My new pack basket

[lowangle al]

Whenever I go to antique shops I'm always looking for paddles, pack baskets, military duffle bags, ice hooks and pole shoes. I got lucky this weekend finding a nice basket, duffle bag and an ice hook. The pack appears to be pounded black ash with a steam bent oak handle. The ice hook is probably an old logging tool but I'm not sure.

The shop is located in Newfoundland in the Poconos. They have other baskets and another duffle bag plus lots of axes and axe heads. It's called "Pieces of the Past" if anyone is interested. Their prices were reasonable but not low. They are negotiable and I was real happy with the deal I got.


The basket doesn't have the cedar strips on the bottom to keep the pack out of the bilge so I'll have to make some for it.


We also picked up this little basket.


They still have a good selection of packs.

 

[Robin]

That’s a nice basket, looks great in the canoe. I’m always scanning the internet for baskets. Mine is just a run of the mill ice fishing basket, it’s nice but I’d really like one like yours. Most of the ones I see for sale are either beat up and damaged or too expensive.

 

[Pseudonym]

Gorgeous!

I just broke my #1 basket of a very particular size and I need to find a replacement. I don’t expect to be able to wait for one to fall into my lap, so I’m curious about who you all might recommend for a commission.

 

[Boatman53]

Nice find, I too keep my eye out for baskets but haven’t found one in good condition at a price I want to pay.
Jim

 

[lowangle al]

That’s a nice basket, looks great in the canoe. I’m always scanning the internet for baskets. Mine is just a run of the mill ice fishing basket, it’s nice but I’d really like one like yours. Most of the ones I see for sale are either beat up and damaged or too expensive.

Thanks Robin, the big one in the canoe is one I bought from the "basket lady" in the Adirondacks. It's nice, but not made of ash. She sells them for 145.00 as of a couple years ago.

Nice find, I too keep my eye out for baskets but haven’t found one in good condition at a price I want to pay.
Jim

This one is in good condition, but like I said it's missing the cedar 1x on the bottom and the board for the bottom on the inside. I paid about 90.00 for it.

I would think they would be easy to find in Maine. Besides antique stores and the internet I would look at second hand stores, estate sales and flea markets/ yard sales.

I found one at a second hand store in Ak. The second one I found in a dumpster in my neighbors yard in Pa. but it is only useful for storing stuff at home. The third one I got off Craigs List in Pa. and then the one from the basket lady and then this one. This is the nicest one I have and probably the only one made from ash.

I forgot to mention that there was a solo Wenona canoe in need of new gunnels at the same antique shop. They are asking 300.00.

 

[Benson Gray]

The Maine chapter of the WCHA had a class with Wood Thrush Wilderness last year and a large group of people made pack baskets. The first link below has more information. The second link has more background about antique pack baskets from Albert J. Nicola and the connections to some canoe builders.

Benson

basket-and-supply-shop — Wood Thrush Wilderness LLC

www.woodthrushwilderness.com

Pack baskets by Albert J. Nicola

I recently had a question about an old pack basket made by Albert J. Nicola so I have decided to answer here since this might be a topic of general interest. This subject is clearly not directly related to canoes. However, there are several surprising connections to canoes, so I hope that this...

forums.wcha.org

 

[Erica]

That pack basket is a real find, especially if as you say, it is made of pounded ash. It certainly looks pounded and I don’t see any nails. Just an ash binding at the top. Amazing.

 

[Art D]

Gorgeous!

I just broke my #1 basket of a very particular size and I need to find a replacement. I don’t expect to be able to wait for one to fall into my lap, so I’m curious about who you all might recommend for a commission.

Check out this maker. I have his canoe basket and it’s very nice. Not cheap, but so few people make black ash baskets anymore.

Bill Mackowski Traditionals in Maine - Pack Baskets, Snowshoes and Fishing Creels

 

[Pseudonym]

@Art D, Those are lovely! Thank you. The "Maine Guide" version looks pretty stout. Interesting to note that Bill makes a few pack baskets with lids as "collectibles," but he also calls the lids "impractical." I confess that I was testing a lid on my pack basket when it broke. I'm embarrassed to say that I wanted to know if, by chance, it was strong enough to sit on. It was not!

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

ice hooks

What kind of ice hook? I mean, there are implements that go by that name for fishing, for climbing, for carrying blocks of ice, for grabbing floating ice, and maybe some other uses.

I got my pack basket included with my Duluth Cruiser pack 40+ years ago and it's still as good as new, probably for less than $150 together. I've always carried much of my canoe gear in it, permanently inside my canoe vans. Don't recall ever actually taking it in a canoe, but I should in my w/c Morris.