Tuesday, March 15, 2011

1996 3Rensho 57cm track

5 comments:

  1. This one is technically a Makino, isn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  2. No - he worked for 3Rensho under Mr. Konno's direction and designs so Makino was an employee. Was it brazed by Makino? Good chance that it was - but this was pre-Konno car accident etc so it's a 3Rensho. A "real" Makino are frames built by Makino through his own company.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm pretty sure near the end Makino branded some frames rensho. The tell take sign are circular and oval cutouts in the bottom of the lugs.

    A good friend has a "Makino" Rensho.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Konno's car accident was sudden - so Makino never knew when the "end" was going to happen. + this bike being a '96 - that is 2 years (as I remember) before the "end".

    Since Konno was highly revered as an artisan in Japan and w/ Japanese traditions, I really doubt that Makino would ever call a 3Rensho a " Makino" or label a "Makino" a 3Rensho.

    Insult to injury regarding Konno; his car accident was his fault due to drinking and people were killed. Because of this, Konno was shamed and shame in Japan makes you a pariah. (Which is why 3Rensho dissolved and Konno's wife left him.) So I really doubt Makino wanted any association w/ 3Rensho after the accident.

    Makino was 3Rensho's primary brazer (As Yamaguchi was in the early 80's) and a employee of 3Rensho. As Devil's Advocate: My friend Tom builds cars in the Ford factory - The car is still a Ford, not a "Tom".

    So.......... I have a '84 fillet brazed pursuit frame (probably brazed by Yamaguchi) and a '97 Moduelo sprint frame (probably brazed by Makino) - but both frames are designs from Konno. They are 3Rensho's.

    ReplyDelete
  5. BTW - the oval cut-outs appear on 3Rensho's all the way back to around 1980.

    ReplyDelete