Raoul's Jack Taylor :
>
> My black, very late production, frame set has red
> "Gothic" graphics & a Reynolds decal that reads
> "Tourist Model 531".
>
Dale's Jack Taylor :
>
> >From my dealing with Norman Taylor a year ago or so, I deduce this: the
> "Gothic" style is the oldest, seen in ads from the 1950s, but still in
good
> supply so has been used more by Norman in the past 10 years or so. He has
> some "Mondrian" style transfers left but very few and has been reserving
> those for resale in restorations (I do not recall the exact asking price
but
> it was quite a bit!) He resisted (declined) my request to use the Mondrian
> transfers on a recent frame order.
>
Hey Dale , regarding that frame order , how recent is recent ? I don't have all my ducks ( or guppies ) in a row here . Things are not nearly as organized as they should be here . But , in trawling through old e-mail , here's what I can relate . I bought my frame from Norman Taylor , through Mark D. Lawrence , a grad. student who was helping Norman deal with computers , correspondence , and the confusion of cleaning out the attic-storage space . Dates on e-mails are basically from April & May of 2001 .
From 7 April 2001 : quote " Since the closure of the Jack Taylor Factory in Stockton on Tees in 1990 due to his elder brothers retirement, Norman Taylor a co-founder of the Jack Taylor Cycles enterprise, has continued to build a limited number of Jack Taylor frames and parts in his home workshop. Now 78 years old, Norman is retiring from framebuilding this year. This means that the total number of Jack Taylor frames ever produced will remain below 10,000 despite interest from abroad in having more frames made. To provide some useful space in both his home and workshop, Norman seeks buyers for the following items: 7 Brand-new, Jack Taylor "Tour of Britain" framesets including frame, forks, bb, seatpost, and stem at £425 each*,** 5 Brand-new, Jack Taylor Camper trailers, 531 tubing, suspended, including bags at £300 each* 1 Brand-new Jack Taylor Blue Tandem, 22 1/2" & 19" with lateral bar and 650c wheels, including front and rear blue painted racks at £1200 ? Assorted Taylor-stamped tubular steel racks (full-size and mini, front and rear) lightweight and strong £20 each 200 (approx.) Taylor-stamped 531Handlebar stems POA ? Assorted brake parts, toeclips, handlebars - can be included with frameset as part of order POA " unquote
From 8 April 2001 : quote " Both framesets have red lug lining carried out by Norman, which isn't nearly as neat as Ken's lug lining but still adds a decorative touch. Norman's workshop was actually the place that the whole Taylor Brother's enterprise started from, and where they built cycles before the factory was built. Having returned to the old workshop, in the months following the brother's retirement from the factory, these frames will have received Normans full perfectionist attention and care. The Tour of Britain frames were built as racing cycles, yet to accommodate the club market and British weather, they have eyelets for mudguards. " unquote
Things I can add to the information quoted above : There were not as many as 200 stems . And many were not completed . And many or perhaps most were not painted . Most racks were not painted . Many racks were "mini-racks" for keeping a dangling bag off of a spinning tire .
Things I can tell you about my own black frame : A "Tour Of Britain" model . But , don't be confused , not a touring bicycle . I wanted to be sure to buy racks made by the same hands as made the frame set . I did buy racks . But Norman was quite firm about the idea that I should not put racks on that bicycle . The eyelets were for possible use with fenders , NOT racks . I was told it was much more of a club-racing type of frame . So don't put racks on it ! The serial number on my frame set is # 8651 . I doubt that I'd be able to read this , stamped into the left rear dropout , if I didn't already know what the numerals were . But , knowing what I should be seeing , I can confirm it ! As mentioned , black frame , red "Gothic" graphics . Sizing was kind of loose . It's a 23 1/2 inch . It's just about almost exactly 23 inch center to center . Wish it were a half inch larger . At extra cost , supplied with a black 531 stem , stamped ( just barely ) with the name Taylor ( something in front of it , can't tell if it's supposed to be Jack , or just J ) . Came with Shimano bottom bracket ( traditional ball bearing style ) , and inexpensive Asian seat post . It was made clear , many times , that this was not the last of the frame sets made by Norman ( so far ) . But , not too many had been made after . There were several promises to look up the serial number on the most recent frame Norman had made . I never found out what that number might have been . I was told that my frame was among the last 50 , or the last two dozen , or the last 20 , or the last something-less-than-20 , frames that Norman had made ( so far ) . There was some confusion over which frame was which , but dates mentioned were : " built by the 5th March 1991 " & " built by the 27th November 1990 " My brand-new frame may have been 10 years old , when it was sent out the door . But , my frame was definitely the very last to be shipped out of "Taylor Brothers Cycles" ( actually Norman's attic ) . And , my frame was packed in the very last handmade , by Ken Taylor , packing crate to be shipped out of "Taylor Brothers Cycles" . At that time ( April-May 2001 ) Mark made it clear that no one was saying Norman might not build another frame ( 78 years old in 2001 ! ) . But , the expectation was that there would not be another Jack Taylor frame made . Norman really did like to go out and whip together a stem or a rack , purely for recreation ! ( when enquiring about stems , I detected a sudden strong reluctance , suddenly there were not nearly as many as before , could it have been that some of the stems were made purely for fun and not for actual use on a speeding bicycle ? ) So , my question is , hey Dale , did you get a frame , AFTER the "last" frame ?? If so , good for you , and good for Norman !!
Please tell me about your frame ? Thanks !
Happy Trails , Raoul Delmare Marysville Kansas
P. S. I bought a handful of stems . I bought too many racks . Ask me about them . I'd be glad to sell the extras ( maybe like 1 or 2 stems , 2 or 3 racks , not all painted ) to other Jack Taylor owners . They are not the very prettiest . But , as handmade steel objects , made by a man who witnessed so much , they have an aura of history about them . I'll be away from home most of this week and next . If you want one , nag me about it in say 10 - 14 days .