Has there always been an interest in these bikes? is there a resurgance or renaissance if you will of KOF bikes/builders?
I've seen a similar phenomenon with an OT form of cycling where the "big builders" didn't offer what we were looking for and next thing you knew was that everyone was looking for small custom "boutique" builders to make the kind of bike they wanted. at one point someone had made a website(now long gone) with an extensive list of framebuilders, some relatively large but mostly small, in the US that made or could make the kind of bike we were looking for. eventually the big builders jumped on the band wagon and started producing these bikes but i think it's still much more desirable to get something from a small shop.
now some may not be considered KOF's because of the joining technique but a few do build with lugs or are exclusive brazers. and talking with many of these builders, i get the sense they are craftsmen trying the make the best product with the highest quality standards, and that can only be met by producing it themselves. and the shop is generally run by the person answering the phone when you call.
it was actually this experience that lead me to classic road bikes and this list and thus my growing bike collection. :^P
Eric Acuna
Santa Rosa, CA