RE: [CR]Re: Brooks swallow (GULP...)

(Example: Framebuilders:Doug Fattic)

Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:53:54 -0800
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "Jan Heine" <heine94@earthlink.net>
Subject: RE: [CR]Re: Brooks swallow (GULP...)


> .... does Brooks use dedicated tooling for their ti saddles,
>> >or do they just place titanium in the place of steel when they make
>> >these parts? When you compare the dimensions of the cantle plates
>> >for Brooks ti and Brooks steel saddles, they are so similar that the
>> >tooling appears to be very similar.
>> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>> If the Ti and steel cantle plates are identical in shape I assume the
>> Ti ones were done on a deeper, narrower die.
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>

I got this from a source close to Brooks, who wants to remain anonymous, about the dies for the stamping of the steel and titanium cantle plates:

Not so, according to Brooks. A usually very reliable source assures me that the same press dies are used for steel and titanium - the titanium cantles (or 'backplates', as they choose to call them) are heated before pressing, and the steel ones are 'cold pressed'.

So to summarize, the cantles (back plates) are neither forged nor cast, but stamped, and they use the same dies for the steel and titanium versions.

Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
140 Lakeside Ave #C
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.bikequarterly.com