I have quite a few bike-boom Carlton's in my garage. The quality of workmanship seems to vary more depending on year and model than anything else. All my 1973/4 bikes have pretty rotten brazing - chew marks in the shoreline, and blobs of brass. The 1971/2, and 1966 bikes, and the 1977 model, are all much better.
My best bikes in terms of brazing are a 1974 professional. The best non-professional raleigh that i've seen on ebay appeared to be a Carbon Steel Grand Prix from Gazelle, it was stunning and I saved all the pictures to remember it.
I think Ilkeston was a research facility, not an art shop. You don't go to Ilkeston just because your brazing has no blobs. I think you went only if you had amazing new ideas, ideas that rival the ones from GOD (Gerald O'Donovan, mastermind at Ilkeston ...)
- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA