>> I would like to share Bob's response with the list verbatim, but I will ask his consent before doing so.
Here's the text of my response to Kerrigan, plus a link to the photo I sent him:
It lookslike Noel's frame, yes. It had already been repainted when Noel got it,and we were not able to determine if it had been a Ferretti before therepaint, so I listed it as a reproduction to be on the safe side. It hada few odd features, like the half cm size, we couldn't rule out that ithad been a Ferretti before the repaint, infact that was how it was represented both of the times it was on eBay(the first of which was from a seller in Firenze, so Ken's phrase that it "was acquired in Firenze" would technically be correct).
Attached is a composite of the twoBB's. The details I see (in spite of the poor lighting and thick paintin the right image) are the identical placement of the individualdigits of the frame size stamps, slightly off-center vent hole in thechainstay bridge, and identical nicks on the upper left serif of the "Mcutout.
Bob
...and here, with permission, is an email I received from Ken:
Bob,
My bike has nothing to do with Noel Smith's bike. I acquired it in Florence, and I have no idea who Noel Smith is.
Best Regards from Boston, Ken
...and here, with permission, is an email from Noel:
Bob, Sold my Masi to Ken in December 2006, frameset only. So.....chances are pretty good it is in fact the same frameset.
n
Note: Noel also verifies that the BB pictured in my composite photo is an image he sent me of the frame he later sold to Ken.
Bob Hovey
Columbus GA USA
http://bhovey.com/
-----Original Message----- From: Kerrigan Bennett <kerriganbennett@gmail.com> To: classicrendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Sent: Thu, Jan 27, 2011 1:24 pm Subject: RE: [CR] Ferretti Team Bike on eBay, etc.
To all,
I have just received a reply from Bob Hovey in which he indicates that the Ken Denny listing appears to be the same bike shown in the registry as belonging to Noel Smith and suggests that the characterization of the bike as a "reproduction" was made out of caution for a provenance that was not sufficiently substantiated. Apparently, this same bike has been sold on eBay before. I would like to share Bob's response with the list verbatim, but I will ask his consent before doing so.
Kerrigan Bennett
Pleasant Hill, CA USA