Another Narragansett saved from the landfill...

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  • JoMan
    Senior Member
    • Nov 2016
    • 146

    Another Narragansett saved from the landfill...

    About a month ago, I found this on craigslist.

    The seller was a very nice older gentleman, a collector.

    When he delivered it to my driveway, I was in awe to see this in person. It's truly an amazing piece of speedbag history.

    As the seller related to me, the story goes as follows:

    This came from the gymnasium of Santa Clara High School, which is one of the oldest schools in California. (Founded in 1872)

    The seller had a good friend of his that worked at the school. While at the school visiting with his friend, 10 years ago, the seller spotted the Narragansett mounted on the wall - and thought what a good coffee table the platform would make.

    The seller told his friend, that if the day should come that the school gets rid of the platform, that he (seller) would like first dibs on it. He said again he was just thinking what a good coffee table it would make.

    10 years later (just recently), and the school completely remodels their gymnasium - and the Narragansett was to be taken down and destined for the landfill !!!

    Fortunately, the seller's friend remembered their conversation of a decade prior, and gave him a call. Letting him know, that he has the platform sitting in a utility closet ready for him to pick up.

    The seller came and picked it up from being thrown away. He then started doing some research (due to the Narragansett Machine Co sticker on the platform) and found himself here on the speedbag forum, and realized that it would be a travesty to make a coffee table out of this.

    He got many inquiries on this platform, but one of the things he said that made him give me the sell was that he could tell that I appreciate the history of the piece.

    It's in beautiful condition. The gearing works flawlessly. The Japaning finish has few areas of wear, only where you would expect them (the wheel & behind the wheel, mainly).

    It has all of the original hardware. It appears that this was installed once, and was only taken down decades later. This is also what the seller related to me, that it was in it's original installation as far as he could tell.

    Enough about the history. Here's the pics...
    Attached Files
  • JoMan
    Senior Member
    • Nov 2016
    • 146

    #2
    pics 2...
    Attached Files

    Comment

    • JoMan
      Senior Member
      • Nov 2016
      • 146

      #3
      pics 3...
      Attached Files

      Comment

      • JoMan
        Senior Member
        • Nov 2016
        • 146

        #4
        pics 4...
        Attached Files

        Comment

        • Dutchman
          Speed Bag Historian
          • Jun 2006
          • 1903

          #5
          Congratulations! This is the holy grail of platforms! This accommodates any bag that you will ever come across. As you probably have observed, it is very heavy, and vibration once it is properly installed is non existent.

          Comment

          • rdshackleford
            Speed Bag Guru
            • Oct 2016
            • 1300

            #6
            Originally posted by JoMan View Post
            ...and the school completely remodels their gymnasium - and the Narragansett was to be taken down and destined for the landfill !!! ...
            I fear this is what happened to the Narragansett platform that I used at my alma mater Lehigh University. After I found out they remodeled the old gym, I tried for weeks to track it down. Nobody knew anything, they barely knew they used to have a boxing gym.
            @ArcSwivel
            #ArcSwivel sigpic

            Comment

            • JoMan
              Senior Member
              • Nov 2016
              • 146

              #7
              Originally posted by Dutchman View Post
              Congratulations! This is the holy grail of platforms! This accommodates any bag that you will ever come across. As you probably have observed, it is very heavy, and vibration once it is properly installed is non existent.
              Thank you Dutchman! I still have to find space/shore up a wall to hold this huge platform! The drum platform is 3' diameter!

              Would you have any knowledge of what kind of swivel would be used in the early days? In the photos of the drum, you can see there's a pattern of small nicks & wear that extends out several inches from the center hole. Maybe it was on a rope and the end of the rope had a metal s hook?

              And, there's some numbers on various parts of the iron. Like the arms, and behind the main middle part near the gears. Would you know if that's just for part number, or would the numbers be a serial number of some sort that would help narrow down when this was made?

              Also, I've seen every example of one of these that I could find with a comprehensive search here, and this is the only example that shows the small wood planking on the top surface, whereas others I've seen have the wide planks on top just like the ones on the bottom. Perhaps this is one of the older examples?

              Comment

              • JoMan
                Senior Member
                • Nov 2016
                • 146

                #8
                Originally posted by rdshackleford View Post
                I fear this is what happened to the Narragansett platform that I used at my alma mater Lehigh University. After I found out they remodeled the old gym, I tried for weeks to track it down. Nobody knew anything, they barely knew they used to have a boxing gym.

                Terrible how we live in this "throw away" society.

                Comment

                • Zaz
                  Speed Bag Guru
                  • Sep 2018
                  • 307

                  #9
                  I don't understand why they don't make platform like these anymore. the Narragansett platform looks more solid than 99% of the speed bag platform availlable today...

                  Comment

                  • Cazbag
                    Speed Bag Guru
                    • Sep 2018
                    • 382

                    #10
                    The producers of anything in today's world don't want to make or sell anything that doesn't need some sort of costly maintenance or replacing all together it would seem. They certainly don't make them like they used to indeed.

                    Comment

                    • Guardian5
                      Speed Bag Trainee
                      • Aug 2018
                      • 19

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Zaz View Post
                      I don't understand why they don't make platform like these anymore. the Narragansett platform looks more solid than 99% of the speed bag platform availlable today...
                      The primary reason falls along this -> what is the maximum you are willing to pay for a platform? Balazs makes two excellent adjustable platforms that are less complicated for $700 and $800. I like their stuff, but man that's a lot of money for a speed bag platform.

                      Comment

                      • Cazbag
                        Speed Bag Guru
                        • Sep 2018
                        • 382

                        #12
                        The I box doesn't hold a candle to the Narragansett, that's like comparing a backhoe to a spoon.

                        Comment

                        • paranday
                          Speed Bag Guru
                          • Sep 2009
                          • 2515

                          #13
                          I find it sad that modern platforms have drums too small for large size bags. Larger diameter drums should at least be an option offered by the maker.

                          Comment

                          • Guardian5
                            Speed Bag Trainee
                            • Aug 2018
                            • 19

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Cazbag View Post
                            The I box doesn't hold a candle to the Narragansett, that's like comparing a backhoe to a spoon.
                            I agree, and it is their cheapest version. I forgot to include it. It only costs $250.
                            Last edited by Guardian5; 09-21-2018, 09:05 PM.

                            Comment

                            • Zaza
                              Speed Bag Guru
                              • Apr 2011
                              • 2000

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Zaz View Post
                              I don't understand why they don't make platform like these anymore. the Narragansett platform looks more solid than 99% of the speed bag platform availlable today...
                              Imagine what a modern version of the Narragansett would cost...UGH!
                              Art of the Bag - A Speed Bag Story
                              http://www.artofthebag.com

                              Comment

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