Here is the reply (in part) I received from Andrew Hague:
> Many thanks for your enquiry about the Mario Confente seat pin
> bolt. It certainly looks like the steel ones
> we made in the factory in Ebbw Vale in Wales from 1979 to 1986.
> The steel is EN1A leaded, a free machining steel. The name stamp
> was made in Leicester. I remember selling frame components to
> Mario. Very likely we made some especially
> for him. It was not difficult changing settings on the automatic
> lathes. I had modified the machines so that cross drilling and
> milling was done automatically and trained the workers how to do it.
> In 1986 we sold the business. There was increasing competition
> from Taiwan and I was not making a profit. I got into property
> development which was profitable and that has financed my move
> into CellSonic which is about to launch in February when we move
> our headquarters to Switzerland. I am also launching some Andrew
> Hague Cycles products which should be on the market in a few months.
> Nic Henderson has a website and has included me in it:
> http://www.bikebrothers.co.uk/
> It is through Nic that the new range of cycling products will be
> sold.
> There are no plans to make steel frame components. Most of the
> expensive frames are now aluminium or carbon fibre. I looked at
> stainless steel for a frame for myself and if I had the time I
> would certainly make one.
He also went on to say that he is a regular reader of an Heine's Bicycle Quarterly.
Emanuel Lowi Montreal, Quebec
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