Arkansas Canoe Club Forums

Recently bought a used Buffalo brand canoe. It's their 16 foot model. I've read in this forum that the hulls aren't as strong 2009 and after. How do I determine when my canoe was manufactured?

ON a side note, I REALLY want a Buffalo brand decal, the rounded type, for both sides of my canoe. Like the ones that come out of the factory that is now closed. Any help??

Thanks in advance for any help!

BangBang, consensus seems to be that "newer" Royalex took longer to cure than the older stuff, so later vintage boats recently off the factory floor would be more prone to dents, gouges, etc. Since your boat is four years old it's had plenty of time to finish curing so that shouldn't be an issue. Not sure where you could find decals. Maybe check with the outfitters on the upper river. Good luck.

I have a buddy who had a post 2009 Buffalo. He split it almost in 2 halves in Jump Start on the Mulberry, on it's third time in the water. Looking at the cross section of the break, it doesn't look like the old Royalex. Instead of vinyl-ABS-foam-ABS-Vinyl. His boat is thin vinyl - thick foam - thin vinyl. I don't think it's the same stuff. -M-

Mike, just curious. Was it a new boat (third time in the water altogether) or new to him boat (third time in the water for him)?

Third time on the water. He still has it and it's been awhile since I've seen it . So I'm going over there now to get some pix. I'll post them if I can.-M-

Well, this just got a bit scary.... Please report back. Anyone else having these kinds of problems?

Upon much closer inspection, there are 5 distinct layers, though very thin and a thicker layer of foam with visible bubbles in it. It has no Buffalo markings on it. He bought it in Garfield as a "Buffalo Blem". What ever that means. Might not even be a Buffalo, I guess. -M-

Pix of the boat in question.

Another angle.

The older Royalex I've seen, some being my own Probe 14, as well as wrapped and busted boats back in the day. The plastic layers were thicker, and the foam layer thinner and more closed cell. Am I wrong? -M-

magicmike wrote:The older Royalex I've seen, some being my own Probe 14, as well as wrapped and busted boats back in the day. The plastic layers were thicker, and the foam layer thinner and more closed cell. Am I wrong? -M-

That is the case when I compare my Blue Hole Sunburst (circa 1980s) to my Mad River Explorer (circa 2012ish). Can't say whether it's part of the trend overall because I don't have that kind of experience.

"Plastic Is The New Royalex! "-M-

Couple of years ago, Kim brought home half of a purple Buffalo that their group salvaged off the Buffalo. I noticed then that the "royalex" being used looked nothing like what I was used to in other boats. Very thin in it's construction with no rigidity to speak of. Not to mention that the gunnels were simply vinyl with no other material to lend strength.

I finally made that piece of junk into a set of shelves.

Roger - I forgot to mention the gunnels on this boat. As you said. They're different. Very brittle and hard. The vinyl gunnels on the Probe feel rubbery, and the ones on his boat feel ready to snap.-M-

The last two numbers of the serial number will tell you what year any boat was mfg. It will be on rear starbord side.