Hasta La Ideas

The problem with tool collections is that there’s no end to them. Whether you fix cars, computers or carbines, you could spend the rest of your life amassing better and more specific tools to help you get the job done quicker. So it’s always fascinating to see manufacturers trying to wrangle an unruly assortment of implements into something comprehensive, yet manageable in size.

Take bicycle repair tools, for instance. At the high end of the scale you’ve got Park Tool’s Master Mechanic Tool Set, a turn-key package for someone looking to open up a bike repair shop. It consists of 218 tools, gauges, lubricants, fixtures, and even a stool to park your ass on while banging out the repairs. If you order one of these you’ll help keep the local UPS guy in shape, as it arrives at your doorstep in four boxes totaling nearly 200 pounds in weight.

Stepping down a bit, you’ve got smaller, self-contained kits from manufacturers like Revolution (pictured at the top of this entry), Shimano and the aformentioned Park Tool with tools numbering in the low dozens rather than low hundreds. These are aimed more at the self-sufficient cyclist looking to do their own maintenance rather than open up a shop, and come with their own little kit boxes meant to ride on a workbench rather than populate an entire Craftsman cart.

Down at the individual and small-set tool level, manufacturer Birzman gets particularly design-y with their wrenches and sets, which have a sexiness I haven’t seen in, say, auto repair, gunsmithing or woodworking tools. Some of them have even won iF and Red Dot Design Awards.

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