I thought I might chime in with a few comments about the current ebay
auction # 130073900836 which is a restored Maine Star frame.
Firstly, it looks great..and if that's how you judge a bike frame - go
for it. Nice combination of colors, lining not too extreme and well
balanced and a nice frame to hang the appropriate Major Taylor / Airlite
gear/BSA components.
Down to the nitty gritty.
The frame doesn't look to be a 30s period frame - more like a 50s. The
brake bridge, drop-outs, seat stay tops, fork crown - all look similar
to what I have on some 50s frames in my stable including Malvern Star,
Super Elliott and Speedwell.
What is the weight of the frame? I have frames from this period made
from gas pipe and others from the lightest alloy available on the planet
at that time - and they look similar and have similar chunky lugs.
The paint - nice, as I said, but this has been refinished...to me not a
problem as you would be hard pushed to find a 60year old frame that
hasn't been well used and abused.
The beauty of this sort of decoration is in the understatement and the
Maine Star frame has this quality.
There does remain in Australia a couple of guys who can do the box
lining and all the fancy work. I know that in Victoria (where the frame
probably was sourced) that there is one old guy who is still doing that
sort of paint and I have seen his work. Some of his paint jobs of late
have not appealed to me at all - too many conflicting colors and
exaggerated lettering. The local word is that this old guy is probably
not long for the earth and his taste for the brown ale has probably
caused it. Any frames that I need painted...get 'em in now. The only
time the trembles don't intrude is when primed with booze and a brush in
hand. Sounds like a typical old Ozzie to me. This Maine Star could be
one of his earlier jobs, and if it is, then it was probably done when he
had greater presence of mind.
Malvern Star was the king of brand names in Victoria during the greater
part of last century and 'Maine Star' might be seen as a marketing
device to jump on the Malvern Star marketing machine. Something else I
would consider when buying this frame.
Malvern Star were well ahead of everyone in their marketing and brand
merchandising from the beginning. I own a '5 Star' frame which is
probably the most desirable of all Ozzie frames, and this particular
frame was built by Malvern Star, had 5 Star lugs, tubing,
everything...except it is called a 'Capital'. No 'star' braze-ons on the
head-tube and extra braze-ons for brake cabling and shifter cabling. It
was built at the Malvern Star factory in Chippendale Sydney, my old mate
Jim was working there at the time (and my mum in the office) and was
made for a bike shop chain in Sydney. Point being that not all Ozzie
bikes, however branded, were built by the people you thought built them!
Back to the frame - I would want to know it's weight and would go on
looks after that. There are many Ozzie bikes with racing provenance that
are not that hard to source and this one doesnt seem to have that
provenance.
Greg Softley
Coffs Harbour
Australia