Vintage Shaw and Tenney Paddles

[D J Hayes]

Hi folks, I am brand new to this forum. I seems like a tremendous resource as well as entertainment source for us paddlers. I thought I would share a gift I received from a 90 year old acquaintance who hasn't canoed in nearly 50 years. He knows that I like all things canoeing and have made and owned several wooden paddles. Yesterday he asked if I might like a couple of old, well used paddles that were in his old stone basement. They were covered in spider webs and mold but I perked up immediately when I saw they were Shaw and Tenney! Quite a gift to a guy like me!! I look forward to restoring them and getting them back on the water either for my enjoyment or that of my grandsons. Now, I'll see if I can figure out how to post pics....

 

[Boatman53]

Welcome to the campfire DJ. Those look like they will clean up nicely. I have a Shaw and Tenney paddle I bought in 1970 I still use it.
Jim

 

[Benson Gray]

Nice paddle, Shaw & Tenney has a long history. They advertised 1858 as their founding date and as being the "Successor to T. J. Shaw & Company of Boston" since at least 1919. The exact source of this founding date isn't clear. An old sign shown on their website lists an 1856 date. They were first identified as Shaw & Tenney in the 1908 issue of the Maine Register. Previous issues back to 1861 had listed them as W. C. Taylor and Company. The purchase of the Taylor company by T. J. Shaw of Boston was announced in the local newspaper on September 9th, 1900. Taylor was also shown as an owner of the Orono Manufacturing Company in 1869. This company was first incorporated in 1847. The Shaw company of Boston has a similarly long history. A set of T. J. Shaw's oars were displayed at Faneuil Hall by the Charitable Mechanic Association in September, 1850.

Benson

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

DJ, welcome to site membership! Feel free to ask any questions and to post messages, photos and videos, and to start threads, in our many forums. Please read Welcome to CanoeTripping and Site Rules! Also, because canoeing is a geographic sport, please add your location to the Account Details page in your profile, which will cause it to show under your avatar as a clickable map link. Many of the site's technical features are explained in Features: Help and How-To Running Thread. We look forward to your participation in our canoe community.

Congrats on your classic paddles. That long one can be used while standing. What kind of canoe is that in your avatar photo?

 

[D J Hayes]

DJ, welcome to site membership! Feel free to ask any questions and to post messages, photos and videos, and to start threads, in our many forums. Please read Welcome to CanoeTripping and Site Rules! Also, because canoeing is a geographic sport, please add your location to the Account Details page in your profile, which will cause it to show under your avatar as a clickable map link. Many of the site's technical features are explained in Features: Help and How-To Running Thread. We look forward to your participation in our canoe community.

Congrats on your classic paddles. That long one can be used while standing. What kind of canoe is that in your avatar photo?

Glenn, thank you! The canoe is a 16 foot square stern Old Town wood and canvas rowing boat built between 1949-1950. The stand up paddle may prove helpful in sneaking up on lily pad bass

 

[D J Hayes]

Nice paddle, Shaw & Tenney has a long history. They advertised 1858 as their founding date and as being the "Successor to T. J. Shaw & Company of Boston" since at least 1919. The exact source of this founding date isn't clear. An old sign shown on their website lists an 1856 date. They were first identified as Shaw & Tenney in the 1908 issue of the Maine Register. Previous issues back to 1861 had listed them as W. C. Taylor and Company. The purchase of the Taylor company by T. J. Shaw of Boston was announced in the local newspaper on September 9th, 1900. Taylor was also shown as an owner of the Orono Manufacturing Company in 1869. This company was first incorporated in 1847. The Shaw company of Boston has a similarly long history. A set of T. J. Shaw's oars were displayed at Faneuil Hall by the Charitable Mechanic Association in September, 1850.

Benson

Hi Benson, thanks for your insight on Shaw and Tenney! Our son is a forestry professor at U Maine so I have had the privilege of talking paddle making with Sam Martenelli on a couple of occasions. I have a couple of Shaw and Tenney paddles as well as two sets of oars; straight and spoon for the Old Town rowboat in my avatar. So, yes I am "bitten by the bug". Here's a Shaw and Tenney my son and grandsins gifted me after we went down the Allagash together a few years back...

 

[D J Hayes]

Welcome to the campfire DJ. Those look like they will clean up nicely. I have a Shaw and Tenney paddle I bought in 1970 I still use it.
Jim

Thanks Jim! I used some Murphy's oil soap and did the initial cleanup. There is some blade end damage to the shorter paddle so I'll need to take a little wood off but am looking forward to restoring them.
Dan

 

[Boreal Birch]

Welcome Dan, is that a Gordon Setter in your avatar?

 

[Crawforde]

Welcome!
I have a very similar standing paddle from Shaw and Tenney it was great fun in my old Dagger that I used for standing paddling and poling back in the 90s. It is a fun way to paddle and fish in the right canoe.
I got it out and used it in my Minette the other day. I had a nice swim.
It’s going to take some getting back into practice!

 

[D J Hayes]

Welcome Dan, is that a Gordon Setter in your avatar?

Yes, that's 2 year old Maisie and my old row boat is the only watercraft I own that I trust her in so far. If you know setters, they take a whole lot of patience waiting for "maturity".