Tom Hayes, a fine fellow and great friend, wrote:
Perhaps this may require a vintage bike intervention, or I should join lugs anonymous, or go into a rehab center for treatment of lug overdose, but what haunts me from the Cirque is my continued thoughts of the plainer lugged bikes: the vintage, like the McLeans, those that have Prugnat lugs, and maybe Nervex; but in particular the fine lines of the frames from the younger, lesser known builders with less decorative but finely done lugs. <snip> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I understand the feeling, and the love of the understated, but one of the things I took from Cirque was that styles differ remarkably, and one can have modest or great execution in several ways. One thing I did was to look carefully at some British bikes with ornamented lugs. Specifically, my Hetchins and Ephgrave, compared with a Condor, Ken Sanford's Carpenter (best in class last year), my Ephgrave, and Chris Crocoll's Johnny Berry.
My Hetchins (Italia Spyder) and the Condor both had lots of ornament, but it had a rounded and "thick" look and feel to it. Suggested production values, although the lugs were surely hand cut. In contrast, the Ephgrave and the Johnny Berry both showed very nicely and evenly thinned lugs, and very elegant, crisp, and sharply defined (and pointed) lug ornament. I don't think I've ever seen finer work on the BB shell than the Berry showed.
Maybe it's just what one is used to, but to my eye the Ephgrave and Berry are eye candy as much as the "de minimus" Tom loves (and I do, too), and sometimes a relief in their variations.
As always, your mileage may vary.
harvey sachs
mcLean va