Lugged Fork ID
 

Hi there

Can anyone ID this fork?
The only thing written on the steerer is '58'.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2f62aeabd0.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bf37245a5f.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...55ecb71886.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0168b139b0.jpg

You might be better off asking the mods to move this towards Classic and Vintage that is the ideal subforum for this.

Beyond that I cannot help I am not as well versed in vintage forks.

I don't know about the fork, but the original owner should be easy to spot in a crowd, he's gonna be really tall, I'm guessing 6'4".

As noted, the classic forum is your best bet.

Otherwise, it looks to be something from a UK framebuilder, possibly with 531 blade. Back in that era, lug makers offered crowns in endless variations, so builder could each have something unique.

Before I retired, I had catalogs with hundreds of crowns, and might have been able to say who made the crown, but not who bought it for their forks.

Yes, it is one of hundreds of "hand made" steel forks from the 1950s through the 1970s that were made in the tens of thousands. There were many different brands of lugs in those days, and builders often hand filed them to get a specific look. There is nothing about that fork that could provide significant guidance to the builder.

My suspicions are a mid later 1970s build. The recessed brake nut wasn't popular at all in the early 1970s or before to my knowledge.

The fork looks nicely done, note the tapering done to the dropout top side of the tab entering the blade. Much like a highly regarded US builder does:) Although I doubt this is his work.

What I also note as being quite distinctive is the shape of the crown's top surface. There's a slightly raised (plateau like) surface/feature that is wide at the crown race seat and narrows down to a point. Many crowns (I suspect more stamped and welded ones than IC ones) have this same sort of feature but all the ones I remember seeing this feature is both symmetrical along both it's front and rear edge. But this one's feature has two different curves to the front and rear edges, sort of like a comma shape. Andy

It appears to have been intended for a recessed brake mount, something that only caught on in the 1980s.

Agree that this is a nice fork, from a caring builder.

Though I can't be sure, I suspect the raised crown trim is stamped, or cut sheet stock, brazed to a flat top crown as a builder embellishment. Kind of like a trademark or signature.

Post the photos on C&V and there's a decent chance that someone can name the builder based on the crown.

That's a nice detail, I would have just filed it flush.That is an odd feature, indeed the whole fork is a bit odd - I'm wondering if the design is supposed to represent something, maybe the builder's name; to me it looks avian or piscine. I don't care for it, maybe it looked better with its original frame.

To me it looks to have been milled into the top face of the crown.
edit: On closer inspection I'm not so sure.

An underside shot of the fork crown might add detail. If the crown is stamped/folded/welded there might be visual evidence of the seam's welding. But lacking the visual cues doesn't mean the crown was cast, it could have seen file/finishing to hide that.

Sorry but I just don't see the value to spend the time it takes to add a layer of material, shaped and then finished to what the photos show. To mill out this is also a lot of time/effort and with the non straight edges of the top surface feature any machining would likely be from a CNC machine, not the most common tool for a builder to have today, let alone back about 40 years ago.

Admittedly there are builders who do very creative features with very little machine tooling (to quicken the production) and/or who don't see their time as a big deal:) Andy

You're too practical. Like you, I'd love to see the underside for hints as to whether the crown was cast or formed. But it doesn't really matter.

OTOH there's plenty of evidence of loving attention to detail here. Besides the trim on top, there's the raised bosses which would greatly complicate any casting, and absolutely could not be formed.

Back when this fork was made, there was a greater sense of artistry than we see today. It was common, especially in England for builders to spend serious time with coping saws, hand cutting brazed on "appliques" to make their frames special.

For example, my Italian fork of the era had simple tapered spears brazed inside to brace the blades, English builders would add fancy cut pieces to the outside for the same purpose.

Of course the only way to know would be to remove some paint, but I'd rather appreciate the work than know how it was done.

Rivendell?

I believe you nailed it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/33534706620...IaAsiiEALw_wcB

This question is right in the wheel house of the vintage forum.