Well after months of waiting I picked up my replacement gauges from Howards Instruments.
I had the older Smiths cobra style, which when I first lit them up after dark, showed all the faults in terms of finish quality on the replacement faces.
This happened about nine months after I had bought the gauges but to Rodger Howard's credit, without even battering and eyelid, he offered to replace the gauges.
Clearly his line about using a new gauge face supplier meant there were possibly issues already raised and noted, but it was the principal of the issue.
Anyway the new gauges use the modern through the gauge/dial lighting, so I'll be interested to see how these look lit up.
But the big disappointment - No "Smith's" markings.
Seems Howards got a slap on the wrist and had to abandon using "Smith's" on the refaced gauges - double bugga!!
It was this small detail that had led me to use the gauges.
Seems trademark envy is alive and kicking for Smith's gauge fans.
Ciao