snipped: "...we should continue to persist at resisting out of the box frame construction if that is what you prefer to do."
ouch! e-RICHIE chester, ct
On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 14:52:24 GMT brianbaylis@juno.com writes:
Richard,
I didn't say that frames that have nicely filed lugs are no longer
available; I said they are nearly extinct. That means that while once
there were many framebuilders filing lugs (to a degree out of
neccessity), there now is nearly no one who wants to put in the time and
effort to make a more refined than "normal" frame these days.
Back in the day, most notable framebuilders had a style of filing and
finishing lugs that gave the bike a look that was recognizable and
refined as compared to the production bikes of the day. The first bike I
ever saw with a real extensive file job would be Eisentraut. Although I
think that style is too thin for my taste, at the time it was
distinctive, along with the other unique traits of the frame like the
binder arrangement. Mark DiNucci, Keith Lippy, Dana Fennimore, Wizard
Cycles, Peter Weigle, Mark Nobelette, Chris Kvale, Doug Fattic, W.B.
Hurlow, Ephgrave, Tom Kellogg and many others had the eye and the hand
for filing nice lugs. Some of these guys are still doing it, along with a
VERY few newer guys like Richard Moon. I'm sure they feel, as I do, that
there is another level of craftsmanship involved in making frames this
way. Many consumers can't really see the extra work in such frames nor
want to pay the extra money; but some still do and we should continue to
persist at resisting out of the box frame construction if that is what
you prefer to do. Both ways are valid, there is a place for everyone and
everything; but they are NOT all the same. No one is claiming one is
better than the other, there is a difference and we should seek to
recognise and acknowledge these subtle refinements and not downplay them
as unneccessary or irrelevent to framebuilding. The satisfaction of
making such frames is more than enough to justify doing it for those who
are so inclined. We as framebuilders should recognize this aspect of the
craft also, and not diminish the fact that those who take the extra time
to refine the lugs are also taking extra time in every aspect of
framebuilding to insure that the refined lugs adorn a refined frame as
well.
Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA