[CR] Bill Hurlow transfers

(Example: Framebuilders:Pino Morroni)

From: "Peter Brown" <peterg.brown@ntlworld.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:40:42 -0000
thread-index: AcrNLOz3FtLYNukoStq/LaB89b6ZYA==
Subject: [CR] Bill Hurlow transfers


I think a few words of explanation regarding the availability of Hurlow transfers might be helpful. A few years ago I bought a Hurlow frame. It had been refinished, but poorly stored and wrongly transferred. After sending detailed photographs of it to Bill, and having several lengthy telephone calls, we decided what was needed to restore it to original condition. As it had a lot of chrome that was not going to be cheap and I kept putting it off. When I heard that Ken Sanford was looking for another track or path frame to follow the Carpenter I had sold him previously I was confident that Ken would do it justice and so sold it to him. Ken obviously needed transfers and I agreed to contact Bill to see if he could supply some. Bill was not too sure what he had and suggested that I go and have a look - not too easy as it would have meant a 500 mile round trip. However, last May I was staying with some friends in Kent and made arrangements to go to see Bill to see what he had. What I thought might be a fairly quick visit turned out to be a fascinating 6 hours in his company. He produced a large envelope full of transfers, but among them was just one set of original ones, his last set. As he knew the frame they were going on he was happy to sell them to me, and so Ken got his set. He also sold me 2 sets of his later style ones and he had many of those left. Finally he gave me one of the original design head badge transfers which was too damaged for use but had all the detail required to reproduce the artwork, and I gave Bill an undertaking that I would do so. That is a job I reserve for the dark winter nights, and it was not until January that I caught up on a few other projects I had in hand and turned my attention to the Hurlow. I finally completed the task as far as I was able to take it and passed my work on to Nick Tithecott in mid February, not knowing the sad news of Bill's death to come in early March, to see what else was needed and for him to convert it to the kind of file he needs for his printing process. Nick already had a sample of the down tube transfer for that set and so did the artwork for that also, and printed the first set onto best quality self-adhesive thin vinyl.

Quite often when Nick produces a new set he offers them on Ebay as a means of letting people know they are available. I expressed my view to Nick that to offer them so soon after Bill's death would appear premature and opportunistic and might cause offence to some, and he fully agreed and will not do so for a few months, but in the meantime he would supply to those who enquired. He has sent me a copy of the head badge so that I could see how my work turned out, and I must say they are excellent and that Bill would have been delighted with them. The head badge is just as those familiar with the frames will remember, dominated by a Red letter H on a gold background, surrounded by a green laurel wreath, and with scrolls top and bottom. The down tube transfers are available in either red to match the red of the H with a black outline, or are white with a black outline.

Bill was very particular who he would supply transfer sets to, and would only do so if he was completely satisfied that they were going on a frame he had made. He was very concerned that unscrupulous people would put them on someone else's work. Without Bill here to ensure that happens it is now left to the integrity and honesty of the owner of the frame to ensure that his wishes are upheld.

Peter Brown, Lincolnshire, England