I’m not talking about a hex key that extends in length but one where it can collapse in on itself to increase in size.
I did some digging online but all I could find was a patent from a company called TeleHex but it kind of sounds like they came and went in the mid 2000s. They’re website doesn’t seem to exist.
I feel like it could save space in my pocket compared to a typical hex key set or a multibit.
I was hoping I could at least find a bootleg version on Ali Express.
Telehex failed (I guess they’ve been trying to raise money on Kickstarter since at least 2015) because it offers no real advantage over a regular folding allen key with interchangeable heads. it’s only good for 3, 4, 5 & 6mm heads, so you’re paying an absurd amount of money for something that you could replace with one of these for a lot less money in the exact same form factor. plus, you’re introducing multiple possible points of failure; there’s no way a Telehex would survive as many uses as something significantly cheaper. same reason the universal socket didn’t stick around
Interesting idea, but I think it would suffer from being too weak structurally to be of much use. Each consecutive size would have to slide in and out and that design would cause trouble with maintaining rigidity.
However, if you would find one let me know. I would likely buy it too.
Perhaps you could get a bit kit like this and replace the bits with hex bits. This one is made by Victorinox
I wonder if there is a 1/4" hex drive set where the bits work like those old pencils
lol you’d have to sort through all of them one at a time to find the right one every time
True. You’d be giving up a bit of convenience for a bit of compactness. It wouldn’t be too bad with three separate tubes for Allen, Torx, and Phillips/flat/square
Not sure but maybe expanding your search to include bit drivers/sockets in general could help. Might also look for telescoping ratchet.
Might be workable if you settle on combining only 2 to 3 keys (small, medium, large) per hex.
Or, learn metallurgy and material science to find some new polymer or alloy that would be strong enough.
But honestly, it sounds like a really expensive endeavor that even if you made it work, isn’t practical enough to justify the cost.
Maybe something like the universal socket wrench style could influence a design that’s workable as a multi-hex, and be made cheaply enough.
