This year marks L.L. Bean's 100th anniversary. The well known outfitter has been doing business supporting the needs of outdoor people since 1912. While I'm sure L.L. Bean himself would recognize some portions of his company, I think he would find some portions of the modern company unrecognizable. In recognition of this anniversary, they've put the "Bootmobile" (seen above in front of their flagship store in Freeport, Maine) on the road for a tour.
In addition, they have also offered a series of special limited edition offerings for the celebration of this milestone. Included are the following items:
Produced by Shaw & Tenney in Orono, Maine will be a series of paddles that are made from re-claimed "sinker" softwoods recovered from the Penobscot river. It's entirely possible that the wood in the paddles is as old as L.L. Bean!
Another delight that is being produced for L.L. Bean is the limited edition Old Town 16' canoe. I'm not sure exactly what Old Town model that it is and they're not specific. Whisperings indicate that this canoe is produced for Old Town by Jerry Stelmok up at Island Falls Canoe company in Atkinson, Maine. Only 10 of these beauties will be built, so if you want yours, you'd better hurry up and place your order - only $7,500.00 with a $300.00 freight charge. Sadly, I think that these will wind up as collector's items, not canoes to be paddled and enjoyed.
Certainly this company has a well-deserved reputation for excellent product quality and customer service. Here's looking forward to their next 100 years!
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