Originally Posted by
lotek
That would be Mike Kone, who bought the name with the blessing of Lily Herse. This isn't the same
as say Bikes Direct buying the Motobecane name (among others) and slapping it on just any bike.
Mike and Mark Nobliette (sic) are building modern bikes, in the best style of Herse. They are truely
carrying on the marque, not just the name.
Look at the web site and look at the work being done, also look at the NAHBS photos from either
last year or this year (forget which) for details of the work being done on the new Herse bikes.
I think (and I guess Lily Herse agrees) that Rene would be proud of what is being done in his name.
that said, I hate the buying of names and putting them on trash bikes. Hell, I don't even like
the 'new' Hetchins.
Marty
This is an interesting topic. I do not question the quality of this builder's work, and I understand that Herse's daughter is glad he bought the name. Still, this is not the original company, and he had no direct contact with Herse -- he was not his student, or the student of his student; there was no continuity. Would the original company, had it been continually operational, have chosen to follow the same path and the same design aesthetics? Would it have developed in the same direction? Had the same vision?
The same question is now raised in the fountain pen industry: It has grown popular for small manufacturers of upscale fountain pens to buy the rights to names of older, famous pen manufacturers (that had not been in business for decades), replicate the aesthetic of these famous manufacturers, and then sell pens under this name, advertising them as classic products with a 100 year heritage.
Regardless of the intentions of the new manufacturers and the quality of their work, my personal view is that without continuity it is "wrong" to resurrect a company in this manner and claim that your work is a continuation of this company's work. The legendary name should have been allowed to rest in peace. Just my opinion of course.