I certainly see what you mean Road Fan, and can appreciate the argument. And I also understand that Rene Herse or Alex Singer didn't personally make every frame that came out of their shops. But, the frames came out of their shops and were made under their supervision. Or, were made by someone who had worked with them, as in the case of Singer, I believe. The level of knowledge directly gleaned from or passed down from Rene Herse is in question in this case. As far as I'm concerned, Rene Herse cycles, as a company, is dead. The people are gone but the historical record remains. But his knowledge, achievement and contributions will never die, as long as there are examples of his work still extant. His work. Not someone else's. To me, when a man puts his name on a hand made product, it's more than just a brand. It's a tough philosophy to justify, given that we are surrounded by brand names of all sorts. It's just what I believe.