Greetings from the Northland!

I'll make this brief because i've been banging my head against a wall for weeks trying to be specific with regards to information i'm desperately trying to leach from people who know

I'm a 34 year old headbanger who would love to get back into skating... i only rode those old Natas panthers back in the day and after seeing what the hell people are spending on them now i was left searching for alternatives.

I managed to get a couple uncut blanks designed by Bob Merriam and David Friel which have the old school spoon concave but the patterns that i was sent look like the reissue designarium Natas which has the HUGE NOSE

This is not what i'm after. I can't afford to spend $1000+ on a 20+ year old piece of wood that honestly could SNAP at any time.... so i need some help:icon_frow

Does anybody here have an old Panther they can measure for me?

I basically need:

1. the overall length

2. the width at the widest part

3. the length of the nose from the tip to the center of the front truck bolt holes

3. the length of the tail from tip to center bolt holes of rear truck

4. the wheelbase, from the center of the inside truck bolt holes

With those numbers i can adjust the pattern i got to get me back on the street.

ANY HELP WOULD BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED !

I managed to snag a pair of lightly used Indy 169's off ebay, as well as a set of Santa Cruz Bullet 66's with swiss bearings... i had that stuff mounted on a misprint Natas kitten i got on ebay last year, but the deck is just too small for me so i'm off searching to find the measurements of the full size version so i can build it myself and not have to take out a 2nd mortgage!!

http://www.blankdecks.com/decks/old_school.htm

This has some dementions.

I dunno if this helps, but I suggest you check out some of the santa cruz & powell reissues, they are 80's size but have modern nose & concave. I ride one of those, its 10 by 31 (or 32) & they ride awesome.

and more importantly, they won't cost you an arm & a leg

I ride a powell peralta board, love it old skool

I could make you a tracing if you want to go it alone. But would need to know exactly which panther. As well I could shape you one if you so desire if you love the shape that much.

-edit-

This has some dementions.

I have one of those. "MOOSE" deck or whatever... good for riding pools, but not much else.

Its definitely not a NATAS!
Merging doublepost
I dunno if this helps, but I suggest you check out some of the santa cruz & powell reissues, they are 80's size but have modern nose & concave. I ride one of those, its 10 by 31 (or 32) & they ride awesome.

and more importantly, they won't cost you an arm & a leg

Thanks for the input but i'm really after something pretty specific.

I've tried a number of new school decks and a couple reissues... but like you said, the reissues aren't even true to the originals... those numbered reissue Designarium NATAS have a big kick nose which is nothing like an old Panther - which is what i'm after.
Merging doublepost
I could make you a tracing if you want to go it alone. But would need to know exactly which panther. As well I could shape you one if you so desire if you love the shape that much.


I have a (paper) pattern which is the correct overall shape, but the dimensions are wrong.

If you could just measure one of your Panthers (any one of the mid-late 80's models) then i could adjust/fix my pattern....

Here is a pic of it: http://members.shaw.ca/sunsetsblaze/Pattern_blanks.JPG

Good luck, I personally don't have a panther in my collection, but I hope someone that does gets those dimensions for ya.

didn't i read somewhere that Natas was licensing someone to make some limited edition reissues? or am i just dreaming...

Here is what you do. Another tracing wont make it any easyier.

Find the center line of the blank, don't use the edges of the blank for this will be misleading since it could be offset from the mold but it will give you a good idea of how to find the center.

I usually make 4 tick marks, measure twice and mark once. Then talk a long straight edge(factory cut illustration paper works well) or a ruler and match up all the ticks running down the spine of the board.

You now have you center line.

Placement atop the board of your pattern will be .25" longer then the bottom do the concave. Remember that. But working ontop the board is the easyiest way to find the tail bend.

Take the pattern, fold it down the center line, inked edge out so you can make sure it's truely center. Then cut it out slowly with a pair of scissors. I recommend often enough slicing the original pattern down the middle that way you can have two go's at it.

Then all you have to do is get some butcher paper and fold that as well and longer then your original tracing. Trace the pattern to the paper. Then just start fudging the shape, extend the nose or tail or make it wider. Since your working with a folded piece of paper as your new pattern remember that the measurements are 1/2 of what you need so divide by half. 9" wide board, 4.5" etc.

If you work on the folder paper, when you get something you like, cut that and see if it works.

That is how I do it, or one of many ways.

Just remember to never modify the original patter, and cut it in half just to be safe. Keep an original with a clean edge and one to work with.

Working on half a pattern gives you when you cut it a perfect patter on both sides for comparison.

Yet that is why you drew the center line. You should trace a half pattern, flip it and then make the other side.