Wood Suppliers

Bending Oak

We work with J.W. Swan and Sons to provide pre-cut canoe and kayak ribs, which can be shipped anywhere in the world. Occasionally we have some kayak ribs in the CFK shop that we reserve for international customers who are also ordering kayak kits, to keep shipping affordable. If that’s you, feel free to send us a message to see if we have ribs available.

If sourcing locally, it is best to visit a mill or have wood shipped from a nearby mill. Shipping long distances can be quite expensive. Make sure you are clear that you need very straight and clear wood for boatbuilding. Green (freshly cut) stock is best, but air dried can also work if not too dry or soaked in water and fabric softener for a week or two prior to bending.

Please tell us where you got your freshly sawn, clear, straight grained, white oak (or other bending wood that worked for you) so we can pass it on to other students!

Notes on purchasing wood remotely:

When purchasing bending oak without looking at it, you want to ask if the grain is straight and how much of the wood is perfectly clear. You might mention that shorter lengths are fine (example would be two 4 foot boards as opposed to a single 8 foot, unless you will be building a kayak coaming). Make sure you check the actual thickness of the wood because 4/4 can mean roughsawn a bit thicker or roughsawn to exactly an inch. In planed wood it can mean planed to an inch, or planed to ¾ inch. The same applies to 5/4 boards for kayak ribs. Check the finished rib dimension in your plan set, and ensure the wood you’re buying will be thick enough after planing.

You also want to check on shipping costs. Certain weights and certain lengths of wood can incur huge oversize fees. 8 feet long is a common cutoff. It is not reasonable to expect a supplier to rip sapwood or heartwood knots off a board to lower shipping costs, but it is reasonable to ask it be crosscut to length too avoid over-length charges.

Please email liz@capefalconkayaks.com with any corrections or additions for this list!