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Bell Canoes... No longer in business?!?!?!

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:12 pm
by riverrunningmaniac
I guess I must have been hiding under a rock for the last couple years. I was looking at the bell canoe page, called to inquire about flotation bags and found out that Bell Canoe Works is out of business and has been for a while. After being purchased by ORC they have now decided to let the company die off and become a thing of the past... very sad!!! Here is the only article I found on the topic....

http://www.norcalcanoeing.com/?p=202" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: Bell Canoes... No longer in business?!?!?!

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 7:08 pm
by Mikey B
Last I saw, I believe Ted Bell is starting up another company...although the solo models like the Wildfire, flashfire, starfire I believe are being made by Colden?

Re: Bell Canoes... No longer in business?!?!?!

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 7:09 pm
by skrag
http://www.northstarcanoes.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bell's been gone so long that Ted Bell is already back in business for himself again. I doubt he'll be making WW boats anytime soon, but the new trippers are just as great as they ever were.

Re: Bell Canoes... No longer in business?!?!?!

Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 3:11 pm
by skrag
http://www.coldencanoe.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You're right, Mike. Colden's making those Yost designs now. I've seen a couple of Flashfires with white gelcoats on the hull and the kevlar running up and wrapped around the gunwales to the inside. It's a strikingly cool detail.

Re: Bell Canoes... No longer in business?!?!?!

Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 5:56 pm
by RodS
Unrelated, but can anyone confirm whether Clipper is no longer making Vipers? I cannot find them on their website...

Re: Bell Canoes... No longer in business?!?!?!

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2014 1:23 pm
by pblanc
RodS wrote:Unrelated, but can anyone confirm whether Clipper is no longer making Vipers? I cannot find them on their website...
When Clipper recently redesigned their website, the listing for Vipers and Probes disappeared. A friend of mine called Marlin Bayes and was informed that, yes, Clipper still makes both.