B2 i hate saying 'stuff like this', but my interpretation on the letter is based on my experience in the industry, my long time spent as a masi-watcher, five trips to italy which encompassed visits to 'all' the major frame shops (which include three visits to the vigorelli), and my intuition about manufacturing methods in general; what we call 'building' and what they call 'building' are, more often than not, two different animals. i guess i'll wait to see what 'he built the frame' really means. e-RICHIE Richard Sachs Cycles No.9, North Main Street Chester, CT 06412 USA http://www.richardsachs.com Tel. 860.526.2059
On Wed, 06 Nov 2002 08:47:38 -0800 Brian Baylis <rocklube@adnc.com>
writes:
> Richard,
>
> I sounds to me that you still feel that the intent of the letter is
> your
> interpetation as opposed to that which the owner claims. I'd like
> to
> know what are the foundations of this belief? I get the impression
> that
> you are not convinced that the seller and buyer, both of whom were
> in
> Italy at the time, were not clear on what the question was.
>
> For starters, the seller had heard Alberto comment on the fact that
> his
> father built that bike for a team in Milano. I don't feel this
> statement
> can be misunderstood to mean that "the Masi company" built that
> bike.
> It's quite obvious it's a Masi to anyone who has any respectable
> amount
> of knowledge about Masis. Exactly what would be the point of getting
> a
> letter from Alberto regarding the fact that it is a Masi? Nothing
> could
> be more obvious. The significant thing about the frame is it is one
> Faliero actually built himself. Alberto remembers it specifically.
> He
> wrote a letter stating that fact upon the request of the buyer,
> because
> the buyer was smart enough to get Albertos' written word confirming
> the
> statment he had made about the origin of that frame. It is not my
> right
> nor anyone elses to consider Alberto or the buyer "mistaken" about
> the
> intent of the letter. The buyer was most fortunate to be in a
> posotion
> to accomplish this and very wise to do so; let's not diminish the
> effort
> it took to do the best possible thing in getting verification on
> this
> frame.
>
> Brian Baylis
> La Mesa, CA
>
>
> >
> > snipped:
> > Brian Baylis <rocklube@adnc.com> writes:
> > Speaking of Masis. I meant to comment on the "letter of
> > authenticity" and the 1954 Masi Speciale track bike. I have
> > to admit, I was a bit surprised by some of the responces
> > from listmembers to Kurt Goodrich. To diminish the intent
> > or the authenticity of the letter was clearly a bit premature
> > considering no one asked about the circumstances by which
> > it was obtained.>>>
> >
> > bb-no one doubted curt's integrity or ability to judge an
> > old masi. some listmembers, myself among them, questioned
> > the literal translation of the 'letter'. my comment about it was
> > that i could agree with it in spirit, but i think it meant that
> the
> > frame was not so much made by f. masi as it meant 'made by
> > the eponymous firm'. over there you hear alot of 'we do this',
> > or 'ours are made this way', type of talk. even if the frame is
> > 50+ years old, how can 'we' discern what it means when the
> > letter says 'he' made the frame. did he miter the tubes? braze
> it?
> > file the lugs and run the taps through? i think it was always a
> > collaborative effort rather than a one-man sequence. i do not
> > question a. masi's intent in penning the letter. i just interpret
> > it to mean something other than 'f. masi <actually> built
> > this here frame (by himself)'.
> > e-RICHIE
> > Richard Sachs Cycles
> > No.9, North Main Street
> > Chester, CT 06412 USA
> > http://www.richardsachs.com
> > Tel. 860.526.2059