Interesting catalog. Note that only some of the leather models carried the name "Belt". I don't think the Professional ever did. I think "Belt" was one of those words that the Japanese, for some reason, thought sounded prestigeous in English, but that actual native English speakers found odd in the context in which it was used. This sort of odd naming was common to all sorts of Japanese goods until the Japanese companies began to hire western advertising firms to help sell their goods in the export markets.
Also note that there is an F17 model with alloy rails that are a very close copy of the rails on the alloy Ideales. I'd not been aware of that one until now.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
From: james black <chocotaco@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [CR] Vintage Belt Saddle from Japan (on ebay) To: "Jon Spangler" <jonswriter@att.net> Cc: "Dale Brown" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Date: Monday, April 26, 2010, 11:28 PM
On Mon, Apr 26, 2010 at 19:33, Jon Spangler <jonswriter@att.net> wrote:
> I will ask the seller if his saddle is soft...
Careful, that's a delicate question.
I have had a few Belt saddles, and also found that the shapes and comfort varied dramatically. If you look closely, you'll see many different styles - some have stitching around the edge, some have a plastic antistretch layer beneath the leather, etc. Most of them have been quite firm, although sometimes they get soft; I prefer a very firm saddle. My Fujita Professional was my favorite saddle until a rail broke, and I hope to get it repaired someday.
Here's a treat for Fujita fans, a 1965 catalog showing a wide range of models:
http://cyclotourist.web.fc2.com/
James Black
Los Angeles, CA, USA