i'm now looking for a good spoke key that wont round off my nipples (oo-er!) like my budget jobby. theres one review on the park tool but every shop i go to hasn't got stock (shoplifters). while i'm waiting for one to appear, are there any better ones that do the job?

I use a Park one and it fine, they stock them in Halfords now so it may be worth giving them a try.

the best one is the Spokey Dokey, with a comfortable and distinctive plastic round handle, but the actual key part drives all 4 sides of the nipple (goes on diagonally over a corner).

The dogs knob of the spoke key world, good for alloy nipples (never rounded one off in 4 years of wheel building/truing). Better than the Park which I also have as it grips the nipple much more securely.

Color coded yellow or red for different nipples, Ive got both.

Def. the Spokey Dokey - allows you to get higher tension without breaking the nipples (ouch!) and definitely better than the Park one (which I have too).

PS The red one is the one that fits most common nipples(!)

my nipples are No. 15. i had heard the spokey was crap, but if ou reckon otherwise i kow of one shop in york that has them - cycleheaven.
halford in york is out of park keys de to shoplifting and the staff are obviously confused du to having no system in place for ordering more than their shops stock on the computer will show. i wonder why they didn't stick the park tools in the lockable glass boxes they have?

The spokey dokey does look cheap and nasty but I know several bike shop mechanics who swear by them - even when running a Park sponsored workshop...

right, i rang the shop and they have red and yellow spokey's in but didn't know what No. 15 is!!! spokey's are £4 and park £6. looks like i'll be picking one up before i start work. and i am going to have to strip my back wheel down to replace the three nipples i knackered. (bugger - should've got a porper key in the first place!)

The Park ones are great. I actually like the triangular one with three keys on it better than the single size ones...

I have used a Spokey Dokey for ages and thought that I would invest in a Park spoke key. The park one looked much better than the old spokey but I have only used it the once.

The spokey slides on much better and has wider grip so you get more torque, for those old rusted up wheels.

Spokey every time.

AP

er caroline the triangular one is AWFUL to use. Yes it fits all spokes but its bloody painful cos when you use it youre gripping the sharp jaws. By the time youve built/trued a wheel your hands are red raw and numb.

The Spokey LOOKS cheap cos its plastic, but like I said Ive been using em for 4 years and they havent broken.

Tim D; I own the Park triangular, the Park regular, and the Spokey. I only use the Spokey. Nuff said.

in that case, theres a spokey with my nameon it in a shop in york. it will be mine just before five'o'clock. and later i will comment on its usefulness!!

Yeah I've got a (yellow) spokey as well, works good. Just wish I could find the bastard :-(

i got the red one and tried it out for size. brilliant fit and really balanced. don't think i'll berounding off my nipples (oo-er) any more!!
definitely worth £4 i say.

hmmmm? disovered the spokey won't go over the slightly misshapen nipples my previous spoke key created. well, i've got a spar bag of nipples for just this occassion, guess i'll have to strip the wheel down. and remember to create a cone spanner before i do it to see if i can sort my wobbly hub axle too.

OH OH , that was my review :D

Spokey is great but the insert is quite thin so it can still round off the nipple (it's happened only once to me though). I just rebuilt a wheel using the Pedro spoke key. It's great. Has both Park style opening and the Spokey style opening. It's also pretty much grips the full length of the nipple so there's no chance it'll round it off.

The green one fits Sapim nipples perfectly...

Hmm I just noticed that Spokey make the Spokey Pro which has a double insert to grip more of the nipple...