Not all of Park Tool’s tools are made in the USA anymore—think of that what you may—but at least they haven’t made it hard to crack the code– If the logo on the tool says “Park Tool USA,” it is made in the USA. Tools that just say “Park Tool” are made by an oversea supply house, and don’t have the same high-quality finish. In the AK-37 kit, just the cable-cutters and four screwdrivers were imported.

The AK-37 is Park Tool USA’s third largest toolkit and is just right for a home-mechanic (the more comprehensive toolkits include wheel-dishing tools, a third-hand brake tool, and tools for headset installation). The AK-37 includes several great tools. It’s got some pedestrian tools—screwdrivers and allen keys, for example, but has some cyclist-specific tools as well, like the chain scrubber. Your favorite tools will be the ones that were missing or underperforming in your old toolbox.

Even a site that wasn’t celebrating American-made products would separate the cable-cutters and screwdrivers from the rest on finish alone. They are clearly subpar—While the cone wrenches, for instance, have lovely, long lasting PVC vinyl caps, the imported tools are covered in mottled bits of soft rubber, with a “Park Tool” logo poorly molded in. The metal bits are silver, and it might just be suspicion, but the metal feels soft in the screwdrivers (they haven’t worn in a funny way yet, however). The five imported tools feel just a little bit lower quality than Craftsman. The cable-cutters are, however, my favorite tool in the whole set, as they do a stunning job cutting housing.

Snip! The CN-10 Cable Cutter (Imported)

The domestically-made tools are nicer though. Their handles are that tough blue PVC, and most of the steel is finished with a lovely tough slightly-rough black finish. It’s a finish that looks like it was born to do work. The finish of the domestic tools feels somewhere between Craftsman and Snap-On.

Park Tool CC-3 Chain-Wear Indicator

The most hilarious tool in the whole set is the chain-wear indicator It is a “crazy H” shaped tool that you wedge into the chain. If it fits, you need a new chain (0.75% stretch from new. Flip it upside down and it tells you if you need a chain even more badly (1% stretch from new). A stretched chain wears the cogs more quickly and doesn’t shift as well, and this tool makes it really easy to diagnose.

Before and after the Chain Cleaner

The AK-37 toolkit also comes with a chain cleaner, which is a box full of brushes and sponges. You put the chain in it, fill it up with solvent, and start turning the cranks. After a minute the chain is cleaned off. The cleaner works fairly well, and likely does a great job if you start off with a fairly clean chain. However, we only had a chance to use it on a super filthy chain, which it did an admirable job of cleaning. The little brushes and wheels inside the box have metal axles, which for some reason are separate—one fell down the drain while cleaning grease off the brushes in the sink—very frustrating. Also, one can’t help but wonder if it would be faster to clean the chain in a pool of solvent. That way you can clean the cassette, derailleur pulleys, and chainrings separately. Maybe others would think differently.

Beside’s, Park Tool’s Chain Brute is so beautiful that you’ll want to pop your chain off whenever you get a chance. It weighs a ton and gives you enough leverage to pop out stubborn links. No more sore thumbs.

And how about all those other tools? The cone wrenches are useful for rebuilding hubs, and the chain whip / cassette tools make it easy to swap cogs on the rear hub.

The tool kit also includes some very sturdy tire levers, a narrow 9/16 and 15mm pedal wrench, a few bottom bracket tools, a tire boot, some lube, some grease, and another one of my favorites, a chainring bolt wrench.

To the casual mechanic, this may seem like everything you could ever need, but Park tool has a great many other tools, they also make the great 3rd hand brake tool, truing stands, bike stands, and plenty of repair tools. However, the AK-37 makes a great start to a mechanics set, and includes very nearly every tool the casual cyclist will ever need.

More Info:

Park Tool Usa : AK-37