Here's details on these from both experience and the Mafac catalog.
The levers pictured on the link below are NOT Mafac Guidonnet but in fact child sized Mafac Ville VE levers.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/
Specifics:
Ville are straight. Guidonnet are the ones that curve to follow the shape of a handle bar. These came in plastic "GDA" for the Guidonnet or "VDA" for the Ville. These also came in metal ("dural forge" as in the Mafac catalog) "GF" for the Guidonnet or "VF" for the Ville. In addition, these same levers were available in child sizes("course enfant")! These are called "Guidonnet enfant GE" and "Ville enfant VE." They also made a traditional lever for drop bars called "CE" for poignee course enfant and the same with an adjuster "CET" poignee course enfant avec tendeur. I have these on my childs size Peugeot racer. The catalog does not specify, but only shows/lists one material which in my experience has been aluminium except for the body of the racing lever which is plastic.
Now, each VF, GF, VDA, GDA came in two variations: VF B, VF S, GF B, GF S. The suffix of B refers to the lever with a "patented stainless steel clip" and the S refers to the "simplified stainless clip." The simplified clip is identified by a solid band while the patented clip has a slot cut out of the center of the band (this is what I've only ever seen on Mafac bands). The child sized levers VE and GE had the simplified band while the racing lever CE/CET had the patented band as standard.
Phew....
Confused yet? But wait, there's more. The child size levers guidonnet and ville have relatively flat ends to their levers while the adult sized items have distinct balls at the ends/tips. The exception to this is the childs size racer levers which also have a ball at the tip. Also, the child sized guidonnet and ville have a very faint cast "Mafac" in them while the adult sized levers have Mafac cast within a rectantangle. I have seen/possessed all the childs varients and again, all were aluminium (except the plastic racing lever body). I have seen the guidonnet adult in aluminium and have seen a Ville in plastic. These are out there and show up on ebay sporadically but are not impossible to find.
Hope that helps.
If you have trouble falling asleep tonight, read this post and it should work as an effective non-pharmaceutical sleeping antidote.
Eric "Mafac" Elman
Somers, CT
<classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 6:17 PM Subject: Re: [CR]Guidonnet levers again
>
> In a message dated 8/27/02 3:58:37 PM, cbeyer2@volvocars.com writes:
>
> << The CLBs curve forward, so you can operate them from a
>
> wider variety of hand positions.
>
>
> Chris >>
>
> I have a pair of alloy MAFAC guidonnet that I purchased around 1967, they
have
> "MAFAC" engraved and turns 90' forward so that you can get hold of them at
> next stem as well as upper forward position.
>
> I remember that Mafac had white(ivory) plastic pair also at that time, and
> they were less cost than alloy ones. Ones I see in ebay are not guidonnet
> rather regular straignt brake levers to me.
>
> KEN TODA, wet High Point, NC