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When I am not making photographs or out canoeing and I am particularly interested in traditional tools such as setting poles and traditional canoe paddle designs. Since I could not find proper canoe setting pole shoes I decided to make a pattern for casting them in bronze. I am now having them cast by a local bronze foundry after which I do the final finishing and drill the two screw holes. I use these shoes myself and I have found that they are very effective both at helping the end of the pole sink to the bottom and at "grabbing" the bottom so that you can get a good push. For those who care about aesthetics, they also look very pretty on the end of a nice wood pole! See the section below on history and materials for more information about canoe pole shoes as well as for a discussion of why I decided to use bronze rather than another material like iron. Each shoe weighs approximately ten ounces and comes with three oval head silicon bronze screws to fasten the shoe to your pole (one screw is a spare). The shoes are about 4-1/2" long overall and the outside diameter at the open end is about 1-3/8". However, please note that due to the inherent variability of the sand casting process these dimension are not exact. Below is an approximate cross-section of a pole shoe.
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Price
I sell these shoes for $29 each. For orders shipped to Massachusetts addresses please add 6.25% sales tax. If you are interesting in volume pricing (8 or more shoes in one order) please contact me for wholesale pricing.
Shipping
I normally ship orders via U.S. Mail but in some cases I use FedEx Ground or UPS Ground based on what is most cost effective for the quantity ordered and the destination. If you need faster shipping or need me to use a particular shipping method, please contact me for a price quote. Shipping rates for standard shipping are as follows:
| Quantity Ordered | US Shipping (including Alaska and Hawaii) |
Canada Shipping (US$) | Notes regarding shipments to Canada: |
| 1-4 shoes | $10.00 | $32.00* | |
| 5-7 shoes | $16.00 | Please contact me | |
| 8+ shoes | $20.00 | Please contact me | |
| For shipping to countries other than the USA and Canada please contact me for a price quote. | |||
Ordering Information
There are three ways in which you can place your order:
- Use the links below to open the order form, print it out, fill it out, and send it to me at the address on the form, along with a check or money order made out to "B.G.Hooke Design." For orders placed with a check, I reserve the right to hold your order until the check clears. Click on these links to access the order form in PDF format or as a web page.
- OR send your payment to me via PayPal. My PayPal address is bruce@bghooke.com. Just say in the notes area how many shoes you are ordering.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me in any of the following ways:
- email: bruce@bghooke.com
- phone:
- U.S. Mail: Bruce Hooke, 278 Prospect St., Plainfield, MA 01070
History & Materials
In the days when loggers, trappers, and many others depending on canoes to get around in the woods and get their job done, it was frequently necessary to travel upstream. As anyone who has tried it can tell you, paddling upstream is slow, hard work, because you are pushing with your paddle against water that is moving the opposite direction. It's like trying to walk up a down escalator. For upstream travel in shallow rivers poling is a much more effective means of propelling a canoe because you are pushing against the fixed bottom of the river.
When poling was common, places that made lumbering tools also often made iron canoe pole shoes. These shoes were hand forged by wrapping a thin sheet of hot metal around a plug. This made sense in the days when labor was cheap and materials were expensive. Today, it makes more sense to cast the shoes in bronze because the materials are now relatively cheap and once the pattern is made the casting process is relatively efficient. Bronze is hard enough so that it should take MANY years of heavy use to wear out one bronze pole shoe.
Lifetime Guaranty
If at any time you are not satisfied with your canoe setting pole shoe you can return it to me for a full refund (if the return is made within 60 days) or a replacement (if I have replacements available, otherwise I will refund your money). Unless I made a mistake with your order, shipping costs are not refunded.
Privacy
I will not sell or give your email address or other personal information to anyone else without your permission, except as necessary to fill your order, or as necessary to report fraud or similar issues, or if I am legally required to do so.
Phone: (413) 634-0313