One of the unique products that we make are traditional wooden boat hooks. Shaw & Tenney has been handcrafting wooden boat hooks since former owner Paul Reagan discovered a beautiful antique wooden boat hook on his Sam Crocker designed motorsailer in the 1960’s. Since then they have become a popular item that matches our DNA perfectly.
In recent years we have taken our boat hooks a few steps further (adding wood species, refining the tapered shaft, providing 2 hook finishes and adding a rugged US Coast Guard model) but the overall concept remains true to our roots. Using an old-fashioned design the current S&T wooden boat hooks are made by hand with a tapered shaft and solid brass hook.
At the hook end the shaft starts off at 1-1/2” and tapers down to about 7/8”. This design allows the boat hook to float upright in the water with the heavier hook end pointing directly down and the tapered end of the shaft sticking straight up. With over half of the shaft sticking straight out of the water it is very easy to reach over the boat and retrieve it should it fall overboard.
Our tapered shaft also reduces the overall weight of the hook without reducing the durability or adding too much flex. The weight reduction makes the hook easy to handle on the boat while providing the strength to push off or pull in to a dock or pickup your mooring.
Traditionally Shaw & Tenney boat hooks where made from native Maine ash and featured a solid brass hook. With many boats using Mahogany as trim we now offer this wood species for our 6”6” and 8’6” boat hooks as well as your choice of a solid brass hook or a brass hook with a chrome finish. We should note that since all of our products are custom and handmade we can create them out of any of the wood species. We often get calls for walnut, cherry or even sassafras boat hooks.
We also offer custom engraving on all our boat hooks.
Our 12’ US Coast Guard boat hooks are straight shaft boat hooks made from native Maine ash. These hooks are handmade with a USCG standard, 1 ½ inch diameter shaft that is straight, not tapered. A unique feature of our USCG boat hooks is the orientation groove notched into the shaft. This groove is lined up with the hook and allows the user to know the orientation of the hook while it’s underwater. These USCG boat hooks can be found on Coast Guard cutters all over the US and as far away as the Bahamas , Puerto Rico and Alaska.
Shaw & Tenney wooden boat hooks, while very simple in design, are a traditional maritime tool that will look as good hanging over the mantle as they will be tucked neatly under the rail of your boat. Our boat hooks make a great gift idea for any boat enthusiast.