
Welcome to the Qajaq USA Store!
Profits from the sale of these items help fund Qajaq USA in our efforts to support the Qaannat Kattuffiat and promote Greenland-style kayaking. Please view our full mission statement.
In addition to offering Qajaq USA membership items and apparel, our goal is to bring you publications and items that are hard-to-find, to save you the time and trouble of international bank transfers and waiting for shipment from Greenland or elsewhere.
All of our items, unless otherwise noted, are in stock and shipped from the USA (thanks to Wes Ostertag and the Qajaq USA Merchandise team). All payments are handled securely by PayPal for your safety and convenience.
Free shipping within the United States.
Florida residents pay 6% sales tax on purchases.
All orders are shipped via the U.S. Postal Service.
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Publications
Skinboats of Greenland by H.C. Petersen
$94.99
H.C. Petersen; The Museum of Greenland and the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde; English text. 215 pages.
H.C. Petersen was born in 1925 in Maniitsoq/Sukkertoppen on the west coast of Greenland. During his tenure as principal of Knud Rasmussen High School in Sisimiut from 1962 to 1975 he worked hard to ensure that the traditions linked to the construction of kayaks should not be forgotten. Much of what he learned about the Greenland kayak was learned from older, experienced Greenland kayak-builders.
This large and beautiful book is an excellent reference for Greenland kayaking enthusiasts. Although the kayak building information is limited, this volume contains a wealth of information on the Greenland kayak and its implements. Includes chapters on Construction of the kayak, The shape of the kayak and its development, Kayak gear and fittings, Structure of the umiak, Umiak gear, Types of umiaks, and The umiak in use. Includes an extensive glossary of kayak related terms.
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Instruction in Kayak Building (Qaanniornermut ilitsersuut) by H.C. Petersen
$49.99
3th edition; H.C. Petersen; Atuakkiorfik 2001; English, Danish and Greenlandic text. 81 pages.
This diminutive book is found in almost all of the Qajaq building clubhouses in Greenland. It is an excellent guide to building a Greenlandic Kayak. Many Greenlanders use this reference as a guide, upon which they make their own adjustments and variations. This book is best for woodworkers who seek information on what to do, but don't require details on how to perform basic woodworking tasks (how to cut a tenon, for example). As you study this book you will quickly discover that it served as the foundation and inspiration for several of the recent crop of qajaq building books.
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Kayaks of Greenland by Harvey Golden
$73.99
1st edition; Harvey Golden, White House Grocery Press 2006; 580+ pages,
400+figs. and photos,
106 scale drawings of kayaks,
79 scale drawings of paddles
8.5 x 11 x 1-1/2" paperback
The product of eight years of research, KOG contains information on 106 kayaks and 79 paddles, virtually all surveyed by the author. The result is a new typology that divides the Greenland kayaks into 13 distinct types. Golden also provides speculation on why Greenland kayaks developed as they did. Appendixes provide tables of ratios and proportions of the surveyed kayaks, conceptual interpretations of two medieval Greenland kayaks, a discussion of whether Greenlanders could have kayaked to Europe, and a primer on taking offsets. A glossary and bibliography round things out.
Printed on quality paper and beautifully designed, Kayaks of Greenland is a singular achievement that will benefit students of the Greenland kayak for years to come. Builders will find a wealth of kayaks to be built. For scholars, the typology will lead to more accurate identification of kayak specimens. And for anyone with an interest in Greenlandic culture, Kayaks of Greenland reveals the ingenuity, adaptability, and creativity of the people who have made the kayak so central to their lives.
The Little Kayak Book by John Brand
$39.99
1st Edition, John Brand; published 1984.
ISBN 0 9510075 0 5
First published in 1984 but long out of print until now, John Brand’s “The Little Kayak Book” contains surveys of five kayaks. Among the surveys are an Aleut baidarka and a kayak that Brand conjectures was made as a souvenir for a “Danish official or ship’s officer…the length being dictated by the space available in his living room.” The surveys also include hunting implements and deck fitting details. The long, thin layout of the book shows the drawings to good effect. Brand’s notes reveal his research and that of others. Brand’s writing is insightful; the Preface offers a brief history of how he came to survey kayaks and offers what may be the clearest explanation for what motivates the historian: “kayak research may be that serious alternative for those who want to stretch body and brain to the limit.”
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The Little Kayak Book II by John Brand
$26.99
Copy made by Mid-Essex Printers from original book (1987); John Brand
ISBN: 0-9510075-0-5
The Little Kayak Book Part II has 6 surveys of historical kayaks in British and Danish museums plus a survey of a feathered Greenland paddle, and an Introduction to Kayak Surveying. 72 handwritten pages.
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The Little Kayak Book III by John Brand
$31.99
Copy made by Mid-Essex Printers from original book (1988); John Brand
ISBN 0-9510075-0-5
The Little Kayak Book Part III contains surveys of 10 historical kayaks in British and Danish museums. Most of the kayaks were associated with the two Air Route Expeditions. Four appendices are also included providing additional notes on Kayak Surveying, letters from the Air Route Expeditions, letters from museums about kayak conservation, and notes and sketches of four kayak models. 116 handwrittten pages, originally published in 1988.
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Sorry! Currently Out of Stock
The Little Kayak Book IV by John Brand
$22.99
Copy made by Mid-Essex Printers from original book (1987); John Brand
ISBN 0-9510075-0-5
The Little Kayak Book "Part IV" consists of notes and sketches for a lecture given with John Heath in 1986. It includes a fold out map of the arctic showing locations of historical kayak types. 20 typed and handwritten pages.
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Sorry! Currently Out of Stock
Qajaq USA Journal 1
$10.99
Published July 2003.
Inaugural issue.
Read the Letter from the Editor »
Contents
Letter from the Editor Vernon Doucette
The Walrus-pull Greg Stamer and Pavia Lumholt
A historical reprint of On incorrect models and faked antiquities Morten P. Porsild
Kayak Hunting in the East Canadian Arctic as told by Uyarasuk and Piugaattuk, edited by Eugene Arima
'Grail One' and 'Grail Too' (an evaluation of two ivory skin boat models from Saint Lawrence Island, Alaska) Eugene Arima
An Annotated Bibliography of Gino Watkins, the British Arctic Air Route Expedition 1930-31 and the Pan-American Airways East Greenland Expedition 1932-33 edited by Vernon Doucette.
Centerfold is a pre 1866 West Greenland Kayak by Harvey Golden.
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Qajaq USA Journal 2
$10.99
Published November 2004.
A tribute to John Heath and his work.
Read the Letter from the Editor »
Contents
Letter from the Editor Vernon Doucette
The Kayak of the Eskimo John D. Heath
The World's (One-time) Best Eskimo Kayakers of King Island John D. Heath
The Central Yupik Kayaks John D. Heath
Kayak Sports and Exercises H.C. Petersen
On the Peril which befell Amaeses's Son Joel About the Time He Began Fishing with Bladders Ungaralak
Grail II Revisited Eugene Arima.
Centerfold is a 1904 Point Hope Alaska kayak survey by Heath and Kappler.
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Qajaq USA Journal 3
$10.99
Published January 2006.
Volume three is a special double-issue that contains the first English translation of Kajakmänner (Kayak-Men), originally published in 1896. This is a compilation of first person accounts of life in Greenland in the middle of the nineteenth century.
Read the Letter from the Editor »
These stories allow native authors to speak to us directly, relating tales of kayaking, traveling, and hunting, and helping us to learn a little about their lives of 150 years ago.
Contents
Letter from the Editor Vernon Doucette
A Fishing Trip Kristoffer Nielsen
Hunting Adventures Aparavigssuak
A Hazardous Mail Journey Over the Ice Casper Nielsen
My Journey as Pilot with the Americans David Danielsen
On Circumstances which Exposed me to Danger Karl Olrik
News from Kagssimiut Peter Motzfeldt
Adventures and Observations on Things I Have Experienced Petrus Lynge
On the Sinking of our Umiaq Ignatius
What Happened One Time to the Seal Hunters at Kangamiut Jens Kreuzmann
A Dream a Holsteinborger
Hard Work Pays Off Anonymous
On the Kivitut Question Hans Rasmussen
A Bear Story J.H
From Winters and Summers Past Morten Egede
Gidion Kayaitsch Tells of Katharine Robert
The Bear in the Window Opening Robert
Centerfold is an 1878 West Greenland Kayak survey by Harvey Golden (2003).
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Tuilik Making Supplies
Tuilik Pattern
$17.99
Drawn by Shawn Baker for "do-it-yourselfers". This is a tuilik pattern based on diagrams by H.C. Petersen and Wolfgang Brinck. This pattern will enable you to make a great fitting garment using neoprene or other stretchy fabrics. Includes cutting lines and instructions to fit a wide range of adult sizes. The final product offers a fit similar to a commercial neoprene tuilik, but has a more traditional appearance, hood and seam details.
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Grippy Neoprene Strip
$9.99
Grippy (one-side) Neoprene Strip, 3" x 85" x 3mm (7.62cm x 215.9cm x 3mm). This material is perfect for DIY projects, for making the bottom casing on a tuilik or a tuitsoq. We buy this in large (expensive) sheets and pre-cut it for your convenience.
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Apparel
Limited-Edition Black Hat
$15.99
This is a new limited-edition black-on-gray cotton hat that beckons "Welcome to the Darkside"! Back (black?) by popular demand, It's for all you traditional kayakers who are "into black" or for those who simply like a hat that doesn't show dirt. The current batch is slightly lighter in color than the past runs -- and is a pleasing dark gray. High quality and embroidered with "Qajaq USA" and Greenland paddle design. One size fits all.
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Qajaq USA Hat
$14.99
Show your support for Qajaq USA by wearing this high quality cotton hat with embroidered logo and lettering. A cool feature is the red stripe under the brim imprinted with "Qaannat Kattuffiat". The back is embroidered with our website address. One size fits all; Velcro strap closure. Color sand (light khaki).
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Qajaq USA T-Shirt
$14.99
Relax in this high quality (Hanes-Beefy-T) white T-shirt with a full-color Qajaq USA logo silk-screened on the front. The back is plain (for you Skin-on-Frame minimalists out there). Please select your size below.
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Membership Items
Qajaq USA Mug
$14.99
Our 16oz ceramic mug is just the thing for performing the elusive "coffee mug roll" or just to keep your favorite beverage hot on a cool morning. Large handle for easy grasping. Dishwasher safe. Printed in full color and full detail.
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Qajaq USA Logo Patch
$4.99
Full color embroidered patch of the Qajaq USA Logo. Three inches in diameter. Just the ticket for dressing up your hat or tuilik!
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Qajaq USA Logo Sticker
$1.99
Full color vinyl sticker of the Qajaq USA Logo. Stays put and stays bright even when placed outdoors. Great for your qajaq or your car bumper!
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Merchandise questions? Please contact us .




