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EB15: Unior Showcases European Manufacturing, plus New USA availability rumors!

Written by Cory Benson
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Unior Tools had a nice sampling of their in-house Slovenian tool manufacturing capabilities at Eurobike. They had put together a small tool box that used a handful of their common shop and consumer tools to highlight the different ways they build tools in their factories. We thought it was both informative to see how different tools are made, and an impressive display of EU industry.

We’ve been hearing a lot from Unior recently and there is probably a good reason why. Having been making tools in Europe since 1919, this year sees a big push from them to expand their offerings in the US. We’ve recently heard a few good rumors and apparently they have settled a deal with a big partner who will both distribute their tools through their huge dealer network, and use their tools for their in-house mechanic training program.

Find out who and what color the tools will be…

Unior_Tool_manufacturing_sample-pack_process-details

The tools that Unior chose to showcase at Eurobike offered a pretty wide range and did a good job of showing off their capabilities. The Chain Checker is a flat steel tool cut and etched with lasers (always cool, am I right?) Their Bottle Opener, I mean 13mm wrench, is forged with a hot blank, while their Cassette Lockring tool is cold forged.

Unior_Tool_manufacturing_sample-pack_tools-details

The body of their pro Chain Tool gets forged to start and then CNC machined to form the arms that support the chain. Their Tire Levers get injection molded, while their multi-sided Spoke Wrench gets sintered, a process that is somewhere between forging and injection molding. Unior is quite proud that they produce all of their tools in their in-house factories in their home country of Slovenia in southern Europe, and the sampler was a nice way of showing that off.

Wicked-Wrenching_James-Swinbourn_Trek-World-2016_Trek-University-new-Unior-Tools_preproduction_without-blue-handles

OK, now back to the rumor mill. Well the couple of pictures above come to us from Aussie James Swinbourn of Wicked Wrenching in Toronto. A bit odd that he’s the one with US rumors, but whatever. Anyway he snapped these pics at Trek World and put them up on Instagram. What they show are the Pre-production tools that were being introduce to dealers and will supposedly be used in Trek University for mechanic training. What makes them Pre-production is the lack of handles.

Wicked-Wrenching_James-Swinbourn_Trek-World-2016_Trek-University-new-Unior-Tools

As we mentioned in our recent first hands-on with some of the tools, the blue and black handles were keeping them from US sales. While they had some black and red tools available through CompetitiveCyclist, we have it on good authority that the tools will feature orange and red handles for the US market, and the full range of bike tools will be available. We’ll keep updating when we know more.

Unior-Bike.com
Cory Benson
4,358 articles

Cory Benson is the EU Tech Editor of Bikerumor.com.

Cory has been writing about mountain bikes, enduro, cyclocross, all-road, gravel bikes & bikepacking for over 25 years, even before the industry created some of these names. Prior to Bikerumor, Cory was a practicing Architect specializing in environmental sustainability, has designed bike shops & bike components, and worked as a bike shop mechanic.

Based in the Czech Republic for 15+ years, he is a technical mountain biker, adventurous gravel rider, and short & medium-haul bikepacker. Cory travels extensively across Europe riding bikes, meeting with key European product developers, industry experts & tastemakers for an in-depth review of what’s new, and what’s coming next.

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mechanic
mechanic
9 years ago

I will buy some just because Park tried to copyright “blue bike tools.”
Another quality tool option would be nice. Abbey doesn’t make everything yet, and I doubt many will pay a premium for the best.

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Dan
Dan
9 years ago

I am having a really hard time seeing why I would buy these over Park. I doubt they are any cheaper like some of the other tool brands and would put money on that they are not any better (atleast in a way that matters).

Can anyone educate me on why I would want these? or any particular tool they make?

Thank you,

Your long time back mechanic

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Champs
Champs
9 years ago

Dan: in my deep blue sea of bike tools, there’s a conspicuous splash of yellow from the time I needed that thing TODAY and the LBS didn’t have it in the usual brand.

Years later, that thing still works and I have lived to tell the tale. If Unior isn’t competitive in the aspects you care about, then don’t buy them—but you might end up with one anyway.

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Slow Joe Crow
Slow Joe Crow
9 years ago

@Dan, I think Unior would be preferable to Park for the same reasons some people buy Pedro’s, or Abbey Bike Tools. Unior makes some tools that either do something Park doesn’t, or they do something better. Offhand, I see a pocket cassette lockring tool that is an alternative to the JA Stein tool, a puller for square taper cranks with damaged extractor threads and suspension tools. They also have a pin type cassette cog holders for 13 & 14T cogs.

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Alex
Alex
9 years ago

Park Tool, while offering a huge range of stuff, is not exactly the best stuff out there. If you shop in the larger tool world outside of bike shops and use stuff from brands like MAC, Snap On, Knipex, etc you’ll know there are even higher quality options out there. I think Park is like Craftsmen, a solid tool line that doesn’t do anything wrong, but some people aspire to more. There have been some decent smaller bike tool brands popping up like Abbey which is nice to see, it’s helped to elevate the water level. Their hanger tool was a nice upgrade over my Park DAG-2, and it helped force Park to elevate their model to 2.2 spec in response. Better tools are a win for mechanics everywhere.

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Dan
Dan
9 years ago

Wasnt trying to start and argument by any means, nor am I bashing Unior. I own quite a few tools outside of park for both bicycle and other applications. for examply I have the Woodman headset press that I will honestly say is much much better than the Park verison. also have other bike tools from Morning Star, Bike A Log, MAC, Snap-on, Craftman, and many other companies as well.

I was just wondering the value of Unior.

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Paulo
Paulo
9 years ago

A company that sources it’s own steel, forges it, develops it, tests it etc etc etc in house? In Europe and has been since 1919!
They offer a Lifetime guarantee and compared to other brands it is made in Europe unlike all the others…
Have you used Unior before?

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Mark
Mark
9 years ago

@Dan The Unior tools for the most part ARE better made than Park, if you’ve played with the pro chain checker you’d see what I mean. It’s the nicest tool in my toolbox. The spoke keys give a much better grip than the Park ones.

For the most part, they’re also cheaper – probably a factor of Unior being able to use their massive market of automotive and hardware sectors giving them economies of scale in manufacturing bike tools.

I’d definitely recommend them.

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greg
greg
9 years ago

Park lineup of tools is expansive, but generally NOT high quality. Almost everything they make, someone else makes a better version of the same thing. Some of the alternatives don’t cost more, while others definitely do and are worth every penny. Park Torx wrenches? Their combination wrenches? Both significantly worse than what you can get at Harbor Freight. Don’t get me started with their scissors…
All that said, Unior has been a bit of a mixed bag as well. I’d rather see Var have more of a presence here, if anything. Cyclus maybe too.

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Al
Al
9 years ago

Surely won’t be cheaper than Park but neither is the quality comparable! These tools last for generations!

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Ajax
Ajax
9 years ago

Guys, Dan is just coming from the buy and support a local USA company angle. If you care about quality only, there are a few other tools (some American, some Japan-made, some Euro-made, and some Chinese-made) that are better than Park. Don’t get Dan wrong. Park is quality, and many of there tools are top notch, but a few Abbey, Pedro’s, and Hozan tools have them beat depending on if you are working on removing a cassette lockring, servicing a headset, or doing some hub bearing adjustment. Regarding Unior, Dan has never used their products. If he did, he would surely know that they are on the same level of quality as Park.

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Dan
Dan
9 years ago

Ajax, not really. I will buy from anywhere in the planet if there is a good and compelling reason. Looking through their tool list I just don’t see it. Also to the others, yes there are some tools from other manufacturers that are better than Park. I own some, but at the same time there is also a good reason to have a system of tool from mainly one manufacturer. This company is really the only other manufacturer that has such a fleshed out tool system. Hence the reason I have asked my question, thus far in the comments above and from what I have read online about them is that they really [aren’t] any better or worse than Park. I wish them the best of luck in their US venture. They really have to differentiate themselves to compete, and they haven’t, most will just see them as a Park copycat.

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Stan
Stan
9 years ago

I’ve used Unior pressfit bottom bracket removal tool of threaded rod puller type. In contrast to Park which is used to knock the bearings out with a hammer, Unior pulls the bearings gently out, supposedly making them reusable. Other Unior bicycle specific tools I own are on par or better than what my LBS use.

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