I think that this is Cristim derailleur dates from the 1980s, when the state of the Brazilian economy made it impossible to import Japanese product.

Even though this is only part of a derailleur, there is a whole lot going on. The basic design apes the SunTour Honor, complete with Quick Cage. The positioning of the cable outer stop, cable clamp and adjustment screws are pure Shimano. The man-size, slotted heads on the adjustment screws have a whiff of Dimosil about them. The distinctive curved shape of the cut-out at the tension pulley end of the pulley cage is present on many of my Brazilian derailleurs.

And then of course there is the Arabesque patterning - a fulsome homage to the unforgettable Shimano 600 EX Arabesque.

Like one of Tarantino’s less interesting movies, this derailleur contains so many allusions to famous classics that it almost forgets to have any plot of its own.

---

• Derailleur brands: Centauros/Cristim
• Country: Brazil
• Date of introduction: 1984?
• Date of this example: unknown
• Model no.: unknown
• Weight: there is not enough of it to tell!
• Maximum cog: 28 teeth?
• Total capacity: 28 teeth?
• Pulley centre to centre: 58mm
• Index compatibility: friction
• Chain width: 3/32”
• Logic: top normal
• B pivot: unsprung
• P pivot: sprung
• Materials: steel