individual customers and boatbuilders in many countries, we have previously only had an international dealer in Germany for our paddles.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Denman Marine as our agent and dealer for Shaw & Tenney oars in Australia.

Our oars were on display at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Tasmania this February, which was attended by over 150,000 enthusiasts.

Traditional rowing is an avid passion among may Australians and we look forward to providing them our extremely light spruce oars.

We hope to have some photos of our oars "Down Under" to follow soon!

Join Shaw & Tenney at the Maine Boatbuilders Show this weekend

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 20:48:41 -0400

Join us at the Maine Boatbuilders Show in Portland this weekend, Friday-Sunday March 18th-20th!

We'll be there along with a 'Fancy' model of our flagship Whitehall boat available for viewing and sale. Stop by to say Hi and see the Whitehall up close.

The Maine Boatbuilders Show is one of the largest of its kind in the world- in addition to Shawn & Tenney, dozens of other boatbuilders, accessory makers, and artisans will be on hand to show off their craft and products.

Douglas Fir Boathook Special

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 20:46:42 -0400

Shaw & Tenney would like to announce a limited time special offering, our beautiful 6-1/2' boathook crafted from clear, vertical grain Douglas fir.

Our wooden boathook is specially priced for the holidays at $150 each (plus shipping).

The Shaw & Tenney boathook is extremely light and beautiful, for more pictures and product details, view our boathook catalog.

Custom Engraved Trophies

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:31:16 -0500

Did you know that Shaw & Tenney makes custom laser engraved paddle and canoe trophies? This month we just completed manufacture of 80 award paddles for the Everglade Challenge, sponsored by Water Tribe. Water Tribe puts on several races each year -- please visit their website for more information.

The Everglade Challenge is a paddle/oar/sail small craft race around the entire 300 mile coast of Florida. Shaw & Tenney has manufactured oars and paddles for many of the competitors as well, including specialty and sculling and rowing oars and even wooden masts.

Shaw & Tenney manufactures these award paddles and canoes for many organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, other canoe races, and our military. We've collected sample trophy paddles from some of our other clients below.

If you are interested in having Shaw & Tenney create custom award trophies for your organization, please contact us to learn more.

Wolters Kluwer is a Fortune 500 company who uses a trophy paddle as a recognition gift for its employees.

Shaw & Tenney is proud to have the priveledge of manufacturing award paddles for Task Force 46. These recognition paddles are given as each Task Force 46 member departs the unit.

This trophy paddle is used as an award for the annual canoe race, where students who make their own concrete canoes compete. This is just one example of many canoe and kayak races we make award paddles for annually.

Shaw & Tenney is able to engrave any high quality image on our paddles. This particular engraving is on cherry wood, which makes a very fine engraving material.

Custom Order Highlight: Long Oars

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:40:42 -0500

Shaw and Tenney will custom make oars of any size. One of the more common long oars we make are for Monomoy Lifeboats or Whaleboats. Pictured are twenty-two 12 foot rowing oars and three 16 foot steering oars.

These oars are destined for three boats rowed at the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kingspoint, New York.

We also make these oars for several teams who race the Monomoy Lifeboats in the San Francisco Bay Area competing in the Bay Area Whaleboat Racing Association (BAWRA). Shaw & Tenney assisted the BAWRA in developing the standards of construction for their oars several years ago. Some of the teams we have constructed oars for include the US Coast Guard Team, The Embarcadero Rowing Club, and The Rovererines.

Pictured with the oars are three of our master craftsman, from left toright, Brendan, Matt, and Brad.

Imagination Playground in New York City

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:42:39 -0400

The first Imagination Playground opened July 27, 2010 in South StreetSeaport area of New York City, and Shaw & Tenney was selected to construct four massive masts for the "sandbox" in the project.

The masts were built from clear, vertical grain Douglas Fir and had to be constructed to very precise dimensions. Beginning at 8" in diameter and tapering to the tops, they ranged in length from 17' - 4" to 20' - 3". These masts were custom made to meet the architect's needs, and had to be within 1/32" tolerance to fit each concrete base.

These masts are one of the highlights of the project, and Shaw & Tenney are proud to have been selected to participate in this project.
To learn more about the project, visit their website at imaginationplayground.org

Take a Gondola Ride with Shaw & Tenney

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:42:27 -0400

The Venetian Casino and Resort relies on Shaw & Tenney to make the authentic reproduction Gondola Oars used on it famous Gondola rides.

Gondoliers treat their passengers to mesmerizing singing while maneuvering the Gondolas along the indoor and outdoor canals.

Shaw & Tenney worked closely with the Venetian Casino in order to develop a highly durable oar to hold up to the high level of use in the Venetian. These custom made 13' oars are handcrafted from Maine maple.

If you travel to Las Vegas and visit the Venetian Casino and Resort, you'll now know where to look to spot Maine craftsmanship.

Boats of the Year, 2009

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:49:44 -0400

The Shaw & Tenney Whitehall was named one of "2009 Boats of the Year" by Maine Boats, Homes, and Harbors. We are very proud of this recognition, and encourage you to read the rest of the article.

The Shaw & Tenney Whitehall Particulars

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 08:00:00 -0400

Proudly Introducing the Shaw & Tenney Whitehall...

A Modern Wooden Classic...

Fast and beautiful! Combining the classic lines and attributes of the traditional Whitehall design with modern construction, the new Shaw & Tenney Whitehall offers superb rowing performance and simple maintenance.

Hull Number 1 is currently available in the Fancy Version. As she has been used for demonstration her Trailex aluminum trailer is included at no charge. Hull Number 2 is under construction.

Specifics:

~ Length: 17' - 9"

~ Beam: 3' - 8"

~ Weight (approx): 140 - 160 lb

~ Single and tandem fixed seat rowing positions

~ Sliding seat option

~ Sailing option

~ Lloyd's of London Certified Sapele Mahogany glued-lapstrake planking

~ Bright Ribbon Sipo Mahogany Trim

~ Traditional stem, keel, keelson, stern post, and deadwood

~ Custom designed Trailex aluminum trailer available

Basic Rowing Model - $14,000.

Fancy Rowing Version - $19,000.

Please call us at 1-800-240-4867 in the US or 207-866-4867 outside the US. for more information and availablity.

The Shaw & Tenney Whitehall in motion...

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 08:00:00 -0400

Hull Number 1 - The Fancy Model on the Stillwater River

She is available for demonstration and for sale. Hull Number 2 -The Basic Model is under construction.

Under Way...

At Rest...

The easier you row, the faster she goes...

Showing off her lines...

Again...

From the top...

2009 Annual East Coast Open Water Rowing Championship - Nov 7th

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:00:00 -0400

DON'T MISS IT! THE FIRST....

November 7th in Plymouth Massachussets...

Click on the logo above to go to the site.......Row Hard!

Come experience the new Shaw & Tenney Whitehall!

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:02:00 -0400

At our shop or in the Stillwater River in Orono, Maine - Anytime by appointment