cyclotoine

Check out these babies:

https://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...2893&rd=1&rd=1

cool!

unworthy1

I would say more likely a prototype or limited run (perhaps for cyclocross?), rather than customized, cause I don't think a small shop could mill down a standard Campy crank and end up with this. That finish DOES look like anodizing to me, despite what the seller says, and another reason I think it might be 'factory' (see how it's worn off in the friction spots?). Perhaps this work was done by an outside contractor (Gipiemme?) for Campy as spec work...

CV-6 

I would agree with the limited run/prototype assessment. There is not enough material on a regular crank to achieve that appearance on the spider arms. To do so would have made them too thin for anything but show.

Otis

Here's a heavily profiled one that Ron Boi did in the early 80's. He did have them re-anodized after grinding on them.

I doubt the ebay cranks are any kind of prototype. There's lots of good "backyard" machinists out there that can do this type of thing.

CampyGuy

I agree with Otis, check out this crank set.
SpiveyCranks.jpg

vpiuva

difference is ther OPs still have the Campy shield with too much metal where it would have had to be ground down to eliminate the flutes.

And there's lots of wild drillium on that site.

bikerosity57

Looks original to me 'though I have never seen one like this. Any good machinist could do it I guess.
To me though, it is like trying to improve on the Mona Lisa, or a Botticelli. Campy cranks, and all other components for that matter, are shear perfection right out of the box, expecially the older stuff like Record, and Nuovo Record.
Campagnolo components were very diligently engineered to be both the right weight, and strength to work perfectly for many, many years. I can guarentee you that these cranks as shown in your post, if indeed they were altered by someone are far more likely to fail during use than any stock Campy item.
There are only a few times where such adulterizing of Campy components, or any stock components for that matter is justified, for instance for use during an hour record attempt.

bikerosity57

I think you can just make out where the arms were thinned by looking at the 9/16 stamp. It looks like the very beginning edge of the 9 is polished out. I know for a fact that Campy would never have let that out of the factory in that condition too. They were very very picky/finicky about finish on there products back in the day.

Otis

Not if they started with post '84 Super Record non-fluteted arms (which I think they did).

Otis

Although I agree somewhat, I would also say that every Record driveside crank up until the mid 80's can benefit by from hand finishing and stress relieving the spider. They are far from perfect and prone to fail as they are out of the box. But I would add that any severe grinding for "weight savings" is pure folly. It looks cool but that's all.

dbakl

I can't see how the flutes and grooves on the spider could have been removed; they must have started with an unmilled set, which implies Campagnolo or some insider was involved.

unworthy1

It's interesting...either an unmilled set, or filled in the milled slots with TIG weld material in order to get the spider and arms to look like that once ground smooth...

cyclotoine

My first thought, but they are dated 1980.

repechage

My explaination would be a set pulled from the line prior to the flute milling, and worked over by others. A bit of a stretch, but I have seen Cinelli's with cranks modified a bit, this being very much quite extreme. Uncommon, but Campagnolo did from time to time do some stuff that was never in the catalog.

bikerosity57

I wrote to this guy in Italy to see if he knew if these are original, or altered. His reply: hello I have not never seen before the crankset they are originates them campagnolo hello

If I understand him, they are original, and not altered. I have never seen this model before.

bikerosity57

I'll have to accept your statement about stress relieving the spider as I am not an engineer. But I totally agree about the folly of grinding for weight savings.