Originally Posted by
1oldtrackie
Here's my old Raphael Geminiani. I had another one (1962) that I restored (paint etc) as well but sold.
Does the seat stay finish have a crimp down center, I can’t tell if I’m seeing a crimp or if its paint (I’m thinking crimped)? On the highest end bikes from both Geminiani and Gitane when they were both part of MICMO, the stay top is cut and a sinuous cap is brazed into cut tube (not Carre-style willow leaf, much narrower fits in rather than over stay tube). Models a tier down have a swagged finish where the seat stay tube has a wedge cut out, the remaining flap is crimped and folded over and the whole thing brazed shut. I’ve seen both stay finishes used with Nervex lugs, here are a couple examples, first the fitted stay cap followed by the swagged and crimped finish.
