This framebuilder established a very good reputation in the 50s for producing well built, nicely balanced frames that had a certain "je ne sais quoi" as the French would say,.. about them. Perhaps it was an elegance that defies specific description. I would compare it with a quality, possibly of refinement that the Gillotts and, to a certain extent, the Rotraxes of that era also had. With the Gillotts it was something about the fork rake which was elegant..
In many ways the Carpenters broadly resembled so many other lightweights being built in small workshops, in that they used the ubiquitous Reynolds tubing, Stallard ends among other types, Nervex lugs, Ekla and Wagner crowns. I dont recall them having any top-eyes that were particularly outstanding unlike those used by Ephgrave, nor do I recall any handcut lugs. In my recollection they were on a par with the Flying Scot frames of the time, in that they didn't do odd designs like Bates or Hetchins... but just made rellable, elegant, fairly light, well-crafted frames.
Some years ago I was asked if I could convert a 23" Carpenter into a 21" - the owner wanting to pass his own long-owned frame down to his son. It was built with Mark 1 Nervex Pro lugs and 531DB, In partly dismantling the frame to carry out the regeneration I was delighted to find that it had been silver-soldered together rather than brazed, enabling those joints that I needed to seperate, to be dismantled relatively easily. The rebuild was carried out satisfactorily with the loss of only the original seat lug.
Perhaps the Carpenters were more responsive having been built with silver-solder which would flow at at least 250 degrees lower than a "silicon-bronze" brazing rod, enabling the frame to be built with a far lower input of heat.. smaller flame etc. One owner told me that his Carpenter had that indefinable quality so much treasured in a frame of "...get-up-and-go". I know what he meant by hat and I suspect that most of the CR List members will do so to.
Then of course... there is the wonderful art-deco Carpenter headbadge..
These are my observations of the Carpenter marque, observed by a Northerner looking at a frame built in the south... maybe the fancy-lugged frames, if he made any, were never "exported" beyond outer London.
Norris Lockley... who in my nearly 200-strong collection.. has never owned that rare beast a Carpenter,,, Settle ,UK