Ho! Ho! Ho!...I see that there is a Father Christmas and that he has delivered to the CR Listers..a really precious ( and expensive) 'cadre nu'  built by a really  famous Paris frame-builder.

I have lost count of the times that I have read on the List eurological sermons written by those who worship at the altar of this fine craftsman, but I  had never seen, nor met anyone who had seen one of his frames  in its nude state or 'en l'etat' as the French would say . Praise is always bestowed on any frame bearing his name..whether or not we can see how it has been made  or brazed or mitred...or filed up. His frames are, according to many...the 'summa cum laude' of frames whereas Alf Hetchins could only manage to aspire to be 'Magnum Opus'.

Now...thanks to Santa Claus..some but not all has been exposed... warts and all !

Although I have never been able to comprehend the eulogies showered upon Herse' frames..and after all they're just bike frames - assemblages of pieces of metal ..nor can I understand the prices that they fetch when sold...I have always suggested that they appear to be well -designed, appear to be well -built..and appear to ride well...but after building frames. on and off for sixty-four years, I have never been able to conclude why his frames are better than mine...or perceived to be...or for that matter better than the frames built by very many frame-builders

So, now, having seen what 'a Herse - in -the-bluff' looks like,  I am more than happy with what I have produced over the years..

The Herse frame without its paint looks fine, but the praise show, by other commentators, for its fine brazing of the frame, the attachment of the braze-ons, makes me think that they must not have seen very many naked frames.. If in fact the brazing of the Herse is so fine and good...then those who think so should try to examine a Hetchins Magnum Opus, with its lugs and curlicues, its windows...or Carlton International, or a Granby..a Hilton Wrigley . for that matter, a 50s/60s  Bespoke of Settle The lugs used by Herse were quite smooth and uncomplicated in their outline - meaning that brazing alloy would be easy to chase around the shore-lines...as this particular frame shows very adequately. However tacking ad brazing on all those extra bits and bobs takes more skill, patience and endeavour.

I think that it is this latter element of the frame that I find extremely disappointing..and lacking in care.

The brazing-on of the internal cable guides has been highlighted as a feature, but I find that as they are shown in Photos 3 and 6, the quality of work leaves much to be desired. The lower part of the bottom head-lug where it attaches to the underside of the down-tube shows poor brazing.. Photo 4..whereas the brazing of the rear derailleur bracket  and cleaning up shows poor work and even a hole in the brazing alloy...which could have been caused by several errors including heating the joint to high causing the zinc in the alloy to sublime - photos 7 and 8.
However it is the construction, brazing and fettling up, filing polishing etc of the seat lug and its attachments. such as the carrier attachments  that I find utterly disappointing and not really acceptable. This point on most hand-built-frames is one at which most builders try to express  and show their craftmanship and skill, but I can see no evidence of the Herse's seat lug having received much attention at all...it's shoddy  Photos 6 and 7.   Even the joint where the steel seat pillar is brazed into the top of the seat lug is scruffy .Similarly the brazing of the chainstay bridge and its cleaning up leaves much to be desired. - Photo 9

No doubt the frame will ride well and it also looks good in its black minimal finish...but that paint covers elements of the build that could have and should have been better finished. Perhaps the builder couldn't find his Swiss needle files on the day. so he couldn't clean around those braze-ons  .perhaps he needed to get it to the enamellers...

Apart from some well executed brazed lug/tube joints, the next best part was the brazing of the fork ends to the stays and blades. I have always admired the bottom bracket shells used by Herse and just wish that the photographer could have managed to post a shot of the mitres inside this particular shell.. The shell is a cast one..so there is no reason to assume that the mitres would be anything but immaculate.

As the French would say ....'Ca pourrait etre mieux!'

I appreciate that, in many CR Listers' eyes and those of numerous Herse  disciples,  I have committed the ultimate heresy...who may therefore feel  that I should be entombed in a pile of brazing flux to prevent any further outbursts..However in my own defence I can only state that I do as I say..and would have felt, that had I built that frame, I would have felt it was not a job as well built as it might have been.  Had I built it, too, I would have expected the same criticisms.

Norris Lockley

Settle UK