In a message dated 6/7/2003 8:01:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time, bees.bfg@tin.it writes:
<< .....so the frame would have been built by Alberto or someone that was working in the shop back then or some sub-contractor? What make su think so? .........>>
The Italian Masters "have arrived" when they put down the files and move into the front office. They talk about building frames but they really mean that they direct some underlings in that pursuit. I will give Ugo DeRosa more credit as he is more "hands on" than the others... but he only welds frames nowadays and does not do any brazing so I would be shocked if he himself filed and brazed Brett's frame.
That certainly doesn't make it fake but one is deluding oneself if they think every genuine Masi or Colnago or Cinelli or DeRosa or Tommasini, etc., was made by the maestro himself..
Alberto Masi wears an apron in the Vigorelli shop but many first hand observers have reported he also has not actually personally made a frame in many many moons. Reportedly all current frames are farmed out to subcontractors..
But we have covered this ground many times before! What does it matter who actually did the "grub work?" (That is one school of thought. Personally, I think it matters a lot.)
Dale Brown cycles de ORO, Inc. 1410 Mill Street Greensboro, North Carolina 27408 336-274-5959 fax 336-274-6360 <A HREF="http://www.cyclesdeoro.com">cyclesdeORO.com</A> <A HREF="http://www.classicrendezvous.com./main.htm">ClassicRendezvous.com</A>