These newer "French Design" Ideale saddles appear quite often in Germany on the market (shops and eBay, for example Item 320173550472 ). Usually they have a date stamp from 1996. I have seen Mod. 92 (men and women version), Mod.80, Mod.75 and the "Columbia" model. The 80 and 92 also have the Rebour stamp, although the leather doesn't look like it has been undergone any softening treatment. Even odder than the "French Design" stamp is that the brand name at the side is not "IDÉALE" but "IDEALE" with the accent missing (which is simply wrong, no french company would spell its name wrongly). The leather is quite different from real, french Idéales but the frames seem to be identical and the "French Design" Mod.92 came with a clip/adaptor for simple seat pins engraved "Made in France". I was told by a LBS who had lots of these newer Ideale saddles, and who usually knows what he is talking about, that the company or at least the brand was bought by the dutch saddle manufacturer Lepper (www.lepper.nl) and that Lepper continued to produce Ideale saddles up to into the 90s.
Dirk
-- Dirk Feeken Heidelberg Germany
-----Original Message----- Robert Schenker wrote:
OK--I didn't look carefully. My oddball Ideale 92, purchased from a seller in Germany, says "French Design" on the side where all the other "real" ones I have say Made in France. Anyone got any more input on this?
Bob Schenker
Oakland, CA