New Frames

These guys behind the K...atana, on the other hand, are dressing up their bike as Japanese. Why? Because far too many NJS-slaves will think "ah, Japanese styling = cool". Why couldn't they just be a respectable Polish framebuilder? Because then they'd have to spend time building up a reputation and they couldn't sell their frames for £600 a pop. Mutton dressed as lamb, as PJ said.

Pity, because I think the framework looks quite reasonable. But you can get a Bob Jackson for £345 off the peg, or a 631 Mercian for £430. Why pay £600 for an off-the-peg frame whose builder doesn't even want his name on his bike?

I tend to buy a bike frame using practical considerations, things like build quality - aesthetics might also be a consideration as well as weight - but I can't really get into the whole moralistic approach, rejecting a bike frame because of the rights and wrongs of how a frame manufacturer should or shouldn't name their product.

They have some nice Bob Jackson frames in Cavendish at the moment (right next to the Katanas) and to me the katanas are much nicer, the finish and attention to detail is just fantastic.