: I understand that Northern White Cedar is an excellent material for strip
: building. Is there a difference between White Cedar and Northern White
: Cedar? Where does Northern White Cedar come from as opposed to plain White
: Cedar?

: Bobby

Northern white cedar grows across the north from Maine, upper NH & VT to upper NY, Ontario, MI, WI, MN and more.

All the tradional canoeing areas strangely enough. Without northern white cedar and birch bark the Indians might have built very different boats and we may have never liked little paddle boats.

There is Atlantic white cedar which grows in the mid Atlantic regoin but it has slightly different characteristics from nwc, though it is good for strip building and I have used it.

Northern white cedar is the most favored wood for canoe building AND strip building because it is very light-weight but most importantly it is very flexible. It is the best steam bending softwood. On traditional wood and canvas canoes the ribs are all steam bent northern white cedar and the hull is planked with northern white cedar.

It is much easier to twist and tack northern white cedar strips, when strip building a hull bottom, than with any other wood.

I use 3/16" northern white cedar strips on the bottoms of all my boats.

Northern white cedar is one of my favorite woods.

All the best,

Rob Macks
Laughing Loon CC&K
www.LaughingLoon.com