Knutting or Brodbeck?

[obriengreg]

Nutting or Brodbeck?

I just got a canoe that I think is a Nutting or Brodbeck. It has closed gunwales, thwarts were mortised, seats have slat like planks that do not look original (may have had dowels) . There are two holes on the deck where a plate may have been. What do you guys think?

Greg

 

[Kathryn Klos]

What a pretty canoe! What's the length? Where was it found? Wood species? More pictures... ?

 

[1905Gerrish]

I have a very early Brodbeck. Has tag but no serial number. Your stem profile does not resemble my Brodbeck. Could you supply more pics of the twarts. That will tell for sure. Is there a serail number?

Zack

 

[obriengreg]

Here are some more photos (some of the not so pretty side).
Oh yeah and it's coated inside and out with fiberglass resin or epoxy
16 feet long and 30" wide.
The thwarts are not original.
I do not see a serial number.

Greg

 

[Dan Miller]

As far as I know, Brodbeck only built 17' canoes.

More here on identifying Nuttings: http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?1807-Charles-River-area-canoes-C.P.-Nutting-amp-Co.

and many more if you search the forums:

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=nutting+site:forums.wcha.org&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Dan

 

[obriengreg]

I am happy to say the canoe dose not have epoxy or resin on it, just many layers of thick dripping varnish inside and out.
The size is 16 feet long and 30" wide and 11" deep.
Decks look like birdseye maple.

Greg

 

[obriengreg]

I went to the Waltham museum to see their Nutting but they do not have the canoe on display, it is at their old location (they moved 5 years ago). The caretaker said I could meet him at the old museum after closing and see the canoe. The Nutting is in the basement of the old museum and there is very little light and the photos are from my phone so they are not very good.
The deck is similar but wider, the edges of the gunwales and stem are chamfered like my canoe but the thwarts are bolted not mortised and riveted. My canoe seems older but it could be a Nutting.
Greg

 

[1905Gerrish]

Greg,

Any new news on this canoe? I purchased one a few days ago which is identical to yours. Also the tag is missing. What I can add to this is I have 2 Brodbecks at home that have two different style tags and neither match perfectly to the nail holes I have left in my deck. Does anyone have a Nutting with a tag that could measure the distance between nail holes? Greg, my canoe is in very good shape for its age and will share some pics soon to possible help with the restoration if needed.
Zack

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Hi Zack--

This is an interesting canoe. Does yours have the same seat configuration-- are those slats original? Does yours have mortised thwarts?

Kathy

 

[1905Gerrish]

 

[1905Gerrish]

Here are a few pics of my canoe

 

[1905Gerrish]

Here is one more. Still don't have any additional info on it. The front seat is missing. Interesting how it was made to be removable.

 

[Benson Gray]

View attachment 36790 The front seat is missing. Interesting how it was made to be removable.

This looks like a good one. Removable front seats are often found on Ranco canoes. See https://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/10860/ for more details. Let us know when you get more details.

Benson

 

[1905Gerrish]

Finally got around to restoring this canoe. I determined it was a C.P. Nutting after all. I had a new tag reproduced and the canoe restoration came out well IMO. The removable front seat is very interesting. I made a couple swivel blocks to hold the seat in place. There were nails holes there originally. Nutting started manufacturing in 1884 by info that I have found on these forums. Other Nutting's that I have researched mostly have serial numbers. This canoe does not and has early features including the mortised thwarts and wrapped cane seats. I believe this is a very early canoe of his. I stumbled across another last week identical to this and was so excited as to what I found I forgot to take a picture of it with the original deck tag but have asked for a photo of it when the owner gets a chance. It was for sale if anyone would like a sister canoe to this.

 

[1905Gerrish]

Here a a few pics of the Nutting I just found for sale last week that's identical to mine. Even the tag is similar in design to the canoe maker from Bangor Maine! This should end this debate. Once again its for sale if anyone would like to own it. The ID tag above is worded different an has the arrows compared to the later Nutting ID tag as well.