What Is a Handmade Canoe Made Of?

Throughout history, canoes have been typically made of wood. An archaeologist recently discovered a 3000-year-old canoe in Lake Mendota (Wisconsin), carved from one piece of white oak.

Nowadays, wood is not the only option anymore, but, although modern canoe-building methods and materials have taken over mainstream canoe-making, the old methods and materials are still very much used.

Modern canoes can be made of many different materials, from aluminum to PVC and fiberglass. There are pros and cons for each canoe material.

However, when it comes to handmade canoes, manufacturers typically stick to the traditional look, so their products are largely made of wood.

Red cedar (lat. Thuja plicata) is the most popular type of wood used nowadays for building a canoe. It originates on the north Pacific coast of North America and is characterized by high dimensional stability.  Thanks to the oils contained in its cells, it is naturally protected against insects and fungi. Cedarwood has colors from beige to dark brown.

Cedar strips used in the canoe-making process have a small textured appearance, similar to fir, and the color is uniform. The reduced cutting of red cedar wood makes it possible to process without additional finishes or the addition of substances that could harm the environment.