Silca HX-One Tool Set

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The Silca HX-One Tool Set is one of those products that exudes quality right out of the box so, liking the finer things in life, I bought this for myself as an Xmas present las year using an adage that Uncle Gomez thought me, nothing is too good for Sven!

In practice, the tool set has been flawless over the past several months of use on both routine adjustments as well as complete bike builds. The quality is apparent in the way that the various components fit together as well as in how the tools fit the intended fasteners.

I think some of the justification for a spendy tool set like this comes from Silca’s description of the problem they set off to solve. To whit:

Few tools are used as frequently, and can cause as much heartache or wasted time as the seemingly simple hex key. It’s one of the first things you notice at the top levels of motorsport tools, or in the toolboxes of Pro-Tour mechanics: extremely high quality hex keys. The reasoning is simple, better tool fit leads to better feel and confidence for the mechanic as well as a significant reduction in the likelihood of damaging exotic fasteners made from Titanium or Aluminum.

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Provided by Silca, the photo above at 40x Magnification shows the damage to both the Ti fastener and the Cr-V Hex tool on the left after only 28 tighten/loosen cycles. The much higher precision and harder SILCA S2 key with thin-dense Chrome coating is both 16% harder and more dimensionally accurate resulting in only minor deformation of the fastener after 50 tighten/loosen cycles. Note the discoloration of the titanium from the black oxide finish of the Cr-V tool transferring to the Ti fastener.

Having both cheap hex keys, and now the Silca set, I can confirm what the info above shows. The Silca allen keys are barley worn after several months of use. Needless to say, the cheapos are in the bin!

For the HX-One set Silca starts with S-2 Tool Steel, a shock resistant steel which has been refined by Swiss and German toolmakers for the optimal balance of strength, hardness, shock resistance and dimensional control. S-2 yields stronger tools with much harder surfaces for prolonged tool AND fastener life. The keys are then coated with thin-dense Chrome. This coating provides the hardest, most dimensionally stable finish possible on each hex key.

Included with the HX-One Kit is a proprietary SILCA 17-4 stainless magnetic adapter. The adapter turns the 6mm Hex Key into a ¼” socket drive which can fit any common ¼” driver bit. Included in the kit are the 6 most common Torx sizes, 2 Phillips head and 2 Flat head drivers. You can handle most any modern bicycle fastener with the tools in the box.

Even the 11″ x 5″ HX-One box is a premium piece, CNC machined and made from sustainable Beech Wood, each box is hand sanded and finished before receiving the stainless steel SILCA Shield on the lid.

If you like tools that have that precision feel, and that are going to give you many years of service, check out the Silca HX-One Tool Set at your local bike shop or go to the link below to order from Amazon. At a $125.00 MSRP it isn’t a cheap date but it is a tool set you will appreciate for many years. Note that by ordering from Amazon you will help support fat-bike.com as we will receive a small referral fee. The fee does NOT add to the price you will pay. Thanks!

 

About Greg Smith 1132 Articles
Greg Smith, known to many site visitors as Sven Hammer, founded Fat-bike.com in 2011 and the site quickly became the #1 online community for all things Fat. You can currently find Greg outfitting Everyday Cycles; a Milwaukee, WI retailer of gear for fatbikers, adventure cyclists and urban assault riders.