I think that Sampson you reffered is Samson of Mr. Harada, Fukuoka. I
heard that now the share of Samson in Keirin racers is far larger than
Nagasawa.It seems that he elaborates on details much more than Mr. Nagasawa.
My friend once told Mr. Nagasawa that too much elaboration on details is
not necessary and that he likes frames which are not clean to see closely
but beautiful to see from a distance actually in race. And Mr. Nagasawa
recommended him to make frames.
Takao Noda
Hachioji Tokyo Japan
>
> 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