I'm likely picking up an Italian frame this weekend and would like to use my Chris King headset which was previously installed on a non-eyetie.

Sheldon says they are interchangeable but suggests you don't go back and forth.

In practice, is this something I need to even think about?

I would like to know this too. I have one bike with with a threaded headset that happens to be Italian. The SR headset is a bit chewed up that's on it.

Funny enough, I have my Davidson in getting an English-threaded CK installed by my LBS. I made doubly-sure that it was an English-threaded unit, too, so that I could avoid any potential issues. The English-threaded Campy Chorus one never stopped loosening up on my rides after I changed it out from the old Super Record unit.

I know that English and Italian are interchangeable when it comes to headset and freewheel threading - it seems it's just the pitch of the thread that is a bit different. But considering the issues I've been having - and the cost of a CK - I personally would stick with English/English or Italian/Italian.

DD

...crickets.

Anybody else?

I had heard that you can put an english threaded headset on an italian threaded frame. However, you should continue to use english headsets in the future.

An English headset works and fits perfectly on an Italian frame I've done it multiple times

The english/iso headset will work just fine, the threading is really close to italian, thats why u can do it. The only difference is the angle of the threads but the pitch is the same 24 tpi. Thats why it works.

Well , if you are one of the guy that changes headsets in the same bike like 80 times per year at some point the frame will give up and then the problems starts, if you are going to put a headset and leave it there even after you sell the frame just put italian or enlgish headset wont destroy the bike at all.

+2 on these last to posts!

It's not all that critical, and as ultraman says, the pitch is exactly the same.

A brief story here:
I recently put a 1972 Peugeot fork on a 1976 Motobecane, replacing the moto fork which had a freshly-broken dropout.
I first had to thread down and shorten the Peugeot fork for the smaller Motobecane frame, but didn't have a French die!
So I just used an English die on the Peugeot fork steerer, adding 1" of threads, then cut it shorter with a hacksaw.
I found an English-threaded top race for the headset since the French one wouldn't fit, even though the steerer was originally the smaller French diameter. Everything then torqued up fine.
Lastly, I had to remove some unwanted paint from the half-chromed Peugeot fork, then file down a Japanese 100mm stem to fit the French steerer.
Moral of the story? As long as the locknut is kept secure, it's really hard to mess up headset threads, unless a keyed lockwasher spins and tears away a row of threads.
BTW, I broke the dropout while trying to twist out a stuck stem, which I ended up having to saw off just to remove everything.

Doh - sorry - I meant pitch is the same, angle is slightly different. Aren't you glad you didn't listen to me?



DD