[Leica] the amazing Sherry Kraeuter

["Patrick G. Sobalvarro" <pgs@sobalvarro.org>]

Back in February someone mentioned to the list that they'd seen pictures of
an SL2 MOT that had fallen from a Phantom II at 26,000 ft.  I mentioned I'd
gotten an SL2 MOT and motor from someone in Germany, and it looked much the
same -- it'd clearly had the motor attached when it hit the ground, landing
on its rewind knob.  It was pretty bent up but still worked, although the
bottom plate was so badly bent it couldn't be attached to a motor anymore.
(See http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/v19/msg05763.html)

I finally gave it to Sherry Kraeuter a few weeks back, expecting I'd hear it
couldn't be repaired, but I got it back yesterday.  Amazingly, Sherry
managed to straighten the whole thing out, top to bottom, and now it looks
and works just like my other cameras -- a ding here, a scrape there, but all
aligned and working perfectly.  I mounted it on a motor, put some film in
it, and it ran like a clock, probably for the first time in more than twenty
years.  Sherry's description of what she had to do to make it right is the
longest one I've ever seen on a Golden Touch receipt, but as always the
price was very reasonable.

I can't recommend her highly enough.  She has the values of a real master
craftsperson, someone who understands what it means for things to be right,
knows how to make them that way, and does just that.

- -Patrick