[CR]Dating Brooks saddles - new aspect

(Example: Framebuilders:Dario Pegoretti)

From: "neil foddering" <neilfoddering@hotmail.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2006 11:19:50 +0000
Subject: [CR]Dating Brooks saddles - new aspect

I have a pet theory, which I'm willing to have shot down, that Brooks saddles with aluminium badges (see right hand saddle at http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v396/hadendowa/Brooks%20badges/ with brass badged 1930's Sprinter for comparison) date to just after WW2. The saddle with the aluminium badge is a B17 Narrow with oval badge stamping in the leather. I have another Brooks saddle, a 4-wire model with an oval badge in the leather (but no model designation) and an aluminium badge at the rear.

The reason for this wild stab in the dark is that my 1946 Holdsworth, in its original finish, has an aluminium alloy headbadge, of the pattern which was produced in brass by 1947. In discussion with Norman Kilgariff (see http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nkilgariff/ ,click on the "HISTORY" button, scroll down, and click on "Aluminium Headbadges") we surmised that this was due to the brass shortage in England shortly after WW2. This could also have been the case with Brooks.

I'd welcome comments.

Neil Foddering
Weymouth, Dorset, England