Originally Posted by
Hummer
Very good. You have done some actual research.
We're so glad you approve.
Originally Posted by
Hummer
Yes, the person that made the post said the bicycle is Tano.
I have seen nothing on the bicycle that indicates H. Tano and Company, but maybe I missed something.
Perhaps this?
Originally Posted by
brodycycle
I owned a H. Tano framed Centurion bike I bought in Colorado Springs in 1980. I had an accident that destroyed the frame. When cleaning out old owners manuals I found the Centurion manual and it listed H. Tano in Kobe Japan as the frame maker. Since I was in Korea at the time, I wrote to H. Tano at the address and they told me I could have the frame made to my specifications based on the Centurion Semi Pro. Long story short, I went to Kobe Japan and got the frame.
Originally Posted by
Hummer
How have you verified that the bicycle frame was manufactured by H. Tano and Company? The bicycle may have been assembled by H. Tano and Company.
While one
could argue there's a slight possibility that H. Tano was such a large exporter that they could do badge engineering on another supplier's frame, there's no way to prove this otherwise than to ask someone who
worked at H. Tano for the answer. For this level of accuracy, marketing documents and/or owners manuals won't cut it, and government documents regarding equipment manufacturer will only go so far.
Originally Posted by
Hummer
There are no pictures of the serial number which would be helpful with verification.
There are too many unanswered questions about this bicycle for it to be considered definitive proof of H. Tano and Company as a manufacturer.
Ask the owner. If you're so big on research, how about doing a bit yourself?
Originally Posted by
Hummer
I have not seen this brochure before. The seller is in Argentina.
South America is one place that I did not look for H. Tano and Company information, but I should have.
Any country where bicycles are extremely popular and not marketed as they are in consumer cultures like Europe or the US are good places to search. Information could come from anywhere. For that matter, there's nothing to conclusively prove that brochure was made for the Latin American market either.
Originally Posted by
Hummer
This H. Tano and Company brochure from Argentina is very interesting, but it is not proof that the Japanese exporter H. Tano and Company manufactured bicycles.
*ahem*
Originally Posted by
panzerwagon
So why do you think they advertise themselves as "Exporters and Manufacturers of Bicycles, Parts and Accessories" in their actual advert from 1952?
@
panzerwagon is quoting your own post that quotes H. Tano's advertisement.
Have you read and understood your own research?
-Kurt