I know this is getting into modern territory, but I'm been looking for something that probably doesn't exist and I thought you guys would be most tuned into this sort of thing.
I have a 1" threadless fork, and a thin tubed steel bike. I found Velo Orange's nice looking stem, but the downside for me is that it's designed for 1 1/8" and I would need to shim it. Not a problem functionally, but the visual bulkiness of it would conflict with my small tubed frame. If this exact stem was available in a thinner 1" style, I would be sold. I can't seem to find a smaller 1" equivalent anywhere.
I would prefer to take advantage of a removable face plate as long as the fasteners are visually minimal. I also like how the steerer fastener is on the front of the stem.
I'm sure some of you are thinking "custom." That might be the answer but I'm already over budget on this build.
Any ideas?