Originally Posted by
mpetry912
this is a valuable discussion and there might be a book in it.
After the intial cadre of builders returned from Europe in the mid 70s, the craft spread out to a larger group of builders, mostly clustered at the coasts
Also the influence of Masi CA, and Mario Confente's "giant leap" in terms of elevating the level of craftsmanship and attention to detail is worth noting
As is the work of Tom Ritchey who had some innovative design ideas, including fillet brazing
Builders of this period really raised the bar and established the US as a center of expertise in framebuilding.
/markp
and Price, both Richard Sachs and Ben Serotta noted the $400. Launch price of a Confente USA frame left them thinking.
paraphrasing, what was done to demand and get that high a price?
As I recall both were making frames at that time in the $225. Range. Not sure if wholesale or retail. Confente did not discount to dealers.
at least the frames that were sold through the shop I worked for.