Re: [CR]Swedish badges on eBay

(Example: Framebuilders:Masi)

From: "Olof Stroh" <olof.stroh@hem.utfors.se>
To: "Aldo Ross" <swampmtn@siscom.net>, <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <000701c19f61$774d8e20$6cf9fea9@j4g1x1>
Subject: Re: [CR]Swedish badges on eBay
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 23:21:22 +0100


> Don't know anything about the bike, but look at the lovely headbadge for
> "Erlan" bicycles on eBay:
>
> http://ebay.com/<blah>
>
> Aldo Ross
> Monroe, Ohio

"Erlan" means "the wagtail" (donĀ“t know if such birds exist in the new world). The badge is typical for many early 20th century badges. Tobo is a small (478 inhabitants in 1953) place some 40 kms north of Uppsala. Had iron works - "bruk" - since early 17th century bought by the Monark company in 1937 that used it to produce cycle parts, trailers, radio recievers. Best known for their xc skies! By the look of the badge I would place it earlier than the Monark era, twenties perhaps. Guess the production was quite small scale utility bikes.

If anybody has heard of "Dannemora steel" regarded as the best steel quality in the world before modern owens in the 19th century and used almost exclusively by the Sheffield smitheries Dannemora mine is ca 5 kms east of Tobo.

I did some work on the workers houses ca 1994, photographing, drawing, etc when they were to be renovated.

Hope this amuses!

Olof Stroh
Uppsala Sweden