In the world of antique tool collecting they call them "type studies".
The earliest known version of a particular tool is referred to as type 1. Each version that has some subtile variation is numbered sequentially 2, 3, 4...
Usually you won't see one person creating type studies for every tool made by a manufacturer. Someone might be interested in a particular model, and after doing some research, publish a type study.
Once the type study is published it gets amended and refined with input from the collecting community. If someone comes up with a variation that places a particular example between two types then they add a letter designation. IE "Type 13a", "13b" etc...
Jamie Swan - Northport, New York
http://www.centerportcycles.com (mapped)
http://www.limws.org
http://www.liatca.org
http://www.cabinfeverliquidations.com
On Sep 5, 2005, at 1:03 PM, Riccardo Bulissimo wrote:
>
> Here's an open question about Campagnolo time line stuff. Directed at
> Chuck "Tullio's other lost love child" Schmidt, but anyone can chime
> in, that is what this list is about, no?
>
> Is there, should there be, a component specific "log" of changes? The
> reason I bring this up is I just learned a silly factoid that sent me
> scurrying to the parts bins and sure enough, he ( a seller on Ebay)
> was right!
>
> I am refering to a subtle change on the quite common 626/a cable
> slide. At some point they were marked "Brev. Int. Camp" and then later
> "Brev. Camp." Sure enough, I have both. My real point is that if
> there was a spreadsheet kinda thing, then this sort of cabalistic
> knowledge would be fun to track. I know it comes up all the time here,
> with posters asking about their particular component. Like my front
> derailleur pictures just this morning and I offered up the thing about
> the bolt heads ( and of course, the bolt shown in the photo of the
> 626/a lister mentioned above is the wrong one, AFIK.)
>
> The subtle changes of the glorious Gran Sport Rear are fairly well
> known, but when I was futzing with hubs to ready them for auction, I
> found somewhere in the mid 70's, the locknut codes went from CAM ## to
> CAMP ##. I have 55 through 72, then 75 on, so it is in there that
> they changed.
>
> Anyway, if there was a gruppo compatto list of each item (down to the
> part number level as appropriate) and what is "early" and then
> "later". that would be way cool and useful ( and a bit of work, but
> maybe not if it was a wiki like spreadsheet? could be built up over
> time by several folks...
>
> And tho off topic, but in the CR KOF spirit, is anyone tracking
> CURRENT Campy comings and goings? Like the subtle changes in the
> Record Derailleur? Just asking, think of the children who will one day
> be owning all this stuff when we are wormfood.
>
> Just musing after coffee...Riccardo Bulissimo Verdi, NV USA