I just downloaded the Bennett Catalog. All I can say is very “Clarkesque”. Rusty and Rick Hamon seem to be on-board. Many of the “R’s” are former Clark plugs. Terry Martin also contributed quite a few. Which is good, because he’s one of the very best in the world. The rest are filled in by Barry Bennet. These blanks apear to be “close- tolerance” and it looks like these folks are attempting to fill the Clark gap. While there are plenty of foam companies coming forward to satisfy the demand, no one so far has attempted to step into the area of close-tolerance. They are also offering some variety in stringers and glues. I have used a couple of the various foams available and intend to use several others before I settle into just one or two over the next year. US Foam (considering their slow start-up) probably would have done better to go with these guys or some other supplier for Fiberglass Hawaii. Bennett USA has done what everyone said Clark should have done years ago; set up operations in Baja
bennet mexico is a better name. nothing like skirting the environmental laws of the US . I here the foam tears quite a bite. As far as close tolerance who needs those every production shaper (the ones who buy a majority of the blanks ) us a machine any how . US shapers need to buy US made foam . There is plenty out there walker, just foam, and there are a few others just find them.
So Scott; Do you think that if Clark had not shut down and had actually moved his operation to Mexico that everyone would have stopped buying his blanks?. I know Walker is a good foam and that your motivation to plug them is the fact that you are a distributor. I’ll be buying several myself hopefully on this current mainland trip. I’d just as soon buy them from you as I am staying near Ventura. I certainly wish your business well. The simple fact is that it is too difficult to get blanks in the Hawaiian Islands from Walker. At least they’ve got a functioning website now. Still no direct contact or pricing info regarding options,stringers etc. I for one am not going to limit myself to one foam this time around. Quality is important, but a good price has to fit in there somewhere. Don’t forget that if Walkers deal with the Chinese could have been worked out we’d probably be shaping Walkers from China.
Just Foams stand on buying US made. In the beginning of the Clark closure I was approached by 3 major surfboard manufacturers who requested I make laminates stating Just Foam, Made in the USA. I now have those laminates. Since then all 3 of those major brands have purchased offshore foam and continue to do so. Each of them also buys my foam, no harm no foul. Japan is more interested in buying US made foam than US manufacturers. I did not move to Mexico because I felt the quality control issue alone was worth staying in the US. I still feel that way today and I may pay dearly for it in workmans comp alone. I have spent many years in Mexico and have a lot of experience with financing manufacturing companies who moved there, only to move back again because of the quality control issues.
Bottom line, people tell you one thing and do another. Very few people in the USA care about buying US made goods. I know for a fact there are many major surfboard manufacturers buying low grade foam offshore because it saves them $5 a blank. Business is business and it will always be that way. Some people have definite standards and some peoples standards change with the wind. Most peoples standards change with the wind, it usually doesn’t take a strong wind either. I go to work each day and manufacture something I know is better than the next guy, it costs more money, more time and more energy. Is it worth it? As long as I can survive manufacturing in the USA I will remain here.
Aloha and get wet today (but not at lowers 
Scott
Just Foam
My first impression of Bennett USA blanks is a good one. Once I go through about 50 or so I’ll have a more definitive idea on their overall consistency. Generally their foam characteristics is somewhere in the middle between Clarks and Surfblanks Australia. I figure that by this time next year most board builder will pretty much know which foam manufactures make the good stuff and can deliver it on a timely basis. Then it will be a matter of price. Some of the stuff thats being passed off as first quality today isn’t going to be accepted once the competition starts up. For those foam companies that for whatever reason haven’t yet got a hold of their quality control, time is running out. You’ll be out of business before you know it.
Those are good sensible comments. Thanks for the input. They called me today. I’m going down to Bashams(sp) next week to take a look at the foam. You are certainly right about one thing: Once the quality issues are resolved it’s going to get down to price and service. I don’t really care what anybody says about how you have to be a real “He-man” shaper to shape some of these blanks that are of higher tolerance than Clarks were: Time is Money! I’m using Surfblanks in the Islands and can get them milled right there at the warehouse, but I don’t get every blank I buy milled. I heard someone on this site say that the extra tolerance doesn’t matter because most shapers are using CNC. Well many maybe, but not all. Custom orders are not usually identical. I’m filling out a 20’ container that is about half full of tools personal houshold crap, a few old surfboards and a few Clarks that I have had in storage for four or five years. I’m not sure what I can get in there, but it’s less than half full now. I’m going to buy a few of every Foam co. available here in Calif. I’ll carefully notate the quality and price of each. They’ll go back to my shaping room on Maui for further evaluation.
By the way I was told today that they are adding all of the Clark “S’s” . Must have made a deal with Stewart. Those were some nice blanks.
About 10 maybe 12 years ago, Bennett tried to make a run on the US market, When I was doing boards in so-cal there was a small amount of us that ran with it for a bit, Myself, the guy who did Baltierra whose name escapes me now and Blake Case I think used the most of it. Until the clark hammer came down. Bennett was not in a position yet to have a strong presence and no garuntees of time and volume of blanks that would be available. The foam then was great I prefered it over clark, Blake did as well, but nobody would be able to function if we couldnt get Clark and Bennett didnt follow through. So everyone kind of backed off the Bennett train, But the foam was great had excellent shaping properties and the blanks were very consistant. The fact that they are making a run back in the us is pretty exciting, They have alot of longevity in Aus, Central and South america and they have pretty good molds, well did at the time.
If you get a chance download their catalogue and check the blanks that are currently available. They are doing various stringer combinations and I was told they would do any stringer combo(foam or wood) and custom rocker that I wanted. I am excited to. It is great to have so many choices and not be under threat of the “Black Ball”.
the problem is it is still polyurethane foam most with t.d.i /m.d.i which is not good for the enviroment or the people using it . as that most surfer don’t care anyways, its all about the mighty dollar. better boards keep coming out of china at prices that we cant even make boards here at, if the industry keeps old technology soon their will be no industry in the u.s.a.
most of the big names are all going to china or off shore.and the small guys wont be able to keep up with the price war ,
the surf industry has changed and will keep changing and their is not much we can do about it
but build better boards using better material and technology and keeping it in the u.s.a
McDing-
Feel free to stop by Foam E-Z on your way down to Baschems. We’re receiving some Bennett samples today and some King-Mac samples tomorrow. It will give you a good chance to look at all new blanks coming into the market (except US Blanks). We have all the Walker blanks, which have gotten tremendously better in the past month and half. They’re using a new glue that’s more rubbery as too alleviate the problem of rolling glue balls.
Introduce your self when you stop by so we can put the name with the face.
Look forward to meeting you soon-
Brad
Nigel— I wil stop buy. Have been in your shop before. See ya there.
Like I said ‘It’s nice to have choices’ You have yours and I have mine. I suppose since there is now a flood of PU foam on the market that epoxy proponents will now try to shame people into using their products.
i would not know i do not sell epoxy proponents you can use epoxy but we mostly do polyester and we are working with some polyurathane resins which we fell might be stronger and lighter and less voc’s then anything on the market today we also work with a lot of the PU and their is so much inconsistancies that you dont even know how the board is going to work???
Anyone know who is making a comprable 6’2"C in PU now?
cut the nose off a 6’9" walker it will work fine
Just shaped a 6’1"HTM (Terry Martin) from Bennett. Great fish blank.
Where you guys getting your bennett blanks from?