NEL EPIC

About NEL-EPIC

NEL-EPIC is not perfect, but we try to get as close as we can to scratch that itch.
NEL EPIC is an outdoor brand by Japanese, for Japanese.
We offer what each professional wants and needs, mainly for mountaineering, trekking, hiking, all-season climbing, backcountry skiing & snowboarding, and sport fishing.
Our products are handmade in Japan by experienced craftsmen, and are made to be used by the people who really want to use them.

From Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture.
A true “made in Japan” brand without compromise, born from skilled craftsmanship and the voices of professionals
　Founded in 1976, Canyon Works has grown by supporting the manufacturing of top brands as an OEM factory for outdoor, rescue, and wetsuit products. We have the experience, knowledge, and skilled craftsmanship to handle all aspects of design, cutting, and sewing in-house.

　Our headquarters and factory, once located in Namie-cho, Fukushima Prefecture, were forced to close due to the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. After a temporary plant in Gunma Prefecture, where we were evacuated, we were able to open a new headquarters in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, in 2014.

　After overcoming such a difficult time, the thought of a factory brand came to our minds. We wanted to present the technology and experience we had accumulated over the years to the world as our own brand. We want to make truly good products, doing everything in-house from planning to manufacturing.

　We started as a small in-house project with no sales team. However, many friends gathered around our idea. Our product development began with suggestions from mountain guides, fishing guides, professional skiers, snowboarders, and other professionals who “use” equipment, about what they really want and need to use.

　Craftsmen create prototypes based on the feedback from professionals, field test them in all conditions (rain, snow, wind, ……), give feedback, and repeat millimeter-by-millimeter revisions. We routinely had to rebuild from scratch just to shorten the overall length by 5mm. We do not want to compromise on function, design, or price. We continue to develop products through repeated prototyping, making the most of the advantages of having our own factory. The NEL-EPIC is the result of the uncompromising demands of professionals and the skilled craftsmanship that transformed them into a product.

　We target the Japanese field and create products that are truly easy to use and can be used over a long period of time. As a Japanese handmade factory brand, we now have a lineup that we can confidently recommend.