Even I am not that obsessed with ordering bicycle stuff on the internet.... well, I did order a triple of Schwalbe levers once, but I had several other sets in the tool box to keep me going. And I would have used anything handy, including allen keys and screwdrivers if necessary.
I've broken or bent right out of shape a few levers, mainly narrow ones. There are some that look the goods, but the plastic is way too soft to get a really tight bead over the rim. I now have a triple of steel levers in the tool box for just such occasions. They were bought at an LBS.
I used to have a triple of what were called Milk Levers... they were made from recycled plastic milk cartons. Until I bought them, I had used only narrow levers, even up to recently. I have found the broader ones, in the Milk and Schwalbe style, are much more useful. So the steel levers are really in the box just as a final option.
Having said all that, each to his or her own. We live in parts of the world where there is freedom to do such things if we so desire and can afford it both in terms of money and time.
Last edited by Rowan; 04-01-11 at 01:41 AM.