ABOUT WATER SPIRITS
MINIATURE MODEL CANOES

Made on the north shore of Shagawa Lake in Ely, Minnesota, the Canoe Capital of the World, and only a few miles from the famed Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), these handmade miniature model canoes are uniquely crafted with a high degree of attention to detailed accuracy and uncompromising quality. Over three years was spent in the development of the processes and equipment necessary for creating these canoes.

What makes the Water Spirits canoes unique is the single-piece construction of the hull, it's impeccable finish and shape, and the perfectly proportioned seats, decks, thwarts and keel. To our knowledge, no comparable canoes are made anywhere in the world.

The canoe starts out as an 18 1/2" cedar block which undergoes a succession of procedures involving sawing, routers, and a great deal of sanding, to yield a precisely-shaped hull which is only 1/8" thick overall, and even features carved-in gunwales inside and out. The contours of the interior follow the outside curves extremely closely, right down to the "tumblehome" of the hull (the inward curve of the upper portion of the hull sides).

After the addition of decks and a keel, the canoe is meticulously fine-sanded absolutely smooth inside and out, vividly revealing the radiance and beauty of the wood's grain. Next, the "Water Spirits" logo, production date, and artist's signature (Emil Bjorkman) are unobtrusively imprinted on the inside rear of the bottom. Three coats of satin finish polyurethane are then painstakingly applied by hand-rubbing. Lastly, the thwarts and replica cane seats are securely bonded to the hull. The result is a hauntingly realistic canoe image in miniature, evocative of the cedar and canvas models prevalent in the BWCAW prior to the introduction of aluminum, fiberglass and composite canoe technology. See Shop Highlights for more details.

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Typical example of an 18 1/2" canoe

Made in USA

Included with the canoe is a display base of cedar shaped to resemble the shadow or reflection of a canoe on the water. The base is finished in the same manner as the canoe and has blue felt on the bottom to prevent scratches. Also included is a set of scale paddles.

Handmade paddles are a perfect match for the canoes. The rear paddle is longer and a bit narrower than the front paddle, just like the real thing.