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Reviews
Park CN-10 cable cutter
By Paul Mirtschin
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Park recently released an updated version of the CN-10 cable cutter, and what an update it is. Thicker, heavier, less likely to flex and way comfy in the hand, and no more expensive than the old version.
Short of a high-speed rotary cutter, it's impossible to get perfectly cut cables, but the CN-10 comes about as close as you can get. The cold forged jaws are sharp, they don't flex, and are perfectly sized to get the best leverage. No more crushed outers, no more exploding inners. The CN-10 has a built in crimper for cable end caps and a forming for reforming housing ends and housing ferrules. Park has really put some thought into these cutters.
When they first start building up a bike toolkit, most people tend to look at the quality tools and wince. Trying to justify the high prices when something cheaper exists can be very hard. And when that tool is a cable cutter, most people tend to reach for a pair of pliers instead. They do the same job don't they?
Well if you end up working on a few bikes, and especially if you work on high maintenance bikes such as full suspension mountainbikes, then you very quickly learn that cheap cutter are a waste of time. Pliers crush more than they cut, and you end up throwing away more cable outer than you use. The collection of short lengths of unusable cable grows very fast if you use pliers.
When I first saw the Park CN-10 cable cutter in the catalogue, I was quite surprised at its size. Was it really as thick as it looked? With the occasional bit of movement in my own cable cutters I knew that something that thick would exhibit absolutely zero flex. And that a CN-10 would be a part of my life in the future. And I was right.
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These babies are thick, really thick. And heavy too, heavy enough to use as a makeshift hammer if the need arose. The dual density molded grips that fit the hand nicely; it's almost a shame that bikes don't need cabling that often. Yes, they cut that nicely.
Now the US$23.99 price tag will be bit steep for some people, but if you consider that these really do save a lot of time, swearing and in some cases cables, then it's not that much of an expense. I know it might sound very geeky to say so, but this really is a funky tool. And it's a worthy addition to any toolbox.
Price guide: US$23.99
Sizes: Just the one, Chunky.
Weight: 363g
Pro: Strong, sharp, does what it's designed to
Con: Not cheap
More information: Park's
website
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