3Rensho pantograph (and photo) by La Vie Velo Classique
When you’re so close to perfection on a classic bike build, how do you “take it to the next level”? The answer, my friends, are pantographed parts. These are components that are custom engraved using a pantograph milling machine. Usually the brand name of the bicycle is engraved, although sometimes a bicycle owner will also have their own name added. It’s considered a “lost art” nowadays, making it nearly impossible to get new parts engraved. Vintage examples are usually expensive, often costing two to four times the price of the same component without engraving. Parts engraved with rare marques like 3Rensho command astronomical prices when they appear on the market.
That’s why I’m excited to have discovered La Vie Velo Classique! Based in Hungary, master craftsman Ábrahám Zsolt uses a traditional pantograph machine to create new and beautiful works of art for vintage bicycles. He recently made the above 3Rensho pantographed crank set for me, and I was blown away with the finished results. The quality of his work is absolutely top-notch, and indistinguishable from original vintage examples. Read on to learn more about La Vie Velo Classique and the lost art of “panto parts”.