Summary: In 30 minutes of Imperfection is Perfection, documentary filmaker Des Horsfield captures the personality and history of famed framebuilder Richard Sachs. The general cycling enthusiast will find the film interesting, but this is a must have for any aspiring frambuilder or artist.
Rating: 4/5
Price: $39.95
Availability: Order online from Richard Sachs Cycles
In the custom frambuilding world, Richarch Sachs is a legend. After World War II, the adult bicycle market crashed in the United States and with it dozens of bicycle makers. Sachs was part of a group of framebuilder such as Peter Weigle and Doug Fattic that re-establish custom framebuilding as an artisan industry in the 1970s. Focusing on quality craftsmanship and European racing style frames, he and other early framebuilders helped bring racing bikes back to America. This was a critical if often overlooked part of emergence of American cycle racing. Sachs’ frames are high sought after for their quality build, attention to detail, and smooth, responsive ride.
Sachs has not been content to rest on his laurels. Despite a five year waiting list for his bikes, he still is active in the cycling community, sponsoring a cyclocross team, developing a line of frame lugs and fork crowns, headlining the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, and establishing the Frame Forum where framebuilders can share information and tips.
In 2007, documentary filmaker Des Horsfield sat down and interviewed Sachs at his workshop in Chester, Connecticut about his life, his business, and philosophy of framebuilding to make Imperfection is Perfection. Through a fast moving 30 minutes, the film gives us an excellent sense of who Sachs is and what drives him.
The film begins with Sachs’ introduction to framebuilding which involved sending letters to 30 British framebuilders requesting a chance to come learn the trade. He received three letters back including one from Witcomb Cycles accepting him as an apprentice. (Side note: One of the rejection letters which Sachs has kept was from builder Ellis Briggs. Humorously enough, Doug Fattic repeatedly mentioned this while I was taking his frambuilding class and that he was accepted by Ellis Briggs for his apprenticeship. A little friendly framebuilder rivalry?) He returned to America and established his own framebuilding shop in 1972 where he has built bikes for pro racers and regular cyclists alike.
Sachs only works with steel, and in the film he makes much of the textural feel of the material and warmth and smell of braising. It is an almost spiritual experience for him, and he looks at frame making very much as an art. The film’s title refers to a statement he makes during the interview about a truth in frame building. There will never be a frame that is perfect in every way. You can try to chase that your whole life and never be satisfied. Instead, Sachs has come to terms with the concept that while he builds at a high standard there will always be room to do better.
The film itself was very well shot and edited, which is a relief to anyone who’s tried to watch the constantly out of focus and poorly framed Tim Paterek framebuilding videos. The video I received was signed by Sachs and included red licorice sticks (red being his signature color.) This was a nice extra although the autograph was made on the plastic seal wrapping of the DVD so something was lost in execution.
As an aspiring framebuilder, I enjoyed Imperfection is Perfection not for any technique or trick I learned (stick to Frame Forum for that!), but the character development of the subject. I felt I knew the personality of Sachs and what drives him in this piece. While the film itself was good, I think it could have been improved with interviews of other who know Sachs. We are in the end left with what Sachs wants to show us, and other points of view would have given us more depth about the man.
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on Feb 2nd, 2009 at 11:26 pm
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