SVST Ski Brake Retainers - Pair

Heavy rubber bands that hold ski brakes retracted so you can actually reach the base. Four dollars, and every tuning bench needs a pair.

Without them, brake arms sit in the way of the iron, the scraper and the brush, and the usual workaround — jamming something under the arms — slips at the worst moment.

• Strong, long-lasting rubber
• Holds retracted brakes securely
• Sold in pairs

How to use them: lift the brake arms up over the heel piece and loop the band around both arms and the binding so they stay retracted. The band should be tight enough that the arms cannot spring down while you are working with a hot iron in one hand.

They perish. Rubber left stretched over a binding all summer goes brittle and snaps at the start of the next season, so keep a spare pair and store them slack.

Not to be confused with ski straps, which bundle skis for transport — these are strictly a bench tool.

See waxing equipment and all tuning tools.