Help with Canoe Identification

[Bruce Larson]

Working on a "Charles River" era canoe with no identification, need some help with ID. It has closed gunwales, wide "flat" thwarts and recurved stems. Serial number 484 - 17. There are couple unique attributes that might help with ID as follows:
The "7" on the length has Curled flourishes on the ends
The bow and stern decks are not the same (see pics attached)
Any help is greatly appreciated
thanks
Bruce

 

[Dan Miller]

The canoe was built by Alden Kingsbury. The deck with the long ears is a replacement.

 

[Bruce Larson]

Dan, thanks for your quick reply! Is it the deck that pointed to Kingsbury or the number "7" ?

 

[JClearwater]

The deck in the photo on the right is a dead ringer for Alden Kingsbury. The deck in the left photo is an in-correct replacement. The thwart is straight on one side to make it easier to lean a fan shaped seat back against it to support the pillows for your girlfriend.

Jim

 

[martin ferwerda]

To me, the deck on the left looks original, but modified, like they cut out a broken piece or a crack.

 

[Michael Grace]

From the start I thought (and still do) that the odd deck is a modified original - agreed with Martin. The wood grain is similar, the patina appears essentially identical, lengths look the same, and they have the same hole in the deck with the same stain around it. Why someone would cut it back further with this odd shape, so asymmetric, is a mystery. Maybe some damage to the deck and just an amateur job. In any case and for what it's worth, I agree with Martin.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

I don't know, to me the grain looks different and the length looks different between the 2 decks,
how "interchangable" are parts on early, "low" volume makers?

 

[dtdcanoes]

Bruce, Hi, I have a Kingsbury in the same model as yours and I would be very surprised if yours was not build by Alden himself. The deck in question is certainly modified and to my eye the grain with all the variations ( particularly the blond streak ) as those in the untouched deck seem that were cut from the same board. And the patina seems to speak to the age of the redo. And I will bet they did not chamfer the under side of the front cutout as in the original. It seems the decks are beautifully humped as should be and the modified seems a perfect mate that I don't think the modifier would have been able or disposed to achieve. You comment regarding the design of the number 7 piqued my interest as I have a photo from Dave , Alden's #2 son, that shows the character of the letters and numbers used on the Kingsbury stems. ( My boat had the ID filed off as was often done by thieves, I guess , so I was happy to see the documentation )
As an Aside, I can find a pic if you would like , of my boat done and fitted for some dutiful high end attention to the purpose for which she ( the boat ) was built.
Have fun . Dave

 

[Dave Wermuth]

This one has been the subject of discussion in these forums and I get to gaze on it as it now hangs in my garage.