Lugs

Lugs. Those fancy bits that builders used to strengthen the brazed joints between the tubes. Over time they became more elaborate, almost a fashion accessory by which bike builders showed off their skills and differentiated their bikes. Carpenter used a variety over the years, occasionally hand-cut from sheet steel (which was very laborious), more often bought in and then modified and fettled to a close fit. Once Nervex introduced their pretty investment-cast lugs Carpenter, like most lightweight builders, adopted those. The following examples illustrate the trends. Also shown are some examples of dropouts, lamp brackets, bar stems.

1920s #1949

IMG_8167 IMG_8162  IMG_8164 IMG_8165

 

1935 #3021 

 

 

1936 #3115  Chater-Lea; 5/16″ Bottom bracket

3115 bb IMG_8193 IMG_8188 IMG_8186 IMG_8187

 

1937 #3257 Cut-outs in chromed head lugs. Super Champion rear dropouts.

3257 BB IMG_8210 IMG_8205 IMG_8208 IMG_8209

1947 #4140

1947 #4146

IMG_8144 IMG_8142 IMG_8141 IMG_8145 IMG_8147 IMG_8148

1947 #4216

4216 crown 4216 seat cluster 

 

1949 #4296  Ekla

IMG_7772IMG_8195 IMG_8197 4296 seat cluster4296 rear dropouts

 

1955 #4898 Nervex lugs, b/b shell. Fluted wrapover seat stays, track rear dropouts.

1955 #4908 Hand cut lugs (Oscar Egg?). Fluted wrapover seat stays, which became a consistent Carpenter ‘signature’. This is from the era when a young KenJanes, legendary ‘lug-cutter’, supplied hand-cut lugs to Carpenters and others before going on to work full time for Hetchins. http://www.hetchins.org/kenjanes-01.htm 

IMG_8215 IMG_8217 IMG_8214IMG_8213 IMG_8212 IMG_8216

 

1956 #5012 Back to Nervex Pro lugs, fluted wrapover seat stays, Campagnolo road dropouts

IMG_8200 IMG_8201 IMG_8202  IMG_8199 IMG_8203 IMG_8204 IMG_8211

 

1957 #5071 Nervex Pro II lugs, fluted wrapover seat stays

5071 bb 5071 Crown and head 5071 head5071 seat cluster 5071 rear dropouts