[CR] Re: Guerciotti

(Example: Framebuilders:Masi)

Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:29:33 -0500
Subject: [CR] Re: Guerciotti
From: "Doug Fattic" <fatticbicycles@qtm.net>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>


Dale wrote:

"I have heard a lot of different stories about Guerciotti producti: That Lino Tempesta made them... That Monodico made them... That the Guerciotti brothers never even had their own work shop and all frames were subcontracted out... Anyone know the truth?"

Dale, I don't know the complete truth but I know more than nothing. In 1977 I visited various Milan shops looking for any hints from established builders on how to improve my than infant framebulding knowledge. One store I went into was Gueriotti's and one of the brothers waited on me. It was obvious from that visit that they didn't make frames on the premises and - as I understood it - had them made by one of those bigger Italian companies that specialized in making frames for other labels. The details of the frame like the style of the lug and it's cutout and design and whatnot were specific to Guerciotti but it still was an assembly line process. I've fogotten what company it was. I'm kind of curious now who these 2 bigger factories were that commonly made Italian frames for other brands. I'm sure other list members know but at the time, I wasn't interested in how things were done in batches but rather how skilled individual craftsman worked.

Doug Fattic
Niles, Michigan USA