And the winner is (me)

New frame.  Meatplow V.7

List of desirable traits:

titanium

short chainstays

made in North America (preferably Merica)

This proved to be a tall order.

Titanium.  I got a thing for it.  I've already proven that it is a superior material (for bottle openers).

I love the no paint thing.  Paint and powder coat can be pretty, but it's also a guaranteed future disappoint.  Chips, scratches, scuffs.  Sigh.  Ti frames are lifers... like my Titus, Dean, Thylacine, Moots, and Carver coulda been.  It wasn't them, it was me.  Fickle.  Changing.  Always looking for some sort or perfection.  All the other things they say about ti is true; ride quality, longevity, attracts the opposite sex, makes you a whole inch taller, increased virility, better night vision...

Short chainstays.  That greatly limited the number of builders that I had as options.  In the 420mm range.  Many said, "No can do."  I understand.  It's sort of a tall order with ti tubes, and I was hoping to avoid the use of a plate on the drive side chainstay.  This is the main, but not the sole impetus for this whole project.  Compromise would be just that.

Merica.  There are several ways to get a custom ti frame made overseas.  My Carver was made overseas and was a fine bike, but I want to feel like a patriot when I go for a ride.

Something like that.

I did look at every single stock ti frame out there to see if any of the oval pegs would fit in my round hole.  They did not.  To get exactly what I wanted, it would have to be custom AND it's going to end up being the most I ever spent on a frame.  Like it or not, my lists of wants and needs at this point have a price tag.  Since this is the one area of my life where my anal compulsion is most demanding, I've prepared myself.  401Ks are a faith based religion anyways.

And before I get to dropping name(s), let me say this.  Crabon just wasn't an option.  I just don't know why, but I feel no love for it.  Maybe at one point I had some kinda quirky thoughts, but I just love metal frames.  Crabon has no soul.   It can't.  Impossibru.

So the builder is...

Vertigo Cycles, which is Sean Chaney.

An old photo, but it proves that he is a human... or was.

I've been looking at his work for years now.  Back in 2010, I even contacted him about something I had seen on one of his frames.  One of those ingenious solutions to a bike related problem.  I don't even recall what it was anymore, but he was open to discuss it regardless of the fact that I wasn't buying a frame.

Speaking of ingenious, if you are running a tapered fork in a 44mm head tube...

you have Sean to thank for that.

Yeah, he did that... with some help.  Still it was his idea, and when you look around, there are a shit ton of bikes out there using the 44mm/tapered steer tube combo. He should be a gazillionaire. He's not.

Why point this out?

Sean is a thinkerer and a tinkerer.  The man solves problems.  He's also been making short chainstay ti bikes for some time now, so this won't be some kinda experiment.  Solid design and craftsmanship, plenty of frames out there holding up just fine. 

Art and technology type stuff.

drjOn's BA bike.  I love this thing.

Even though it's a fat-bike, I've stared at Ricky's monstrosity over and over and over and over...

drjOn and Ricky ride hard, and I can easily say much harder than I do.

So yeah, I put down my deposit with a fair amount of confidence that I will get what I paid for.

A little quicker steering than the ByStickel, a little slower than the Misfit.  Taller head tube, short stays, 12.25" high BB... basically just another single speed, but perhaps perfection?

Sean's wait list is a bit out, but as he works on similar frames, mine will get sorted out in the mix.  I'm at this point as of a couple days ago:

Pretty much a chip shot from here, I think.

The be-all end-all?  Who knows?  Once I get it, I will have a ti, aluminum, and steel single speed.  That means I'll be all outta common metal options, so what more could there be?

I could ramble on, but I gotta get ready for shitmageddon.

Fine (Scottish) weather.