Velo City: Bicycle Culture and City Life

Rew10 builds a Mei-Kiri frame for Blue Lug

Rew10 Mei-Kiri bicycle for Blue Lug

Japan’s Rew10 is one of the most multi-textured workshops in the country, constructing exquisite frames that showcase the beauty of steel.

Japanese frame builders, especially those with NJS-certification, have a lot in common with the swordsmiths of the samurai era, and Rew10 bring the two fields closer through the use of mei-kiri.

Rew10 Mei-Kiri bicycle for Blue Lug

Mei-Kiri can be translated as the act of cutting or engraving one’s name into the tang of the sword — that section of the blade that extends into the handle or stock: where mei = signature; kiri = to cut. It’s a traditional technique that Rew10 respectfully — and appropriately — applies to his frames.

Rew10 Mei-Kiri bicycle for Blue Lug

Rew10 works with Blue Lug, making frames for their customers and supplying an array of custom components. Many frames are the elaborate randonneurs the Japanese are so fond of.

An easy comparison can be made with custom motorcycle builder Shinya Kimura: both are just as much artists as engineers, and use metal as their medium.

Rew10 Website | Instagram

Rew10 Mei-Kiri bicycle for Blue Lug