Royalex is Dead

[Mike G]

Ever since they tossed a canoe made of Royalex off the roof of the factory in 1978 this has been the workhorse material for canoe makers like Old Town. The ever popular Loon series of kayaks were made out of it also. Other manufacturers like Wenonah also rely heavily on the material. Now this is interesting. Who hasn't ridden in , owned, or considered buying a canoe or kayak made of Royalex famed for its durability?

 

Obit:

 

http://www.rapidmedia.com/canoeing/categories/news/item/1602-royalex-is-dead.html?utm_source=newsletter_22&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=rmi-aug-6&utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email

 

(BTW, I do not think we need a paddling forum. "Gear" works fine for the topic of fishing rides. I have in mind a local fishing website which seems to have collapsed from trying to have a forum for everything.)

 

 

 

[Rob G]

Interesting read Mike. I know when I was about to purchase my Wenonah Fisherman model canoe almost 15 years ago, I considered purchasing the Kevlar model because it was even lighter than the Royalex material but when I talked to people at the factory in Minnesota, they asked if I was going to be canoeing in water with a lot of rock and when I answered "yes", the woman told me that the Royalex was a much better material for that and would be more durable. I was surprised that something that was used in bullet proof vests would not be more resistant to damage but according to them, royalex was a better material for withstanding the pounding of rock. I'm sure someone will step in and pick up the business.

 

Now my question, is the proliferation of plastic kayaks the thing that has weakened the demand for Royalex?

[Mike G]

Bend, don't break. That is why royalex and rocks go together. If you have fished the Boundary Waters where everything except the trees is made out of Granite, you know rocks. It's a trade off. Since the weight difference is obvious with Royalex models weighing 50-70% more than their Kevlar siblings, it deserves some study.

 

I don't think plastic killed Royalex, though the reason is economic. The big company that bought the little company decided to jettison some dead weight in these tough economic times. A lot of us have been jettisoned at one time or another.

[Rob G]

A lot of us have been jettisoned at one time or another.

 

Today's my anniversary, I've been hoping to be jettisoned for a long time now but to no avail.

[Mike G]

Hah. I was thinking more about being let go by an employer.

 

You are,of course, joking about your blissful bond of marriage. Happy Anniversary!