Examples of high end / unique / niche / visually interesting components

PMP - pmpbike.it

Tioga monobloc pedals (should probably go in anti too!).

how feasible would it be for someone to reverse engineer something like that Paul mech and make it available "open source" so people could CNC their own?

I think the problem is more why would you bother when there are a vast array of alternatives that can be bought off the shelf that are all better and cheaper.

^ this. Though I like the idea of an open source library of bike parts for CNC work or 3D printing. That sounds ace (and probably already exists somewhere).

That's valid for all the parts in this thread, I'd say. Small-batch isn't really a plus when it comes to cycling components. It's not beer or cheese or screen-printed t-shirts.

My CNC musing was more about that Paul mech. I imagine they're daft money on the second-hand market, so if people really like the aesthetics (anodising nonwithstanding), it might make sense to make/open-source your own. A bit like how they did with the Roland TB-303 and the x0xb0x clone.

Having been around when the Paul's mech was being produced, the only advantage it had was the owner, having being relieved of around £300 (back in 1992 or thereabouts), being able to say LOOK AT MY REAR MECH before it got coated in shite. It was hugely expensive, fragile and didn't work as nearly as well as a Shimano or Suntour.

EXTRALITE (beware ancient website)

Any Japanese suggestions ?

Gokiso

Grafton components for all your lairy anodising needs in the 90s...

Elastic Shock Absorbing Structure is adopted to many bearings of jet engines for aircrafts, which suspend the main shafts, for the purpose of vibration reduction and preventing destruction of the engine caused by bird-strike

Don't you just hate it when your hubs are destroyed by bird strike?

Goldtec in my home town make some good bits but they don't look all that fancy.

Can I add Royce for some serious made in UK undercover manufacturing.
Like all niche high end shit there website is shit. Suppose it add credentials.
Hubs are still legendary.
Are goldtec and Middleburn still around.
USE engineering, perhaps?

Maybe it might become useful in case of squirrel strike.

Royce Hubs, come with a lifetime warranty on the axle, not one has been broken apparently.

USE are still about. Same group of companies as exposure. They make a lot of fancy TT bars now.

http://www.ultimatesportsengineering.com