Circa the late 70s, a TA crank and Phil Wood BB was the hot setup for touring, or for someone who wanted a triple or other non race gearing. Older bike shops will still have the remover for those if you don't want to buy one. Phil will rebuild them for a modest fee if it has gotten crunchy in the last 40+ years.
Shimano copied Phil, not the other way around. Just to make that clear...
