Originally Posted by Prowler

I don't think I can help, but I can learn here: by "Nitto stem" I picture a very nice cast alloy (aluminum?) L piece that fits into the steerer tube and holds the handle bar. If that's what you mean, then a 1/2 inch wide 'ding' in an alloy casting sounds pretty serious. I've heard that castings are pretty strong but more brittle than rolled metal and that sort of 'ding' would have me worried about internal fractures. I can break an iron casting with a good wallop from a hammer. I'm sure that aluminum castings are less brittle but still, that sounds like something that would take a pretty good wallop to create. I'd be real worried about the integrity of the piece.

Or am I just up the wrong tree?