http://www.hetchins.org/
" Buyer beware: not all Hetchins
are created equal. In
the 60s and 70s, an unknown
number of framesets
were apparently commisisoned
from an Italian
builder. They were finished by
Hetchins, bore
Hetchins badges and transfers,
and were sold as
Hetchins. But they were made in
Italy. Many were
exported to the USA.
British-made Italias may or
may not have a transfer
identifying them as such.
They can be identified by
British threads on the
bottom bracket shell and the
characteristic tang on
the seat lug. However, I know of
at least one
genuine British-made Italia
which had no extra
tangs. Tangs on the fork crown
indicate a
British-made fork, but not
necessarily a British-made
frame. Italian-made frames have
Italian threads on
the bottom bracket. The frames
featured here are
British-made."
Charles Nighbor
In cloudy Walnut Creek, CA but still very nice