I am now in the process of trying to build (will be working with Mike Barry/Mariposa in Toronto) a close but by no means exact re-creation (rather a bit experimental) of a 50's Herse, with a few other ideas mixed in- and with some super advice from Jan Heine (very nice guy).
Two ideas I've gleaned from these pages (of note were comments made about pencil chainstays by Brain Baylis and Bob Reid, as well as an insight about sloping fork crowns made by Steven Thomas) were that old Reynolds pencil stays and fork blades can really have a positive effect on comfort (obviously not speed).
My question (before I begin a very difficult search for such old tubes) is: did all British makers of such pencil stayed frames use the same guage tube? Were there many different specs of such pencil stays, or just one or two? And last, regaring Mr. Thomas's favorable remarks about old Reynolds sloping fork crowns- does anyone think these might still be extant, or could other makers crowns be used to equal effect provided they were joined with the older Renyolds tapered blades? Thanks very much,
Jeremy Lieberman
New York City