Re: [CR]NOW: Masi "M"s WAS: Hetchins head Badge

(Example: Books)

Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 18:14:33 -0800
From: "Brian Baylis" <rocklube@adnc.com>
To: chuckschmidt@earthlink.net
Subject: Re: [CR]NOW: Masi "M"s WAS: Hetchins head Badge
References: <005101c2d2c7$651205c0$4148510c@gateway> <3E4AA116.3069@adnc.com> <3E4A9990.DAB25326@earthlink.net>
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

Chuck,

OK, since it is Valentines' Day Eve, I'll recount the story. I have been recalling the details of this tale in my mind and I think many will find a very special charm herein. The opening in particular may be interesting.

The opening. It starts sometime in 1974 I believe, when a young woman places a call to the workshop of Wizard Cycles in Huntington Beach, CA. She is inquireing about having a frame built for a special friend of hers. She has recently relocated from the East Coast where she had made the aquaintance of framebuilders Richard Sachs and Peter Weigle in her travels as a bike racer there. The friend she was comissioning the frame for was rider David Ware; I'm sure many will recogize the name. Anyway, the right side builders had suggested she contact us, if I'm not mistaken.

The frame was number 07 in the Wizard serial system if I remember correctly; it was a VERY early frame. I remember it was a dark green color but dont remember it beyond that. During the construction of the frame the young lady and I spent some time together riding and whatnot. I guess Valentines Day was approaching and I decided for some reason to take a large amount of the "M"s that were punched out of the BB shells of the Carlsbad Masis. The die resided and punching was done in a machine shop next door to Masi. We would go over there periodically and grab handfulls of these Ms. I still have a few. But I used most of what I had to make a large heart shape by brazing a whole bunch of these things together. I think I may have cut something else out of sheet metal to put inside it, but I don't remember for sure. This was probably Feb. 14, 1975 after all. I painted it white and maybe some other color or something. It would be rather interesting to see the thing if it still exists. AH, to be young again! To be so carefree as to sacrifice a lot of Masi keychains that you could sell on eBay for who knows how much. All for the sake of romance.

There you go. This lady introduced me to Richard and Peter back in 1974 and may still have possession of said article. On the other hand, it could be in the scrapyard where it belongs. Future collectable, that is debatable.

Brian Baylis La Mesa, CA Hopeless....yes. Romantic....Is a little troll with three arms romantic??
>
> Brian Baylis wrote:
> >
> (cut)
> > I hope no one thinks I have a barrell full of Hetchins' badges just
> > floating around. If I did I would be doing something useful with them;
> > like making refriderator magnets, bolo tie clasps, or "Texas style" belt
> > buckles and hat orniments to sell on eBay. In LA, I could sell those bad
> > boys as earrings or retrofit them to adourn the radiator grill of your
> > Bentley! So many uses, so little time!
>
> Reminds me of your story of the handful of little steel Masi "M" bottom
> bracket punch-outs that you had Brian. How did that story go again?
> Talk about 'future collectables'!!!

>

> Chuck Schmidt

> SP, CA

>

> .