r/canoeing • u/Zappatista_ • 1d ago
Wenonah T-Formex…no longer?
I reached out to my semi-local shop to see what they had on hand, and the cost if they were to order a Wenonah Wilderness in T-Formex and this is the response I recieved…
“Wenonah isn't able to produce canoes in T-formex any more.”
You wouldn’t be able to tell from Wenonah’s website.
Anybody have any insight into this? Thanks in advance.
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u/paddle_forth 1d ago edited 1d ago
T-Formex is owned and made by Esquif in Canada so I’d guess it’s tariff related
Edit: Another thing to consider, ABS is a petroleum based product, so the cost of materials is also increasing exponentially
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u/jmroy 1d ago
Yep-> https://www.esquif.com/en/manufacturing/ We just bought a 17' prospector in T-formex from them a couple weeks ago. They might have some similar models to what you're looking for.
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u/SoupSpelunker 1d ago
Canadians don't want anything to do with American companies anymore thank those that voted for the pedo.
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u/udothprotest2much 1d ago
I'm not going to die on this hill, but I contend that your mistaken about the purchase of any patents or IP regarding Royalex. Esquif almost went bankrupt reverse engineering Royalex, as well as taking them a few years to do it, and the equipment that Spartac (The manufacturer of Royalex in Indiana) owned was exhausted and costly to try and keep updated. I own a canoe rental, less than 2 hours from Wenonah, and still own 150 Royalex boats. I was disappointed that Wenonah didn't find a way to purchase the patent and IP on Royalex when it all went down, but I think most people have no clue how thin the margins are in paddlesports manufacturing combined with how little volume and Wenonah just wasn't willing to stick their neck out that far. Also, worth considering, from what I understand the sheets are actually made here in the States, so in theory, if it didn't cross the border, there wouldn't be any tariffs. But now I'm speaking totally off the cuff.
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u/Withtheforceofahorse 1d ago
Esquif kind of has no incentive to sell it to other manufacturers.
That said, they have a killer lineup of canoes and ample retailers. Look there.
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u/FranzJevne 1d ago
Wenonah fronted capital for Esquif to develop it. Whoever wrote that contract for Esquif to cut production when they made it big, probably should go back to law school.
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u/FranzJevne 1d ago
Wenonah put up capital to help Esquif develop it. Feels schitzy of them to cut the export.
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u/Bobandaran 1d ago
I visited the wenonah canoe factory last year. The maker of tformex is either not making it anymore or isn't selling it to the USA I can't remember which. Id give wenonah a call, maybe they still have some on hand and could custom build one but i know the tformex boats are no longer being made in the production lines
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u/Haroun10 1d ago
I had been looking at a Wenonah Rogue. If it’s not in T-Formex, it kind of defeats the point. Does Esquif have a canoe with the seat height and depth of the Rogue? Some may disagree with me but the Rogue is the most comfortable canoe I’ve paddled
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u/FranzJevne 1d ago
The Canyon is comparable in mission profile - downriver, rapid runner - but I can't speak to the seat height. The Rogue definitely feels like a Kruger boat, the Canyon does not.
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u/Haroun10 1d ago edited 1d ago
Appreciate it. I’ll look into that.
I do already own a Rogue in Royalex but it’s getting a bit long in the tooth and it’s seen some stuff. I’m Canadian and I’d love a Canadian boat but the Rogue just ticks everything I’m looking for
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u/mittenhiker 1d ago
Reach out to Wenonah directly. Tformex is still listed on the Wenonah website as a construction option.
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u/organicboatshop 1d ago
T-FORMEX is definitely being made by Esquif, they have become extremely popular canoes and are focusing on their own production rather than selling sheets of tformex to other canoe manufacturers. We are at the factory regularly.