We have some really interesting tools down at the Iowa City Bike Library. The most interesting were donated by an ex-shop owner. Included in his generous gift are several old Var tools that are really intriguing. Var is a French tool maker and probably the oldest company to make tools specifically for bicycle repair.
Last week, while doing my volunteer duty and repairing the brakes on an old ten speed, I grabbed the Var #02 third hand tool. A third hand tool allows you to clamp the brake pads down on the rim thus freeing up your “two” hands to pull the brake cable and remove the slack.
Until this Var third hand tool showed up, I had always used the spring style third hand tool. They work fine but can be a little awkward. Not so for the Var tool. It has a nice and weighty cast body and makes clamping down the pads for cable adjustment a quick and silky smooth process.
Last week, while doing my volunteer duty and repairing the brakes on an old ten speed, I grabbed the Var #02 third hand tool. A third hand tool allows you to clamp the brake pads down on the rim thus freeing up your “two” hands to pull the brake cable and remove the slack.
Until this Var third hand tool showed up, I had always used the spring style third hand tool. They work fine but can be a little awkward. Not so for the Var tool. It has a nice and weighty cast body and makes clamping down the pads for cable adjustment a quick and silky smooth process.
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