Having viewed the photos, the forks appear very similar to the ones on the Brilliant No 2 Vibrant and other solo models illustrated in the pre-war Hetchin's catalogue reprinted in "Lightweight Cycle catalogues Volume I" published last year by the John Pinkerton Memorial Fund. I assume that this is an early catalogue, since there's no mention of 531 tubing, only "HM" and "A" butted.
However, the forks on H297 don't appear to have a sharp enough forward curve to be Russ pattern. See the Russ forks illustrated on the CR site:
http://www.classicrendezvous.com/
and photos of a frame with Russ pattern forks on:
http://photobucket.com/
Incidentally, if anyone should need Russ fork blades, Hilary has about 60 pairs NOS!
Neil Foddering Weymouth, England
>From: Peter Naiman <hetchinspete1@yahoo.com>
>To: classicrendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>CC: Flash <flash@flashq.de>, Tom Rawson <twrawson@comcast.net>, Len Ingram
><len@nutwood30.free-online.co.uk>
>Subject: [CR]Hetchins serial number H297 from 1934 or 35. Date: Tue, 21 Mar
>2006 07:56:20 -0800 (PST)
>
>I recently acquired a very early Hetchins that is atleast one of the three
>earliest surviving and possibly the oldest, but this is only speculation as
>the serial number is the lowest known to date . Prior to this, the earliest
>known Hetchins had a serial number # 336, which was sold in April of 1935.
>I had been contacted a number of weeks ago by a seller in the U.K. that he
>had a very early Hetchins, and he wanted to know my interest, so I asked
>for jpgs and a serial number. Once I reviewed the pictures, I called and
>wrote both Len Ingram and Flash about H297 (model is unknown). We went
>around in circles trying to figure out what H297 was. My immediate thought
>was that it was the oldest surviving, but serial numbers prior to August
>1935 are not decipherable, as explained by both Len Ingram and Flash.
>
> (For brief explanation, Len Ingram is the current Veteran Cycling Club
>member in the U.K. responsible for Hetchins, and Flash is the Webmaster of
>www.hetchins.org. Len currently is the keeper of hetchins sales records ans
>a register or log of surviving Hetchins)
>
> In August of 1935 Hetchins went to a clearly understandable four digit
>numbering system which gives year, month and number within that month of
>production. Prior to that Hetchins used the three digit system which was
>not thought to be sequential, and we're not sure how to read the numbers
>system. In 1935 Hetchins only produced a bit over one hundred frames.
>Understanding that H297 had a clear three digit serial number on both the
>steering tube and right rear dropout, I concluded that she was made prior
>to August 35, a period of which there are only two other surviving
>Hetchins.
>
> Both Len and Flash had thoughts on the frame as it had a few oddities:
> a. The frames fork had much less fork rake than prior forks from
>Hetchins seen in catalogues and on what we see on early survivors from this
>era.
> b. The frame was refinished at some point hiding original details.
> c. The rear dropouts seemed odd.
> d. The serial number had a typical "H" in front of the three digit
>serial number, but the other two pre-August 35 Hetchins did not.
>
> Both Flash, Len and I went around in circles over all these points for a
>number of days, but even with all this I was hooked and purchased the
>frame. Just the mystery of what this frame might be was enough !! Initially
>both Flash and Len were suspect of the frame, but in my usual stubborness,
>I vehemently disagreed and admittedly was incorrect on a few points, mainly
>my understanding of the three digit serial number. Subsequent to all this
>with the help of the seller who suggested the fork was manufactured by
>Russ, common in this period, and help from Ray Etherton as well, and with
>new pictures sent to both Len and Flash by the seller, they are now in
>agreement that the frame is authentic from prior to August of 35.
>
> In reviewing the new pictures, and now knowing the fork might be a Russ,
>and also understanding that little is known of early Hetchins with only two
>other early survivors prior to August 1935, the fork now seems correct,
>just odd for early Hetchins. Since so few survive, it's possible that other
>early Hetchins might have used this fork in custom builds. Since initial
>discussions, Flash has found a number of Hetchins jpgs from this era of
>frames with similar rear dropouts. The frame number with the "H" is odd,
>but with only two others to go by, prior precdent is limited.
>
> The refinish is the most intrigueing part for me. My 1939 Hetchins Trio
>has a number of transfers that have never been seen before on other
>Hetchins until recently, and a few that were thought to exist, but had not
>been verified with actual evidence on a frame. Most of these transfer also
>appear on H297 in its present state. Len and I are now in agreement that
>H297 was refinished, as the transfers on both frames were not seen in
>catalogue or on frames until 1938. An early postcard from a show in 1936 at
>the Horticultural Hall, London clearly shows about a dozen Hetchins, and
>none have the transfers (decals) that appear on both the 39 Trio and H297.
>So H297 was clearly refinished, most likely in the late 30s to early 40s.
>Of course this is speculation on my part as to date or period of refinish.
>
> Early Hetchins have a transfer with a sort of block letter look for the
>name Hetchins for the seat tube and downtube "Hetchins name" transfer as
>shown on the postcard and very early 1935 scources. It was only a few years
>ago an original version of this transfer finally surfaced on a frame, which
>can be seen on http://www.Hetchins.org . The verticle seat tube transfer is the
>one as seen on the 36 Postcard.
>
> As for plans for H297, I'd thought of keeping it original, but condition
>unfortunately warrents a total refinish, and period correct, or as close as
>possible to what is seen on the 1936 postcard. No copies of the down tube
>transfers exist, so based on the transfer on the Hetchins website from the
>1936 frame, a down tube transfer will be produced. The head tube transfer
>from this period does currently exist in repro form. I'm planning on a full
>rechrome, and to enamel the main triangle and bottom bracket, but leaving
>all else in chrome including the head tube. As for luglining, early
>Hetchins are not known to have been lined, and the postcard of the
>Horticultural Show shows no boxlining in evidence either, so none is
>planned. Plans are to bring H297 and the Trio to Cirque in June if the
>restoration of H297 is complete.
>
> Jpgs of H297 that were sent to me by the seller can be seen at my Wool
>Jersey Gallery courtesy of Morgan Fletcher. Morgan, again thank you for
>hosting the photos for me. Below is the URL to the jpgs:
>
> http://www.wooljersey.com/
>
> Peter Naiman
> Glendale, WI