No, really. I had a '70s Brooks and broke a rail.
You're right, it's cost driven. They started to cut corners in the '70s, it bit them in the arse and they switched to a different coating, saving the chrome for the high end stuff. But they put some crap out in the meantime.
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I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by
bragi 
"However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."