Yesterday, I received a small little manual called "Bicycle Frames, a close up look by Joe Kossak"
Written in 1975 it is a limited treatise on frame design, materials, fitting, lugs, construction, exotics, and U.S framebuilders. Some of the pictures and articles are of Art Stump, Colin Laing, Don Millberger and Tom Ritchey at about 16yr old.
Braze ons are called "Tiddley bits" lug manufacturers by Dardenne, Gargatte, Dubois (Nervex), Fisher, Prugnant etc are mentioned. There is even a picture of someone with facemask brazing a seat-tube junction at A Witcomb Cycles, could this be someone we know?
Recently, the topic of what will be collectable in the future has come up. I think you only have to look at what is collectable now to see the same trend in the future. A collectable needs to be rare or an example of technological change. From Cinelli's, Hetchins and Rene Herse to the Teledyne Titan which was a terrible bicycle but represented the first of a new breed, to boxes, everything is collectable by those who are interested.
One thing that is interesting about the small book are its reference to the dying art of framebuilding. Just what many would say today 25 years later. Modern custom lugged bicycles will truly be collectable in the future. Why? At no time has the quality been so high as with the modern lugged bicycle by top builders. These frames are far superior to even the finest from the 50's,60's,70's in fit, finish and execution. The other is rarity, the truth is people are not buying these bikes anymore in any significant number, This will in itself make them valuable. Brian Baylis sold just a few frames this last year, Only a few lugged ones for me, others are feeling the pinch too. The reason you see welded Eisentraut's is because customers are unwilling to pay for the extra labor involved in lugged construction, Many seeking lugged bicycles see the cost of a modern lugged bike as too high but I would say that considering the cost of living, 32,000 dollar Subaru's, average home prices over 250,000 the modern collectable is a bargain.
Sincerely,
David Bohm
Bohemian Bicycles.