I'm really out of my depth on this one ! Although I have quite a good collection of 1950s Italian marques, and of course an all-essential early Colnago, I really don't know much at all about Italian framebuilders. During the 80s and 90s I did the regular visits to the Shows at Milan, Cologne, Paris and Brussels, and got acquainted with quite a few of the builders and developed a high level of respect for the likes of Casati, Daccordi, Patelli, Paletti, the new Somec company, Bruno Tardivo etc etc.
It was at Milan in '81... yes pretty sure it was '81, that I first came across the name of Oscar Simonato, but unfortunately didn't really take a great deal of notice of what he was producing. On the other hand I recall being very impressed by Somec, and Freschi.
So it was a bit of a shot in the dark, an act of faith, a gut feeling, an act of retaliation because my wife had just bought an expensive hand-bag, call it what you will.. you know that "thing" that makes us part very willingly with our money in order to add a new stallion to the stable.
The frame arrived, from France, wrapped in at least four layers of neoprene, bubble-wrap etc, all wound around and around with the thickest and widest and stickiest of sticky cellotapes.. all of which had to be very carefully peeled off with a craft-knife rather like an archeologist unwrapping Tuttenkhamun's mummy..
The fork emerged first.. and what a fork... round blades swooping forward from an impeccably filed and brazed-up crown..then the head-tube appeared, peeking out between pads of black caressing foam.. to display the artisan's name "Oscar Simonato". and "Treviso" proudly boasting the frame's origins. The main triangle is quite plain and beautifully understated and leads into an elegant rear triangle devoid of all embellishment and engraving.. except a blush of chrome on the seat-stay eyes... the impression overall being of a craftsman letting his skill with the file and torch do the talking for him.
The frame is built from, I guess, Columbus SL.. it's too light at 56.5cms for SP, with short point Rizzato lugs with standard windows, seat=stays tops shot into the side of the lug in a style twenty years ahead of its time. There are tangs on the inside of the chain and seat-stays where the bridges are brazed into place, as well as inside the fork blades.. the only braze-ons being d/t Campag lever bosses, one pair of bottle bosses, gear cable guides on the top of the bracket shell.. and a chain-stay cable stop. No brake cable eyes at all. But there is tremendous detail in the drilling of "inspection" holes in the tangs, in the prongs of the fork crown.. and very noticeably in the delicate profiling and thinning of the lugs.. a labour which was carried out prior to brazing up the frame. Impeccable.. Even the almost mandatory fretting of the makers logo in the underside of the bracket shell,, together with his name.. is done with unquestionable skill and taste.
The frame's main triangle is finished in that essential Italian "Rosso", with the rear triangle and front forks being in a subtle shade of metallic pewter. All transfers and lug windows are in black. There is no frame number whatsoever.
So who made this frame? I have the distinct impression that it was produced in a small craft workshop, employing at most four or five staff.. with possibly just one craftsman doing the final assembly of the frame. I'm certain that it is entirely hand made, not factory-produced.. and that it hails from the mid to late 70s.
Is there anyone out there on the List who can tell me more about Mr Simonato and my new treasure? Please...!
Norris Lockley, Settle UK... pity the frame's too big for me