When you first start skating, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the potential stuff you might need to buy. There are a lot of accessories in the skating world and knowing which ones you need and which ones are optional can be tricky. You’ll hear all sorts of opinions from skaters, but you need to decide what’s right for you. So if you’re asking yourself “should I buy a skate tool?”, then I’m going to help you figure out the answer.
A skate tool is one of many pieces of skating equipment that is often overlooked. Small but mighty it serves a valuable purpose. But is it something you’ll need to buy for yourself? Let’s find out.
What is a skate tool?
A skate tool is a small piece of equipment that helps you adjust various parts of your skateboard. It has different sized sockets depending on which part of your board you’re working on. It’ll usually be in a T-shape, but you can get different shapes and sizes. You can get different colours too if you want to express your personality through it.
It’s useful for if you want to do the following:
- Tighten or loosen your wheels – There’s a fine art to getting your wheels exactly right. Too tight and they won’t spin fast enough. Too loose and you’ll wobble while you’re moving. You need to find the sweet spot, and a skate tool will help you do exactly that.
- Tighten or loosen your trucks – The trucks are the parts of the skateboard that connect the wheels to the deck. How loose you want them to be will very much depend on what you’re planning to use your board for. Some tricks will do better with loose trucks. Whereas if you’re just cruising, you’ll probably feel more comfortable if they’re relatively tight. You can use a skate tool to find the balance that’s right for you.
- Replace parts of your board – Skating often involves a healthy amount of customising. You may choose to upgrade parts, or otherwise they may just need replacing if you’ve had them too long. If you get new wheels, new trucks, a new deck, etc. Then you’ll need to skate tool to help take the board apart and put it back together again.
Where can I buy a skate tool?
Because skate tools are such a handy piece of equipment, they’re very widely available. You can buy them online on a site such as Amazon if you’re wanting to buy them separately. Or otherwise you’ll be able to get them wherever you get the rest of your board. There are plenty of online websites dedicated to skating and buying equipment.
Otherwise, you can support your local skate shop by buying one there instead. If possible, I would always advise shopping locally because skate shops are often involved with the local skating scene. If you want cool stuff to happen around you then supporting your skate shop is the best way to make that happen.
Skate tools are pretty inexpensive and you’re likely to find one for well under £10. Usually they’d be around £5, but it can depend on the quality and where you’re buying from. They’re all pretty much identical so don’t worry about getting a particular brand.
Is a skate tool worth having?
So, as you can see, they serve a valuable purpose not only when you first get your board, but also for general maintenance. If you ever need to make adjustments on the go or if you want to upgrade parts then you’ll need a skate tool to hand.
Because of the different sizes of nuts and bolts on a skateboard, a regular screwdriver or wrench won’t cut it. A skate tool is specifically designed for all the different parts of your board. If you’re planning to skate regularly then a skate tool is definitely a wise investment.
However, you don’t technically need to have one yourself. You just need easy access to one. If you’re always skating in a group and someone else you’re with has one, then you don’t need to have one too. Of course it’s still better to have your own, just in case, but it’s not the end of the world if you need to share. Just make sure that you know where you can use one if you don’t decide to buy a skate tool of your own.
Conclusion
You came into this wondering “Should I buy a skate tool?”, and hopefully now you have your answer. Like I said, I would always advocate for getting your own but you don’t necessarily need one. Just make sure that if you do decide not to buy one, then you have access to somebody else’s, at least when setting up your board. You probably won’t want it at factory settings even if you do buy a complete. And if you’re putting together your own one from various parts, then you’ll absolutely need a skate tool.
What’s your favourite piece of skating equipment? Let me know down in the comments! Also, please follow our Instagram to keep up to date with my latest hobby adventures, including skating!
