snip: OROBOYZ@aol.com writes: <BUT, please show me another Masi "offspring" or artisan who used the same level of filework and sculptural viewpoint demonstrated in Confente frames? >
irio tommasini by way of giuseppe pela. e-RICHIE
On Mon, 8 Apr 2002 09:14:59 EDT OROBOYZ@aol.com writes:
> In a message dated 4/8/2002 8:15:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> richardsachs@juno.com writes:
>
> <<
> i'm still not believing this one. even after all these years.
> mario was probably not the first choice. if i recall correctly,
> he wasn't even the first italian to come with mr.masi to
> america. he's just the first one who was willing to stay.
> he was young. it was california. end of story.
> e-RICHIE >>
>
> Yes but.....
>
> (BTW, to bored non-Masi fans, I believe this discussion is larger
> than just
> Masi bikes...it applies to the craft and individualism that each
> craftsman
> brings to bicycle making, whether it be Flying Scots, Rene Herse,
> Richard
> Sachs or whatever.)
>
> I think you are perhaps correct Richard, in that Confente got a
> certain
> amount of USA hype and he promoted himself successfully, briefly,
> to the USA
> aficionado. BUT, please show me another Masi "offspring" or artisan
> who used
> the same level of filework and sculptural viewpoint demonstrated in
> Confente
> frames?
>
> Do we know of the first Italian builder who came over with Faliero
> to
> California? Where are frames made by this guy(s)? Are they as
> excellent in
> execution and function?
>
> I might agree that the Italian workshop might not foster that sort
> of
> individualism while Confente, once out on his own, was more
> motivated to
> establish himself as an artistic entity. But nonetheless, we see
> other
> Italian frame builders pushing for stylistic identities (within the
> tight
> conventions of the form, I call it "Italian Mannerism".) I think of
> Somec and
> Paletti, etc.
>
> So, I guess I will see the California Masi as not-the-same as
> earlier Italian
> bikes, but pretty darn excellent bikes with an indirect but
> interesting
> heritage.....
>
> Dale Brown
> Greensboro, North Carolina
> __