Mark, I encountered the bike on a "club ride" in Scotland in '73. I was so intriqued with it's finish that I pestered the owner w/ a ton questions abo ut. It was indeed the original finish and it was "intentional". Somehow it seemed really appropriate to see such an "eccentric" finish on a Hetchins. However your question reminds me that the upkeep on such a finish (not to m ention a re-finish) would be a real headache because it was such a visually "busy" finish. BTW, I was so out of shape on that ride what I mostly saw o f the Hetchins was its tail end especially on the harder climbs!
Larry Hakim
Oxford, MS USA> From: mark@petry.org> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> D
ate: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:03:51 -0700> Subject: [CR]Worst Colour for a Class
ic Bike ....> > Larry - your description begs the question - could that bro
wn crackle finish> have been .. RUST ?> > > > Anybody else catch this youtu
be of the 53 Giro on Dave Moulton's bike blog> today ?> > > > http://davesb
ikeblog.blogspot.com/> > > > ===============
==================> > Mark Petry mark@p
etry.org> > Bainbridge Island, Washington USA> > 122.31 W 47.19 N> > ==
=========================
======> > > > > > > > > > ============
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==============> ====> > Larry Hakim a e
crit : > > > > One of THE coolest finishes I've ever seen on ANY bike was a
n original brow> n-ish "crackle" finish on a Hetchins circa 1973. Have neve
r seen it on any > other bike (including other Hetchins) and much more uniq
ue and "show-stoppi> ng" than any Italian bike from the 80's IMO.> > Larry
Hakim> Oxford, Mississippi, USA> > > > > > --- StripMime Report -- processe
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