Well.... I read this post with vested interest this morning. I received a p.m. yesterday about this fork , as I am the one that has it posted for sale. Thanks for everyone's in put and compliments.
The Murray springer forks that are so common on their 26''boy's and girl's 50's bikes all have the same steering tube lenght . It should be 6-1/2 inches , measured from the top of the bearing race .
When buying a fork that is off a bike always look at the steering tube to make sure it is straight. If bent, this is an easy fix . The restoration thread is full of suggestions on this subject. The best way and the fastest way I have found is to use a "Fork Jack". Littl' Brute or a homemade one from an old car bumper jack. Fixes the fork without taking it off the bike and takes about two minutes for a perfect job every time.
When buying a fork at a swap always look inside and at the bottom of the steering tube. Old rust-bucket bikes that are parted out may have had water inside the steering tube where the stem wedge has rusted itself to the inside of it. Sometimes you get a fork home and discover this wedge and possibly the bottom part of the stem broke off in side your fork
.......Other times on close inspection of the lower part of the outside of steering tube one notices rust "pimples." This is where that bike had been setting outside in the rain for a few years with water trapped inside the steering tube. It just stays above the stem wedge,eventually rusting it's way through. These forks can break in two at that point either while removing them from the donor bike or installing them in yours.
Some fork tubes will be bulged out and have a small open split towards the bottom where trapped water has frozen and split the rusted and weakened steering tube. This is why I like buying stuff at swaps where I can really look an item over carefully.
As far as honesty in selling something, their are some sellers that really like the phrase "Buyer Beware". They take that time worn phrase as, "I ain't gonna tell you nothin' that's wrong with this bike, find the faults yourself." There are a number of sellers that know full well what the hidden defects are and keep them to themselves. Thing is, the wide wide world of antique bikes is a really a very small world. Word travels fast in this hobby, so it pays to be fair and honest. Not only that,
It's the right way to be.[ I will discuss this in another thread today about a Monark -Elgin I recently sold to another Cabe member.]
Since being honest was mentioned earlier it should be noted that we are talking about bikes that sometimes have had several owners. Most of the bikes sold here on the Cabe are really old....and sometimes hold surprises.