Vintage Pionier Kayak Frame

[cvcstock]

I am new to the forum and have what I believe is a vintage kayak frame made by the Pionier Kayak Company. A good friend gave the piece to my wife and me who had admired it for so long in his house. We like to decorate our house to provide it with a lake cabin feel, i.e. vintage paddles and oars, vintage wooden skis, antique trapping baskets, vintage trout baskets, antique wooden fishing lures, etc... The frame measures 17 feet 6 inches stern to bow. The beam is 36 inches and the cockpit depth is 14 inches. The frame is made of many wooden rods with metal end caps. A metal sleeve slides over the two ends to join them. Braces are also wooden. The plan is to hang it from the ceiling with a large rope in keeping with our lake cabin theme. More for conversation with friends and family, I'd like to be able to tell them what I have as it will surely be a topic of discussion. I would also like to know what if any value it may have. I don't have any plans to sell it, just curious. Pictures attached.

 

[samb]

Apart from the lovely external stem it looks to be a very similar frame to that of my 'Granta' kayak from the early 60s.
You could try asking here https://canoebois.forumactif.org/

Sam

 

[cvcstock]

Thank you, Sam. Posted to the French site. Thank you Google Translator. That was not the easiest forum to navigate. Hope to get a few responses. I will keep you posted.

Chuck

 

[John Sand]

Welcome aboard Cvcstock! I have owned a couple of folding Folbots, and one rigid. I've seen Kleppers but not paddled one, and looked at another European folder that I can't recall the maker. I own a sail rig from a Pionier too. In my years of searching and using wood boats I've only seen a couple of Pioniers posted. I don't think the frame has much sale value. While some people will ask high prices for Klepper frames, I've also seen them free. The less known Pionier would have a much smaller audience. It's a very handsome display piece, it could probably be re-skinned and used if you like. Thanks for posting it here.

 

[patrick corry]

I also have an old Pionier kayak. It’s a 540G, tandem folding kayak purchased new by my father in the early 50’s. I have fond memories of being paddled around in it as a youngster. The frame is intact but the skin, while also intact, is quite dry and brittle. I have been trying to find a collector/buyer who might resurrect it with a new skin but no luck so far. You might be interested in the story of Oskar Speck, who paddled a Pionier from Germany to Australia pre-WWII.

 

[Todd F]

Patrick, I have a Klepper from the mid 60s I am slowly working on. The hypalon hull is in ok shape and waterproof and a buddy of mine will replace the canvas with a sunbrella (sp?) material this year. If your hull is in ok shape let me know, may be able to help out with new canvas. I have never seen that kayak but it looks super cool. Looks similar to a Nautiraid Kayak I saw once.

 

[Walter Peebles]

Hi Chuck,
I have a 520Z frame, stiff hull, and sail kit (jib & main on the forward mast, and mizzen sail on rear mast) from the mid sixties. The triangular piece with the large hole and the little wings with the medallions is not actually a bow piece, but the deck plate that covers the coaming boards at the front of the cockpit and stabilizes the forward mast. No medallions by the sixties. The Paris address on the deck plate is likely a vendor.
These boats were made in Bad Tolz, Germany, about thirty miles from Rosenheim where the Kleppers were made. The model number refers to the length in meters, which would be about 17'9" for the assembled boat. The 540G was somewhat wider than the 520Z, which is only about 32 or 33 inches wide, if I recall correctly.
Speck's journey was quite interesting, starting before Australia entered WWII, but ending up with his arrest and incarceration as a suspected spy when he landed in Australia, apparently somewhat unaware of the turn of events. There is a fairly detailed account available on line.
Walt