On Thu, May 1, 2008 at 12:08 PM, Mark Petry <mark@petry.org> wrote:
> The other comment I'd make is that the whole phenomenon of creating what
> have become our (on-topic) vintage bikes required not much more than
> blacksmithing tools (saw, files, torch) - in short, old world craftsmanship
> that could be set up in any barn, assuming sufficient skill in the hands of
> the builder.
>
Not sure how far some one could get with blacksmithing tools trying to make seamless double butted tubing. Assuming that all of the vintage lightweights that we consider on-topic use this kind of tubing, there is plenty of room to appreciate industrial achievement here as well as the artisanal kind. Now let's talk about cold forging...
Not to say that industrial associations makes vintage bike collecting any less a left pursuit. The definition of "left" we started out with here is peculiar and even idiosyncratic, but that's another topic and off-topic.
Mitch Harris
Little Rock Canyon, Utah, USA