Richard,
I sounds to me that you still feel that the intent of the letter is your interpetation as opposed to that which the owner claims. I'd like to know what are the foundations of this belief? I get the impression that you are not convinced that the seller and buyer, both of whom were in Italy at the time, were not clear on what the question was.
For starters, the seller had heard Alberto comment on the fact that his father built that bike for a team in Milano. I don't feel this statement can be misunderstood to mean that "the Masi company" built that bike. It's quite obvious it's a Masi to anyone who has any respectable amount of knowledge about Masis. Exactly what would be the point of getting a letter from Alberto regarding the fact that it is a Masi? Nothing could be more obvious. The significant thing about the frame is it is one Faliero actually built himself. Alberto remembers it specifically. He wrote a letter stating that fact upon the request of the buyer, because the buyer was smart enough to get Albertos' written word confirming the statment he had made about the origin of that frame. It is not my right nor anyone elses to consider Alberto or the buyer "mistaken" about the intent of the letter. The buyer was most fortunate to be in a posotion to accomplish this and very wise to do so; let's not diminish the effort it took to do the best possible thing in getting verification on this frame.
Brian Baylis La Mesa, CA
>
> snipped:
> Brian Baylis <rocklube@adnc.com> writes:
> Speaking of Masis. I meant to comment on the "letter of
> authenticity" and the 1954 Masi Speciale track bike. I have
> to admit, I was a bit surprised by some of the responces
> from listmembers to Kurt Goodrich. To diminish the intent
> or the authenticity of the letter was clearly a bit premature
> considering no one asked about the circumstances by which
> it was obtained.>>>
>
> bb-no one doubted curt's integrity or ability to judge an
> old masi. some listmembers, myself among them, questioned
> the literal translation of the 'letter'. my comment about it was
> that i could agree with it in spirit, but i think it meant that the
> frame was not so much made by f. masi as it meant 'made by
> the eponymous firm'. over there you hear alot of 'we do this',
> or 'ours are made this way', type of talk. even if the frame is
> 50+ years old, how can 'we' discern what it means when the
> letter says 'he' made the frame. did he miter the tubes? braze it?
> file the lugs and run the taps through? i think it was always a
> collaborative effort rather than a one-man sequence. i do not
> question a. masi's intent in penning the letter. i just interpret
> it to mean something other than 'f. masi <actually> built
> this here frame (by himself)'.
> e-RICHIE
> Richard Sachs Cycles
> No.9, North Main Street
> Chester, CT 06412 USA
> http://www.richardsachs.com
> Tel. 860.526.2059