Wood Skis Retro- need help to identify please before I cut them for a chair

[frontfive]

Yes I am doing it, cutting up some of these skis to make an Adirondack chair. Before I get cutting I was hoping to get more info & maybe keep the better sets for display. Im most curious to know what wood each ski is made from, how the bindings worked, & what the carved numbers/markings signify. Also any upcycle ideas for the bindings when I remove them? My friend Google has failed me after several hours of searching, hoping my Pugski friends can fair better

9 pairs total, 8 alpine & 1 nordic

Skis lined up with my chair base. Wood is white cedar from Vermont, cut in Jackson NH by a local wood shop. I plan to leave it unfinished, it will naturally patina to a silvery gray

Lund skis, label states Minn but I think they might have come from a local Lund factory in Laconia NH. Is 5192 a serial number?

These skis are labeled Dartmouth, wood has a reddish tinge & has faded irregularly. Stamped 6 & 4389

Tip & label of Dartmouth skis

Unknown brand, stamped H, 6, & 59

Unknown brand, stamped Maple, 56 (with the 6 underlined), 9917

Viking, brownish paint/stain on top of the wood, no other markings, square nipple tip

Le Trappeur brand, blue shiny paint patina, metal edges, stamped 175 & 5257 (assume 175 is the length)

Red shiny patina, eval edges, B3 190, & 3688 (assume 190 is the length)

Erbauher Ski made in Germany, RIX appears to be owners initials

Just another configuration for the chair back. I like the pop of adding 1 color ski, but going with solely natural wood looks pretty amazing. Im on the fence & can't decide

 

[Philpug]

Some might disagree but just because something is old, does not make it valuable. Unless any of these have some significance, I would say use them for a chair. We have some old woodedn skis that do have significance, they belong to @Tricia's great uncle. Those won't be cut up and are on display in our house. I have the k2 610-910 collection that I was going to make into a headboard and footboard but even though they didn't have any sentimental value, I couldn't bring myself to cut them up.

If you are going to put skis up for display, I would just suggest they mean something verses just psuedo artwork for decor.

 

[Tony S]

The XCs could be from the 70s. Tops are in great shape. If they both still have (equal) camber they're still very skiable. To me they don't fit with the others. My two cents.

I had skis much like the blue ones as a kid in the sixties. They were second-hand even then.

It would be good to see the bases.

 

[crgildart]

Ya, most of those are so old that anyone who has any kind of attachment to them and memories of skiing them is now too old to recreate that memory and ski them Also probably retired on fixed income so not going to pay a lot of money for something like that. No real $$$ value. At best, 60s skis are the oldest ones a few might still want to save for actual skiing. Anything older than that is probably already in a museum if it belongs there. They'll make an excellent chair. +1 on the far right XC skis not a close enough match for that chair though..

 

[Tony S]

If it were me I'd use three pair of the unpainted ones in a 123321 pattern.

 

[cantunamunch]

I just had a flash image of Sam Maloof blocking out growth rings and flipping them upside down to get the seat contour right.

- Yes, he used to do that but afaict he never did an Adirondack chair.

 

[frontfive]

I should probably clarify- none are sentimental & purchased over many years of visiting yardsales & old barns for $10 or less per pair. I view this as my craft stash. I upcycle all sorts of vintage finds & always try to do a little research & learn more about the items before I cut them up. Its a fun hobby & thats the value to me. As for displaying in the skis- im not wall mounting but thinking of taking a pair or a single to mount upright by the front door & attach my house numbers. Working on the curb appeal & rehabing the front porch which is where my chair will reside. I also turned a wall mounted ski into a kitchen sign so I try to make it mine vs. random decor

 

[cantunamunch]

Working on the curb appeal & rehabing the front porch which is where my chair will reside

I would use Rubio Monocoat - you can now get small samples in a variety of colours - and match the ski's existing topsheet patina, black on the bases.

OFC, if you like the smell of pine tar, you could go that route for the bases.

 

[frontfive]

I would use Rubio Monocoat - you can now get small samples in a variety of colours - and match the ski's existing topsheet patina, black on the bases.

OFC, if you like the smell of pine tar, you could go that route for the bases.

Thanks, I just looked it up!

 

[Vintageski808]

Personally i wouldnt destroy them. They are a part of history that soon will be forgotten. But it is your property not mine. Ill give ya credit, though, that you are actually putting some artistic thought behind your craft. Because I see people making chairs with new skis that have no rhyme, reason, or visual appeal. As far as the skis go http://www.woodenskis.com/ is a great reference for old brands. I can tell ya a few things. Jarvinen is a norwegain brand. I sold a pair like that for $90 last year. So I wouldnt call them useless. Price and value can be very subjective. Lund was one of the biggest ski manufactures up to the 60s. Check and make sure none of the skis have three grooves especially the dartmouth skis. If any of the do contact me and I'll easily pay $150 for them. Best of luck.

 

[Uncle-A]

Yes I am doing it, cutting up some of these skis to make an Adirondack chair. Before I get cutting I was hoping to get more info & maybe keep the better sets for display. Im most curious to know what wood each ski is made from, how the bindings worked, & what the carved numbers/markings signify. Also any upcycle ideas for the bindings when I remove them? My friend Google has failed me after several hours of searching, hoping my Pugski friends can fair better

View attachment 102032
9 pairs total, 8 alpine & 1 nordic

View attachment 102033
Skis lined up with my chair base. Wood is white cedar from Vermont, cut in Jackson NH by a local wood shop. I plan to leave it unfinished, it will naturally patina to a silvery gray

View attachment 102034
Lund skis, label states Minn but I think they might have come from a local Lund factory in Laconia NH. Is 5192 a serial number?

View attachment 102035
These skis are labeled Dartmouth, wood has a reddish tinge & has faded irregularly. Stamped 6 & 4389

View attachment 102036
Tip & label of Dartmouth skis

View attachment 102037
Unknown brand, stamped H, 6, & 59

View attachment 102038
Unknown brand, stamped Maple, 56 (with the 6 underlined), 9917

View attachment 102039
Viking, brownish paint/stain on top of the wood, no other markings, square nipple tip

View attachment 102040
Le Trappeur brand, blue shiny paint patina, metal edges, stamped 175 & 5257 (assume 175 is the length)

View attachment 102041

View attachment 102042
Red shiny patina, eval edges, B3 190, & 3688 (assume 190 is the length)

View attachment 102043
Erbauher Ski made in Germany, RIX appears to be owners initials

View attachment 102044
Just another configuration for the chair back. I like the pop of adding 1 color ski, but going with solely natural wood looks pretty amazing. Im on the fence & can't decide

The Le Trappeur ski may be from the ski boot manufacturer with a similar name. Are they made in France or Canada? I don't think they have any value but I do not know for sure.

 

[Uncle-A]

The natural wood skis may be Hickory wood and it may be easy to tell when you remove the bindings and see the wood underneath, the wood would be cleaner and easier to ID the type.

If it was my choice I would NOT mix a color painted ski in with the natural wood skis, but that is just me. Are you going to check for splinters and sand them down so they do not stick someone in the back or seat?

 

[cantunamunch]

The natural wood skis may be Hickory wood and it may be easy to tell when you remove the bindings and see the wood underneath, the wood would be cleaner and easier to ID the type.

And now I'm getting a flash of Richard Jagels putting on his deerstalker cap.

 

[Popeye Cahn]

What ever you do, if you make these into the chair I would make sure to either remove the bindings or rotate the skis so that the bindings are on the backside of the chair

 

[Wilhelmson]

First thought on the lunds maple. Dartmouth sure looks like oak but i dont know if they would use that.

Even the ems wood skis are hard to find for cheap. They used to give them away so its a racket.

How about a lead test before sanding?

 

[cantunamunch]

How about a lead test before sanding?

Great reason to not sand.

 

[frontfive]

Im thinking of going with all natural skis. The more i look at the pictures, blue & red are out. Good point about lead potential & sanding.

I will sand all cuts & ensure the seat is smooth. Im thinking the mix of different wood grains will look nice.

Anyone have insight into the numbers? Do the relate to number of production & size? Wonder if different woods had a number assigned to it.

 

[Uncle-A]

I like the configuration in the last photo. The numbers seem to be serial number and length, having said that the serial number may reference a production run and what type of material that was used or sourced. The records of the production run are most likely to be lost to history.

 

[Vintageski808]

Also, just to ad. The skis with the the "nipple tips" are probably 1920s or teens. So they are probably 100 year old skis.

 

[James]

Yes I am doing it, cutting up some of these skis to make an Adirondack chair. Before I get cutting I was hoping to get more info & maybe keep the better sets for display. Im most curious to know what wood each ski is made from, how the bindings worked, & what the carved numbers/markings signify. Also any upcycle ideas for the bindings when I remove them? My friend Google has failed me after several hours of searching, hoping my Pugski friends can fair better

View attachment 102033
Skis lined up with my chair base. Wood is white cedar from Vermont, cut in Jackson NH by a local wood shop. I plan to leave it unfinished, it will naturally patina to a silvery gray

Actually looks cool with the bindings on. Why not just turn them around and leave the bindings? More of a conversation on how people attached themselves to skis.