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| July 02, 2009 |
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Alpha Micro Tool
You’ve probably been through it before. You know when you get your hands (or feet) on a skate product that really works well and it becomes a part of your whole deal and then all of a sudden it’s gone. Stolen skateboards, borrowed, but never seen again hoodies, missing backpacks, and favorite ball caps long gone, are all too common occurrences for many of us. Well, during a recent series of skate trips that required recurrent air travel I had one such piece of equipment lifted from my possession. It happened to be my newly acquired Alpha Micro Tool.
It turns out that those scumbags known as the TSA decided to take this new revolutionary compact skate tool right out of my checked baggage at the airport. Yes, checked baggage! When I went to retrieve and use it in Phoenix, the tool was missing…gone from the little mesh pocket in my travel bag. In January I had seen the Alpha Micro Tool for the first time at the ASR show. I was psyched on its size and overall functionality. It looked like a solid product and one that a skater would consider valid amongst the isles of junk merchants at the show. I left my business card with the gal at Alpha’s booth and a few weeks later Erik Chmelar, Alpha’s founder and designer dropped one in the mail to me specifically for this review on our site.
Over the past weeks I managed to use this tool to set up a few skateboards, adjust numerous truck setups, and even re-thread a stripped axel on a random park kid’s truck. This little hardened chrome vanadium steel fucker really did its job and proved to be a vital asset to my skate travels. It is the Swiss army equivalent of all skate tools and proved to be reliable through and through.
Alpha’s Micro Tool is a well-designed skate tool that works around function, not hype. Erik, really knew what he was doing when he set about to design this gem of hardware. Here are some specs that you should know about.
It features eight tools in one compact design. Hidden within its arm extension are 1/8” Allen and #2 Phillips drivers with knurled section that works as both a grip for tightening hardware and as a griptape file. By screwing the threaded end of the arm extension in to the opposite (1/2” socket) end of larger wrench piece, you’ll acquire plenty of leverage to loosen or tighten the toughest of kingpin, axle, or mounting hardware. Need more to torque on those hammered axel nuts? Position the end of the extension arm at a right angle into the 9/16” wrench and you can easily utilize the 1/2” socket to do so. Problem solved right there. As an optional accessory, the Alpha Micro Tool also accommodates an axel re-threader which stores inside of the 1/2” socket with a snug, yet easy to remove plastic cap. For such a compact tool, The Alpha Micro Tool has clearly set the new standard within a tough industry with progressive ideas. I think I’m gonna have a bit of “gear crisis” without one.
For more information or to order the Alpha Micro Tool direct, have a look over at the Alpha Skate site.
by bk
03/31
07/07 - Old Man Army Body Bag
07/01 - Crimson Skateboards
05/31 - Project Vulcanized - Etnies Shecker 2
05/20 - Project Vulcanized - adidas Super Skate
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