perfectly stated! e-RICHIE chesta', ct
On Sat, 12 Oct 2002 02:50:39 -0700 Mark Bulgier <mark@bulgier.net>
writes:
>
> Though I had heard of them, I didn't actually see a Nagasawa until
> probably
> '83. I sure remember that first sighting though - I was (to borrow
> Brian
> B's wonderful phrase) completely desocked.
>
> I got to hold raw Nagasawa track dropouts, front and rear in my
> hand. I
> also got to make numerous track frames with Sampson dropouts - a
> very
> similar Japanese cast plug-in track drop that was intrinsically
> better -
> just as strong but lighter, more adjustable in angle, better finish.
> The
> Sampson just didn't have the mojo though! I could spend an hour
> grinding,
> shaping and polishing them and have something pretty special but
> they
> couldn't match the style of the Nagasawa. I don't want to focus too
> much on
> the dropouts though, a Nagasawa is equally evolved everywhere you
> look. I
> got to use lots of Ohtsuya lugs too - I know Richard has used a ton
> of those
> too - very fine indeed but just short of perfect, unlike the Eisho
> lugs on
> the Nagasawa. Well, I actually like the Ohtsuya seat lug better but
> the
> Eisho headlugs pretty much define simple elegance for me.
>
> Others may thin the lugs more, or shape them more with skills
> borrowed from
> blacksmiths and jewelers, and I love all that s**t too, but
> Nagasawa
> impresses me with the apparent effortlessness of it. If it was
> really all
> that easy then others would make them that nice - he just makes it
> look
> easy.
>
> Mark Bulgier
> Seattle, Wa
> USA