Re: [CR]Connection between Gun tubes and Bike Tubes

(Example: Framebuilders)

In-Reply-To: <7EA3FEAA.611F944C.0269AA25@aol.com>
References: <7EA3FEAA.611F944C.0269AA25@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2004 23:25:39 -0400
To: LouDeeter@aol.com, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "Sheldon Brown" <CaptBike@sheldonbrown.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]Connection between Gun tubes and Bike Tubes


At 4:06 PM -0400 8/9/04, LouDeeter@aol.com wrote:
>Eibar, Spain is also the home of Star firearms and maybe others. I
>know it was the primary steel producing town for Spain in the early
>1900s. I don't know of a connection between Star & Zeus other than
>both are in Eibar. A couple of days ago, I posted an ebay outing
>for a Browning bike that might have been connected to the Browning
>Firearms company in Belgium. And, it seems that last month someone
>mentioned that Steyr (the Austrian gun company) made Puch at one
>time. It seems logical to me that a steel company would manufacture
>tubing and gun barrels. But, other than these examples, were there
>others? Lou Deeter, Orlando FL

Iver Johnson used to be an important bike maker (I own an old I.J. frame I haven't yet decided what to do with.) They also made Sirhan Sirhan's revolver.

There are Smith & Wesson bicycles, but I believe they're just generic asian bikes with the S & W logo.

Going back to 19th century England, there was a connection between Rudge and Whitworth. Whitworth also made military rifles for Queen Victoria's Redcoats.

Sir Joseph Whitworth was a great man of the British Industrial Revolution, second only to I.K. Brunel. He was the first to manufacture all-metal machine tools. He invented the milling machine. He was the first to develop a standardised [sic] system of thread sizes and wrench sizes.

Sheldon "Shimano Makes Machines For Killing Fish" Brown Newtonville, Massachusetts +----------------------------------------+ | Yes Britain set the world ablaze, | | In good King George's glorious days! | | --W.S. Gilbert | +----------------------------------------+ --
    Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
       Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
            http://harriscyclery.com
       Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
            http://captainbike.com
    Useful articles about bicycles and cycling
            http://sheldonbrown.com