snipped from below:
"The Plug and braze tech is not a better tech, it is
just convenience spec-ing."


without becoming too much a part of this thread, i think
fr?ddy's quote above is key to understanding this point
of view. i don't want to debate whether you're a "framebuilder"
if "all you do" is take a pre-speced kit and braze it up in some
fixture - if you built it, you're a builder.
but the essence of the subject is also tied to an experience
factor. i think of building as "alchemy". after having tried many
methods i feel confident that i can "coax" the material to become
something else. im not specifically referring to this here fork crown
debate. my point is that if it's all layed out on a table for you,
all your going to learn is assembly. when life in the framebuilding
world throws you a curve ball, you'll wish you had spent some
time "outside the box".
e-RICHIE