A friend has a couple of boxes of old tools, mostly bike tools. Revered names like VAR, Eldi, Campagnolo, etc. Its fun seeing them and identifying what they're for. But one has me stumped. I'm wondering if anyone recognizes it and what each end is for. The boxes have about 6 similar tools but this one is the only one with 3 pins. Must have been used often BITD.


All steel, welded together, no name brand. Bit of walnut to prop up right end for photo

The left end sure looks like a freewheel tool, the movable pin does secure a 28t cog nicely, maybe 30 or so too. I can clamp this in a vice to spin off the 14t but a proper FW vice will do that even better. No idea what the right end is for. This was badly rusted when I brought it home but I've cleaned it up and freed up the left end 'core' so it turns and comes out.


The other side. I've unscrewed the end fitting a bit but cannot guess what its for.

Here I've unscrewed the right end core most of the way. It will come out. A rod slides thru the holes to facilitate turning. I've found that the thread and size is much like that on a 14t Suntour Perfect cog but a bit too small, the cog will wobble on the threads. The inside of the core has no feature to grip and turn a FW remover tool and the fact the core easily turns defeats that idea.

I have seen a similar tool, via google images, in a VAR tool set photo but no explanation of what is for or how its used. Not found in online VAR catalogs.


A very few of the other bits from the boxes

Here is a sample of other 'treasures' from the boxes. Wald open end wrench - I've marked the 32mm end as it makes a nice HS wrench. Calipers that took over an hour to free up and clean up due to sitting in water too long. Neat needle oiler with brass cap. Just need to find a bottle for it. Madonna medallion for stem or HT. VAR cone wrenches. I generally mark my 15mm open ends red to make them easier to find. Most of this stuff was badly rusted and I've has some success cleaning and restoring old tools.

Edit: I also found that when you clamp a FW in this tool, The large cog is held firm but the core is suspended about 2cm above the steel strap so if you use this to hold a FW while working on the cogs the core will drop down once you've removed the threaded cogs. Not a good idea. The span of the pins is also way too small to hold chain rings. The cogs are held in the machined grooves of the pins. The OD of the pins are too large to fit into a cog's teeth gullet.