Product review 1: Knog tools

In January we wrote that we had products that we were going to test and evaluate, and then review. Since then we haven't really done that, but now is the time! Or, actually we wrote about the K-Edge chain catcher on the 5th of May, so in a way this is the second product review. But it is the first product review to get that headline.

The Knog foldable monkey wrench (or shifter spanner), to the left, and the Knog 20 tool, to the right. It began with the foldable monkey wrench. I found it at a good price, thought it looked kind of cool and also thought that a monkey wrench is a good tool to have, and this one would fit in my saddle bag. So I bought it and put it in my saddle bag. Then it simply stayed there for some time, because I didn't need it. (That always seems to be the case, doesn't it?) But after some time eventually I used it... I was trying to remove a saddle from an old bike, needed to loosen a bolt, took the Knog foldable monkey wrench out and... the bloody thing slipped and bent. To be honest, the wrench had felt a bit flimsy from the start, but now when I used it the adjustable part just bent. Not much, not more that 2-3°, but that still made the spanner completely unusable. Not a very good thing, now is it? I was furious.

The really cool thing, though, is that when I wrote to Knog and made a complaint about it, they offered to send a new tool to me completely for free, when I could show them the receipt (or rather, a photo of it). They have a two year warranty on their products. Now they didn't stock any more monkey wrenches so instead the sent me their 20 tool. A small (50x50x22 mm) tool containing:

2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 mm hex keys
A T25 torx screwdriver bit
A Philips screwdriver
A flat head screwdriver
8, 10, 13 and 15 mm open wrenches
3.22, 3.30, 3.45 and 3.96 mm spoke wrenches (I haven't measured them, but according to Knog that's them)
A chain tool
A bottle opener

20 functions! Not bad! So far I have only used the Allen keys and the bottle opener, so I can't really say anything about the other functions, but the Allen keys and the bottle opener work just fine. And this tool feels more solid than the foldable monkey wrench too. The only complaint I have is that the T25 torx bit have a tendency to come loose, but since you fold the tool at least it doesn't get lost. Other reviewers, like Bikeradar, who have tried the spoke wrenches and the chain tool have said that these functions are crap. Also, since the tool is short, square and a bit bulky, using it in hard-to-get-to places on your bicycle might be hard or even impossible.

Knog are super consistent. Their products are not about "form follows function", it's totally "function follows form". But I rather like that. You instantly recognise Knog tools, and they are good-looking. (This 20 tool even matches the colour of my bicycle.) They also seem to be really nice people, environmentally conscious and Australian. And eventually, by taking it out and gently tapping it with a hammer, I managed to straighten the bent bit on the monkey wrench, so now it works again. It still feels flimsy, though.

So the bottom line:

Would I recommend Knog tools? Yes. That is, should you find the foldable monkey wrench at a good price, go ahead, buy it and then use it patiently and carefully. You'd be hard pressed to find another monkey wrench that fits in your saddle bag. (However, it looks as if this tool is now out of production.) And the 20 tool I recommend with the same conditions: Buy it at a good price. The functions are useful but might be hard to use, it is solid, easy to fit in your pocket or your saddle bag and good-looking. Also, the soft edges on both tools makes it less likely to damage inner tubes also lying around. That's really good.

Ride safe!