day two... i've absorbed all of yesterday's posts along with 10-15 that were sent off-list directly to me and here are my thoughts. it has been 'proven' that the david miller hetchins frames come as a result of a lineage back to the seven sisters road workshop whereas the omega frames are a 'resurrection' of the marque. people seem vigilant that one is the real deal and one is not. neither of these shops employ the same hand-worked materials, the same tubing, the same fixturing, the same assembly sequences, the same staff (of course), ...and many seem adamant that some contact to the past must be maintained for the benefit of future generations.
it is noted that jack denny came back from retirement for consulting purposes, (when was that-10-15 years ago? that's roughly 100 frames ago if my calculator is working properly), and that even alf hetchin came back on board to help, (though he was let go after making a few key mistakes. hey-what were they anyway???). also, the current concern is owned by an entertainment 'mogul' who is more of a patron than an 'investor seeking to maximize his investment'. and lastly, production varies from 10-20 per year.
for those concerned that there'll be no hetchins for future generations i say, these are not hetchins-at least these are not hetchins the likes of which would typically be heralded on the CR list in any other thread. both makers are producing frames in the image of the frames that were made up until maybe 20 years ago. if reproducing frames that kinda'-look-like-hetchins-and-have-the-same-latin-model names is good enough to be 'close enough', then it's not my place to judge the merits of these reproductions. i still maintain that in numbers as small as has been stated in the past two days, there is no possible threat that the brand will cease to be in demand. i still maintain that in any economic era a shop with production numbers this small is completely insulated from the fiscal pressures that touch 'real businesses' with 'real overhead' issues to deal with, ESPECIALLY since it has the long time backing of a patron with deep pockets.
lastly on this issue, i think there are 600+ listees on the CR list and by my account only 4 people have said they have one of these reproduction hetchins on order. that's nearly 6 months of work right there. hmmm...
e-RICHIE in Chester apologies in advance if i've misunderstood any facts stated clearly in yesterday's mail