Silca HX-One: Up Close

Silca's HX-One hex keys kit is the ultimate interpretation of the bicycle mechanic's most used tool; six-sided perfection that protects your pride and joy...

Silca takes pride in creating the finest quality workshop tools in the world and the US-based, Italian-born brand has been doing just that for over 100 years. The Silca HX-One expands the range from heirloom pumps to high-class wrenching with those most oft-used items in all bike mechanics’ toolboxes – the humble Allen key.

As you’d expect from Silca, humble doesn’t really factor into it. For starters, the keys are packed into a beautiful CNC-machined beech box, that gives a warm contrast to the steel within. The tools are kept in place with a single elastomeric tab, which gives a satisfying click when returning each key to its housing.

The hex keys themselves are made from S-2 Tool Steel, a shock resistant variety of the metal that has much harder surfaces than types normally used in creating Allen keys, and which prolongs the life of the tools while also avoiding deformation of fastening bolts.

Finally, the keys are spray coated with a polymer finish that maintains grippiness with oily fingers, while the bright red makes them instantly noticeable in the workshop.

The HX-One box houses 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10mm keys for all hexagonally related bicycle applications. The kit also includes Silca’s proprietary 17-4 magnetic adapter, which transforms the 6mm key into a quarter-inch socket drive. Two flat-head and Phillips head screwdrivers are included, along with six Torx bits.

For the home mechanic who demands better tools than the pros, the HX-One kit is the perfect choice.

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