Not sure if there is a real name for this technique-

I was able to admire an old birchbark canoe this weekend. I noticed that the gunwales had a pretty sharp 90 degree turn up that we’re bent by “ripping” the solid gunwale into thin fingers (all still attached) and then simply bending the thinner more flexible fingers. In other words- cuts were made lengthwise into the last 2 ft of the gunwale on either side that created fingers (not unlike a table saw featherboard)

I thought this was a pretty cool technique.

I was curious if anyone has ever seen this employed on a cedar strip? Seems like kind of a cool idea to incorporate.

The gunnels where not sawn, but split to make the curve. The stem pieces were built up the same way. These days we would glue these "laminations". Bark canoe builders wrapped them tight with spruce root.

This is my favorite documentary of all time. No narrative, just ambient sound, yet it conveys all the information needed to build a canoe.

https://www.nfb.ca/film/cesars_bark_canoe/

sedges: "This is my favorite documentary of all time. No narrative, just ambient sound, yet it conveys all the information needed to build a canoe.


https://www.nfb.ca/film/cesars_bark_canoe/"

Thanks for that link...a fascinating watch! It was made in 1971? I wonder what it would cost to have a canoe made like that today?

Bark canoe builders are charging about $400-500 a foot these days. Google bark canoes for sale and you will find several. One in Upper MI lives off the grid and makes really nice canoes.