Great replies and discussion...thanks to all.

My curiosity got the better of me, and I just had to pop a cap off. Those crazy things are paper thin aluminum over plastic, and very snug! I did a pretty good job of mangling it up, but eventually got it off. One pedal's bearings felt good, and this one now does after a fresh injection of grease.

I also got a very informative PM from a user who loves these pedals. They suggest a certain black plastic chair leg cap from a hardware store that, when trimmed a bit, fits nicely into the pedal and serves as the cap.

One thing they will need is a thick leather strap. The newish web-material is not bulky enough to stay in the open-slotted guide on the outside of the pedal. The pedals came with a real thick grey webbed Fuji strap, but the ends were worn down too short.