Jan Heine wrote:
> At 9:27 PM -0700 10/22/08, EPL wrote:
>
>> In looking at 531 frames with "old" Continental Oval fork
>> blades (i.e. before Reynolds offered blades profiled more like
>> Columbis blades), I note that the rake bend is mostly low on the
>> blade, with much of the upper blade straight.
>
> The "Imperial Oval" was the older one. The "Continental Oval" is the
> Columbus shape.
>
>>
>> With the later New Continental profile (like Columbus), rake bends may
>> start much higher, even more than halfway up. Best proponent of this
>> gentle gradual bend is Ron Cooper, IMHO.
>>
>> Is this change in style a simple function of taste, or was the old
>> oval blade profile hard to bend higher up vs. the more slender
>> Columbus-type oval profile?
>
> It's mostly a matter of taste, but of course, it's a lot harder to put a
> small-radius bend into the bottom of the blade than a gradual bend into
> the entire blade. For the small-radius bend, you also need a blade that
> is relatively small in diameter and has a decent wall thickness,
> otherwise, the blade may ripple.
>
It's much easier to put an even bend in the round & thick walled bottom section than higher up where the wallthickness is less and the diameter is greater.
Most builders probably used the pre-raked blades which had a bend low down
-- mvg
Marten Gerritsen
Kiel Windeweer
Netherlands