Doohickie you did good job describing each company, that does help it make sense.

When I say cult, in this context it is a good thing.

I had not considered that Jamis makes bikes out of everything. I kinda like the Surly as the poor man's Rivendell, I also like that there is a cult following, but I wish they would release the LHT in colors like the Atlantis, Hillborne, etc. Really I would just like to see a few nostalgic colors like the olive green, a light blue, understated orange, etc.

I suppose I really want to buy into the Rivendell Philosophy at an affordable price. Surly seems like the best option. $1195 for a LHT vs $2200 for a Sam Hillborne. I can reason what a dumb way this is to buy a bike but it still carries a great deal of power over my purchase.