Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 09:41:35 +0100 (BST) From: Michael Butler <pariscycles@yahoo.co.uk> To: CR Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Subject: [CR] Lightweight Makers Lapel Badges Message-ID: <20050812084136.68025.qmail@web25301.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Precedence: list Message: 12
It was the trend for many years for all the top lightweight builders to have their own make enamel lapel badges. They probably gave you a badge when you purchased a frame from them. These were really common in my Fathers generation but are now extremely rare, you could say as rare as rocking horse s--t. I have a cycling friend of many years and we go back to the early 70's he is also a top class lug cutter. Probably your super doopa chrono sport or other such fancy make has lugs cut by him, most of our top frames still do but he shall remain anonymous. I am now getting off the track his hobby is collecting makers lapel badges of which he has several, Selbach, Bates, Ephgrave, Grubb, Saxon, Paris, Rensch and of course the "Recognised King Of Lightweights" Claud Butler. Well thanks to Peter Paine I have been extremely fortunate in obtaining a Claud Butler lapel badge for him and very fine it is in deed. These are as I said earlier extremely rare and my friend is lucky to find one a year. Finally has anyone seen any other lightweight makers lapel badges too add to the list and does anyone know if Hetchins had them as none of us have ever seen one.
Thats all for now. Keep those wheels spinning, in your memories if not still on the road. Be lucky Mick Butler Huntingdon UK.
Mick, I hesitate to class them as lightweights, but my project company,
Elswick-Hopper, made lapel badges in the 1950s, Elswick and Hopper, and
they did make a fair racing bike with the Imp. I always thought the
badges were made for salesmen to wear in their lapel button holes, but
guess that is not the case. However, how many buyers had suits in the
1950?
Nigel
North Lincs
UK