Probably the very first specialty tool of any kind that I ever purchased, this 40+ year-old tool's present condition belies the vast number of times that it has been used since the mid-1970's.
And, while not very expensive at the time, this Japanese bottom bracket tool has seen use on many, many "hella-stuck" cups and lockrings, assisted by a VBFH on so many of those occasions.
It is a combination of choice material and processing combined with it's just-right dimension details that puts this one at the top of my list for going at it on my latest used-bike find.
And again, while not actually costing anywhere near "too much", this 1-1/2" (38.1mm) 12-point socket turned out to be a superior way to remove and securely set Stronglight fixed bb cups with their shorter octagonal flats.
Without firing up my CAD program, I can't even guess why the exact size of 12-point socket happens to fit so well on the same size (38mm) of octagon, but out of curiosity I located a slightly-smaller 1-7/16" (36.5mm) 12-point socket and it did not fit over the cup.
