[CR]Re: Fight pickin' you bet Brandon!

(Example: Books:Ron Kitching)

From: <CYCLESTORE@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 22:55:17 EDT
To: monkey37@bluemarble.net, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Re: Fight pickin' you bet Brandon!

<< Gilbert has touched the most important aspect to any craftsman/artist is that they're only as good as their customers.>>

<<I'm becoming a framebuilder not to make money, but because I've wanted to be one since I was 12 years old. Different builders use different methods the "weed out" the type of customers they don't want, but by not looking at it as a living I can refuse anything I don't feel comfortable about. Luckily, few builders I know ever build anything with their name on it they would rather not have, because they know they're only as good as the customer you're building for. Brandon"monkeyman"Ives>>

Brandon I didn't say that! I said,

"A thing to remember,

The best work from custom work shops is commissioned by the buyer, not the builder. I would guess David Bohm and Richard Sachs best work came from their best customer (if you can define that) that was willing and able to pay for it."

I might add: Building a frame is only as good as the customer sounds odd to me, a little elitist. A more accurate statement might be a customers bike will only be as good as the builder can build, but this misses the point of course. A builder has to have some minimal standards otherwise he is competing with robots in China for customers (and prices).

I think the weeding out process (of customers) you mention is coming awfully early for someone getting started but time is limited for everyone. The wingnut and wacko requests are where I feel a good builder will learn his best tricks or worst limitations. I suspect a good builder will learn something new every day he is at his craft, faster if he's screwing up. That's my game, screwing up and I'm good at it.

All the best, don't take my comments harshly.

Gilbert Anderson in Glorious NC today.

In a message dated 5/23/01 4:31:20 PM, monkey37@bluemarble.net writes:

"Nobody can do everything, but if everybody did something everything would get done." Gil Scott-Heron

On Wed, 23 May 2001 CYCLESTORE@aol.com wrote:
> A thing to remember,
>
> The best work from custom work shops is commissioned by the buyer, not the
> builder. I would guess David Bohm and Richard Sachs best work came from their
> best customer (if you can define that) that was willing and able to pay for
> it.
>
> It's hard o spend days and days filing lugs if you have to donate the effort
> to the old racers home when you were making less than minimum wage before you
> started.
>
> My 2 cents will by you a cup of coffee in Afghanistan, I'll be the guy
> sitting there wearing the patch on his shirt for easy recognition.
>
> Gilbert Anderson in cool and sunny Raleigh NC
>
>
> In a message dated 5/23/01 3:26:53 PM, OROBOYZ@aol.com writes:
>
> << In a message dated 5/23/01 10:24:14 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> velopista@hotmail.com writes:
>
> << Who is a better builder ... Ron Cooper or Mario Confente? >>
>
> Hey gals & guys:
>
> I am really liking this nice relatively quiet period with no one showing
> their anti-social behavior. Although I know all this is tongue-in-cheek,
> fighting is not what this whole deal is about and I hasten to remind you all
> it takes very little (and no particular genius) to really get folks upset...
>
> So relax and enjoy!
>
> Re: who is the best builder.. Truth is all these famous guys have probably
> had a bad day and an inspired day. It really is like saying what person is
> the most beautiful.. It's a lot in the eye of the beholder and the constant
> fretting over THE BEST causes some fine other people/bikes to get overlooked
> in the process.. Plus people constantly blowing off that their favorite
> bike/builder is better than the others is at least boring and tiresome! Give
> it a rest!
>
> Diversity is what is most fun and interesting!!
>
> Dale Brown
> Greensboro, North Carolina >> >>