Pro tip: That $80 spanner wrench from Japan saved my rear shutter curtain repair

Honestly, I went back and forth for weeks on buying a proper spanner wrench for adjusting old leaf shutters. I almost got a cheap $15 set from Amazon but decided to drop $80 on a Japanese made set with adjustable tips. Ngl, it either saved me a ton of headache or it was a total waste depending on how you look at it. The cheap one I tried from a buddy would slip and scratch the brass adjustment rings every time. But with the good one, I dialed in a Wollensak Raptar in about 20 minutes flat without any damage. The thing is, a lot of guys online say you can just use a sharpened screwdriver or a bent paperclip for this kind of work. Has anyone else tried the cheap route and regretted it or are you still using homemade tools for shutter work?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena_fox391mo ago

Tried the paperclip thing once on a Compur shutter. Gouged the hell out of the ring and still couldn't get the thing loose. Ended up paying more for a replacement than I would have for that Japanese wrench. The cheap Amazon sets are hit or miss too. Got one where the tips bent after two uses. That $80 investment sounds like a bargain if it's saving you from wrecking vintage glass.

sarah5311mo ago

If your tips bent, you weren't squeezing hard enough.