58cm Banke Max Frameset

Description

Greetings!
Up for your consideration is this very special Banke Max frameset in used condition. The sale includes a rare, early Chris King threaded headset.
This frameset is an amazing example of framebuilding craft from the United States. There is not a great deal of information on the framebuilder, George Banke. Here is a nice write up on him: https://miketowle.com/2015/01/13/wheels-of-fortune.
His workshop was active in Dallas, Texas, throughout the 90s. It seems that he specialized in producing racing frames like this one for regional riders.
The seat tube, down tube and top tube are all ovalized, while the seat and chain stays are thinner drawn. My guess would be that the frameset is constructed of a blend of Columbus tubes, with Max or Minimax comprising at least the main triangle. Columbus drop outs in the rear and fork. Tubes are either TIG or silver brazed, I'm not quite sure due to the thickness of the paint.
The frameset has been clearly used, however it's in good, clean and (most importantly) rust-free condition. The paint shows knicks throughout. The worst of this wear is at the seat-collar, where it would appear that the left side of the collar was bent at some point. I had this inspected by a local framebuilder friend, and he confirmed that there are no cracks in the metal, only a crease where the tube was bent back. Nevertheless, this is reflected in the price.
The ride characteristics of this frameset are amazing. I also absolutely love the straight blade fork. Sadly, it's just a little too small for me.
The measurements are as follows: 57cm TT c-c, 58cm ST c-c, 18cm HT. BB is English threaded. Rear spacing is 130mm.
Please let me know if you have any questions!