I used an Orange F8 fork for a year or so.. I found that it definitely had some compliance to it.. almost to the point of seeming flexy but that could have been the shonky hub I was using at the time.. 😳
From what people say about on-one cromo forks I would say the Orange F8s are the opposite end of the spectrum.. quite a long A-C though.. but that’s the modern geo you wanted..
it couldn’t quite cope with pebblebed heath.. well it could.. but I had to learn to slide sideways round fast corners and sometimes down steep pebbly slopes too.. which looking back on it was ace..
I put a suspension fork back on when I moved house and was riding gnarly stuff more regularly.. My old F8 is about to be put back into service on Mrs Yunki’s Kona to replace the heavy cheapy sus fork that it was sold with..