Hi Chuck et al, Thanks for those images of your '55 Gillott. Stunning paint.
Your stem is the Gillott stamped Titan type and as I suspected has a plate
brazed on behind the clamp to match the lug style. I have never seen one of
these before. I believe this Titan stem was the base for their matched stems
in the Fifties. I have one on my 1953 lugless Gillott tandem. Needless to
say it has no lug detail. I have just bought another tandem stem on ebay
(Thanks Hilary!) and plan to remove the steerer insert and weld a narrow one
on. I have 2 stems from the Forties which were fabricated from components.
I know this because I once asked Bill Gray (RIP) to make a stem for my
Thanet Silverlight. He showed me the various components and told me they
used to assemble custom stems from these parts at Claud Butlers where Bill
worked for many years.
So a list of Makers' stems;
Claud Butler
Gillott
Ephgrave
Hetchins
Holdsworth
Thanet
I have seen Dawes and Sun but these were only stamped types, not made "in
house". Can anyone confirm others? Not counting "Panto'ed" types either.
Mark Stevens, Dingwall, Scotland