KrossKountry - en vogue again - List of nice steelframes

I have some decent parts dangling on an Aliexpress Santa Cruz Highball ripp-off. So it´s time for something proper - i am looking for a nice steel frame. I have made up a short list - but feel free to add. I am curious if there are more good options to look at.

Sour Pasta Party - nice but ugly headtrube and long leadtime
Fairlight Holt - nice but long leadtimes
Brother Big Bro - to heavy and pickled with eyelets
Nordest Sardinha - same as Brother
Sobre Multi - not sure how handling is with these guys

Any Polish builders offering MTB ?

Don´t want to spend a fortune - less than 1k EUR.

Thanks for your help ;-)

The following are all worth a look:

Pipedream
Starling
Stanton

Cotic

Genesis Tarn if you can find a frame

Marino

Ribble HT725

(Forum build of a Ribble)

Not “nice”, but my Kona Honzo ST is really fun and has modern cross countryish numbers. Not the new slack thing that they sell complete, but the ST that’s frame only right now.

I ride it with a 120 fork, and flat bars, and my bars are at or just below my saddle height. (Saddle height dependent) My position is pretty XCish and that’s how I ride it.

Also the frame, if you can get it, is much more affordable than the boutique options.

Thanks - i´ll will investigate further ... lets see where things take me.

Sobre still looks very interesting - anyone heard something about these guys/ any experiences ?

Off piste, but personally I'd go for an old GT Zaskar and build that up... I know that didn't help ;)

haha yes - 26 aint dead ;-)

Kona Unit (X).

Too cheap/mainstream?

They are qr as standard but I believe the dropout inserts can be swapped.

It struck me as a pretty well designed and put together thing when I had one.

Cotic Cascade?

It's meant to be a drop bar bike but I've just built one up with flat bars and 100mm forks it rides very XCish. Not full on race XC but pretty fast and handles well.

QR up to 2019, then TA from 2020 onwards.

I have one and absolutely love it, but it's not light; probably much of a muchness with a Brother Big Bro.