Do we know where most surfboards are made and what shaping process they use? For instance Tudor Surfboards. Where are they made now and how are they shaped? We can use the 90% rule because I know that most companies will hand shape you a board if you ask and pay but I have a bet with a friend, he says that 95% of all companies now machine shape and 50% of all surfboards are now made overseas? Anyone?
Gregg
…welcome to the reality
most shapes in the world are made by machine and finished by mostly ghostshapers (in the big shops) or for the head shaper in an average shop…
there are lots of boards with the handmade lam that are machined and only hand finished
and fellas, give me a break with that mumbo jumbo about the master touch etc
the master touch is in the real curves when you handshape from the raw blank or an average blank but not when you just got everything ready
with this method and if you re a shaper is impossible to f++k the curves
even for a hobbyist
only business
what happened with the real deal between 2 men?
Drive South a couple hundred miles and you can get a variety of high quality hand shaped sticks in just about any medium you want. Wood, eps, poly, vacuum bagged, etc…
Well Surftech (Cobra) has it’s manufacturing done in Thailand? I believe Firewire has a lot of it’s work done in Thailand as well. NSP and the like, Thailand again I believe. Bic, France (Balsa, was this your idea?). So maybe I should move to Thailand? Then I can have security guards with M16’s as well!
Bic, France (Balsa, was this your idea?).
SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
(Nobody knew -untill now that is- that I actually own BIC)
Quote:Bic, France (Balsa, was this your idea?).
SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
(Nobody knew -untill now that is- that I actually own BIC)
LOL!
You know that company was started by the ball-point pen guys to keep the Baron of Bich’s son happy!!!
(yep, they dropped the “h” of the family name when making the company name, not understanding that they could have made every ballpoint pen their Bich!!)
Guys, we go through this every few months. I am doing handshapes for a local guy on the qs. he gets most of his boards through a shaper at BASE. machine shapes finished by a very reputable shaper. Still machine shapes never the less. There is no way I can keep up with the supply as well as other orders and work a real job. I’m dreaming. The guys who make surfboards for a living and need the income thus have to do the volume , pay insurance , rent ,mortgage, cars , superanuation and the rest of the crap that goes with it. At the end of the day if you want an off the rack merrick be prepared to have a machine shape touched up by a ghost shaper. If you are prepared to wait for a custom and pay the same money go ahead order it.
How many of the customs come off machines?
I think quite a few, particiularly if the shaper has a library of proven shapes: 6’2" wide, thick; 6’2" wide, thin; etc. etc. But the shaper then spends more time tweaking the rails, etc.
It’s not that different to when shapers were using profilers to get rockers right. Now both the rocker and outline come out close to ready.
Maybe the question is “how many modern boards are untoched by machines other than hand held planers, sanders, etc?”
Your so right , I use a profiler myself occasionally.
…well, my response was for another question
but regarding what your saying my opinion is:
I make a living building boards too
from start to finish
and I dont use and dont want to use a machine to shape my boards
that is only business not labor of love (for me-and Im not a hippy thinking in good ole times)
Im talking about a relation between 2 parts
for me is very pleasant that someone do something with his hands for me (more if its functional)
you say cars, rent, etc
I have a motorcycle, but because I can
if I cannot, I dont want one
rent, I dont pay rent, my wshop is in my house, etc
ask for ex G Liddle (that his boards are often showed here) if he want the machine to do more boards or if he can manage the volume of orders that normally has by hand
2 choices
Reverb, you restore my faith. Thanks.
If I didn’t buzz off the build myself, I would deffinately feel better about buying a board that someone with your attitude had built.
Resistance is never fultile.
tudor boards are made in encinitas on the Hill. from machine cut to shape to glass to shiped , all in the same big building. yes most of the shapes come off the machine. they were shaped by stu kenson(shortboards) and bill shrosbee(longboards). after stu left, tom eberly steped in. while eberly was in nicaraguara, steve ford would finish, who did a really nice job finishing em off. brian syzmanski would also finish them too, shros would finish all longboards. these boards had to be finished off perfectly because they would all get color work on them. i’ve yet to find a shaper whos finish work is as good or better than tom eberly’s.
for most of the last 11 years all tudor short boards were done at tom eberly’s west coast glassing, who then sold it too steve ford a few years ago. all longboards were done right next door at channin. both shops specialized in what they did so it worked out for tudor. now they are all done at channin and west coast glassing is no more, but if you need ding repair done you can go there as it is now Dink King, owned by brian syzmanski.
joel’s got a new line coming out with a surprise new shaper with new shapes, new name. older designs will still be available. new designs are being made and developed as we speak …check his website for details.
It is all a lifestyle choice. If that is the way you go good for you.I am similar in my endeavor .
Aloha Gregg
I shape all my boards by hand. I don’t use a shaping machine. Additionally, I currently also glass them.
My feelings are similar to Reverbs. I enjoy the craft of shaping and using a machine would reduce the satisfaction. Shaping is a sort of meditation for me. But also a wonderful buzz. If I shape in the evening it takes me a few hours to wind down afterwards, because I get so ramped up. The combinations of physical exercise and intense concentration, invigorates me to a high level. On the other hand, it is hard work and giving up some of it to a machine is an attractive proposition, especially if one is doing in excess of 10 boards a week or more.
I have no problem with machines or anyone who uses them. The flaw in the current system is that customers aren’t really told the truth about the issue. They aren’t really told a lie either, rather there is a just a deafening silence regarding the issue. It is not an issue of which method is better then the other, it is whether or not the customer has access to the information that would allow them to make an educated decision regarding their purchase. And whether or not they might prefer one version over another.
In all arts and crafts, there is (or should be) a very clear distinction between the “Original” and the “Replica”. For many, the Replica may be just fine functionally, artistically, and emotionally. And more power to them if that is the case! But for others only the ORIGINAL will do. And an industry (including its media) must also honor these customers desires by educating them about ORIGINAL WORKS and that with maybe a ittle extra effort, they can enjoy the pleasure of owning them.
Customers have every right to know, for example, whether or not they are purchasing an original movie poster from the original release of the Endless Summer. Or if they are purchasing a recent reproduction of the same. Hanging proudly in the den, behind the Tiki Bar, it may make very little difference to many guests at the cocktail party. But whether or not a particular piece of artwork is an ORIGINAL or a print, does matter and should always matter.
Problem is… it simply won’t matter, if people aren’t educated to the fact that these differences exist and there is great value in knowing that it does. If the culture of an industry, over time, neglects to honor the reality, of THE DIFFERENCE, there will be very little value bestowed on ORIGINAL WORKS and there will be therefore, even less value (other then personal) in anyone being a PRODUCER of ORIGINAL WORKS. This then… will be a very sad day…
I shape all my boards by hand. I don’t use a shaping machine. Additionally, I currently also glass them.
So do I.
Now, if only I could make them as good as BB…
joel’s got a new line coming out with a surprise new shaper with new shapes, new name. older designs will still be available. new designs are being made and developed as we speak …check his website for details.
Does Joel have a new line coming out or a new old line coming out?
Exellent post Bill Barfield. The huge issues in our industry and one I harp on alot are the exageration, ommision and lies that exist as a staple for many selling surf products. I think much of it stems from how subjective much of what we sell actually is. All surfboards work to some degree and new is certainly not always better anymore than old is always classic.
I still shape em start to finish by hand. The “Machine” takes away the noisy dusty creative part. Just leaves the boring repetitive sanding part.
Skip Frye said it good…Using the machine was " prostituting you craft"
hi everyone… this is a good thread… has anyone thought about this angle??total hand shape versus the machine … the actual shaper has the opurtunity to TWEAK just about anything on his design … width , rocker, tail wider/narrower , wide point forward/ backwards , etc. etc… then the machine can shape the blank closer than any human … all DESIGNED by the actual shaper… as for the glassing part … i am not saying that any of these long time shapers cant glass… lots of them got there start in the glass shop… but hey what about the guy who glasses 25 maybe 50 boards a week… day in day out??? i d think he may be a little more skilled than the shaper/glasser guy… just my opinion / open to disscussion…
hi everyone… this is a good thread… has anyone thought about this angle??total hand shape versus the machine … the actual shaper has the opurtunity to TWEAK just about anything on his design … width , rocker, tail wider/narrower , wide point forward/ backwards , etc. etc… then the machine can shape the blank closer than any human … all DESIGNED by the actual shaper… as for the glassing part … i am not saying that any of these long time shapers cant glass… lots of them got there start in the glass shop… but hey what about the guy who glasses 25 maybe 50 boards a week… day in day out??? i d think he may be a little more skilled than the shaper/glasser guy… just my opinion / open to disscussion…
I don’t really see an expert at a cad machine as any different than a guy following a template. Machines are just another tool. If one shapers uses them and finishes them off himself…I don’t see the issue. I think some of the problems come in when they turn their name over to a glass factory that they don’t own and are at the mercy of that repuation or longevity.
I am not proficient with any tool (other than software) that will let me get the rocker and concave depths and placement correct.
For that I use a milled blank, turn the rails and make adjustments and finish.
Just me in my garage getting a ‘custom’ and bypassing
the professionals who have given me soo many non-custom customs.
Would have appreciated a pro shaper much more who was able to give me
my last board as a new board whether through following his notes or through
a machine shape file. But it rarely happened and ended up pissing my money
away on very talented shapers without good business savvy.