They are a long-respected name among custom tourer-randonneur builders, from a time before there were as many as there are today. I am sure they will build you an excellent bicycle. When shopping in that range, you should get what you want. If you want a vintage name, they have it.
If you want similar or better quality, you ought to also consider some of the Japanese builders like Toei, H. Hirose, Crescent and Cherubim.
There are also some exceptional US craftsmen, some you mentioned, and others like Phil Brown and Stephen Bilenky who have a similar aesthetic. (I just saw an exquisite custom Bilenky randonneur with a Campagnolo 50th Anniversary gruppo
last week at a shop in Maryland).
Although I like the idea of a long-lived bike, I don't care whether any bike I buy is the last one I ever get; in fact I would prefer not to think of it that way. Waiting as long as 2 years doesn't appeal to me personally, but I am still glad so see that there are builders willing to make a bike so desirable that the wait is that long, and that there is someone willing to wait for it.
Last edited by CHenry; 02-26-06 at 09:04 PM.