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Article: Rethinking fir: the Douglas fir that is available today isn't what it used to be.(Wood Choices)
- Article from:
- National Fisherman
- Article date:
- May 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Diversified Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The material of choice for most wooden-boat builders on the West Coast of the United States and Canada has always been Douglas fir. Few woods could rival Douglas fir for its ability to be used in boatbuilding applications--sawn ribs, stem, keel and planks--really, any part of a boat. That's why thousands of boats were built from this strong, durable wood during the wooden boatbuilding period that lasted from 1850 to 1950.
One well-known boatbuilder who used fir was Hans D. Bendixsen. (Though if truth were known, Douglas fir is not a fir. It's a member of the pine family, which is why boatbuilders often called it Oregon pine.) Bendixsen built over 100 boats on the ...