Hi Rod ,
I looked at the photos ( thanks ! ) . I decided to share this with others , hope you don't mind .
O.K. , just my own personal opinion .
I got into bicycles ( and deeply into them right away ! ) at a tender high-school age , in the early 1970's .
I actually worked at , a small Schwinn & Raleigh dealership ( sort of like selling Ford & Chevrolet at the same dealership , interesting ! ) , during the late 1970's .
Since then , I've seen a whole lotta bicycles .
I've even seen a whole lotta full-custom , and limited-production , bicycles .
Here's how it looks to me .
The upper head-lug is fine . Yes , it is not quite perfect . But the upper head-lug is just fine .
The decal is very , very , slightly off . It was applied by hand , on a particular day , by some particular person . I've tried to "lay" a few "transfers" or "decals" , my own self . I ADMIRE anyone who can do such a wonderful job , as someone did on the head-tube of your new Mercian ! It's not quite perfect . But , it's fine . It looks great .
The lower head-lug is a little "off" , but only a little . It is charming .
Very , very , few people , other than the owner , would ever , ever , notice .
NOTE ** I've seen similar lugs in their "raw" state . The ones which have small points like this , often have the points off-center , as they come from the lug factory !! Even the more modern cast , not pressed , lugs , can be a bit "off" . The old lugs could be way off . A lug-filer has two choices . Either the person with the file can remove enough metal to start a whole new point , or , make the best of what's there .
If the lug points were a little "off" from the lug factory , you can't blame Mercian too much .
If these lugs were totally hand-cut , from blanks , then the lug cutter / lug filer ( may not have been the same person ) can't blame the lug factory . HOWEVER , if the lugs were indeed actually hand-cut , then you should be EXTREMELY proud to have something so EXTREMELY rare these days , as hand-cut lugs .
Finally , a lesson I've carried with me since 7th grade shop class . In that class , we began with almost no knowledge . We made assigned projects , from carefully specific plans . Later , we were allowed a bit of freedom . Our first project was to make a large spatula , suitable for use on a barbeque grill ( or a really large frying pan ) . We had to rivet the "blade" of the spatula to the shaft . We used real rivets , and real ball-peen hammers . The hammers left lots of marks around the rivets . The teacher explained that THAT was how you could tell that something was "hand-made" . It was BETTER , because it was hand-made . And you could tell it was hand-made because of the subtle , but inevitable , flaws in the finish .
This lesson was reinforced later , when reading a review of a late 1970's Rolls Royce automobile . The reviewer noted how pleasing it was to kneel at the front or rear of the car , and sight down either side . You could see the fine ripples , on the finely hand-made panels . I doubt that the large panels of the doors and fenders were hand-made , probably only the chrome-plated trim panels . But , the important part is that the reviewer wrote about how wonderful it was to be able , even in such a "modern" time , to actually see the qualities of true hand-craftsmanship , still in evidence .
Just my opinion .
Personally , I'm charmed by its lack of regimentation .
:^)
Raoul Delmare
Marysville Kansas
> I will more than likely have to live with the flaws. Once the bike
> is built up I'm hoping they will be less noticable. My eyes just seem to
go to
> things like that.