Work Equip Casting 4 Spoke

Launching in 1977, the single piece, cast Work Equip 4 Spoke was the first JWL cross-type wheel.  The design would later be cloned/copied by many including River Side, Super Star, Shalom and more.  Originally, the wheel was simply coined the Work Equip 4 Spoke.  When the three-piece version was released a year later, it became the Work Equip Casting 4 Spoke. Today the wheel is commonly known as the Equip 01, as that is what Work chose to call the modern (and 3-piece) reproduction of the design.

The earliest productions show markings from both Work, and Kobe Steel (diamond with dot in the middle) who looks to have done the casting.  These early wheels have JWL and VIA markings on the sides of the spokes.  Later wheels placed the markings on the flat area immediately adjacent to the wheel mounting holes. Other minor changes to the casting can be found.  While most examples feature spokes that are completely hollowed out on the back side, some have a single reinforcing rib that dissects them.

As both the first wheel of this design, and the first wheel from Work, this is a very significant Kyusha Shoe, and one that is still in great demand today.  Despite carrying a weight penalty over the Spinning model, many prefer the clean look and slanted lip of the one piece design.

At present we are unclear as to when this wheel went out of production.  It appears to have disappeared in 1985, but may have appeared again in later years along side the re-produced Equip 01 3-piece.