[CR]Dating Brooks saddles - new aspect

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From: "NIGEL LAND" <ndland@btinternet.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <MONKEYFOOD0Vv8lwLvy00002f3b@monkeyfood.nt.phred.org>
Subject: [CR]Dating Brooks saddles - new aspect
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2006 19:41:43 +0100


Neil, I like your theory and I do remember the almost universal use of aluminium for cooking pans in the late 1940s, but surely brass would have also been more available as it was not being used for shell cases much post 1945. Aluminium was being widely used for aircraft during the war and I would guess that it was in demand postwar for thes ame purpose, as passenger flights once more became possible. It is a very interesting theory, but we need more evidence - aluminium was considered a wonder alloy in the 40s and 50s wasn't it? Perhaps alloy badges was just technical progress?

Nigel Land Barton on Humber UK

Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2006 11:19:50 +0000 From: "neil foddering" <neilfoddering@hotmail.com> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]Dating Brooks saddles - new aspect Message-ID: <BAY115-F8542D52ECADD8622B7FAFBF4D0@phx.gbl> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed MIME-Version: 1.0 Precedence: list Message: 2

I have a pet theory, which I'm willing to have shot down, that Brooks saddles with aluminium badges (see right hand saddle at http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v396/hadendowa/Brooks%20badges/ with brass badged 1930's Sprinter for comparison) date to just after WW2. The saddle with the aluminium badge is a B17 Narrow with oval badge stamping in the leather. I have another Brooks saddle, a 4-wire model with an oval badge in the leather (but no model designation) and an aluminium badge at the rear.

The reason for this wild stab in the dark is that my 1946 Holdsworth, in its original finish, has an aluminium alloy headbadge, of the pattern which was produced in brass by 1947. In discussion with Norman Kilgariff (see http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nkilgariff/ ,click on the "HISTORY" button, scroll down, and click on "Aluminium Headbadges") we surmised that this was due to the brass shortage in England shortly after WW2. This could also have been the case with Brooks.

I'd welcome comments.

Neil Foddering
Weymouth, Dorset, England