what are the little pencil sharpener shaped things in shimano brakes?

Little yellow things, shaped like plastic pencil sharpeners. What are they for?

Spacers for bleeding aren’t they?

They’re to clamp round the hose while you fit the brass insert into the end.

Sharpening Crayola crayons (or what thepurist said)

there are two-piece things for clamping the hose whilst you put the barb in the end when changing/shortening hoses.

I beleive (well I’ve always used them for) they are for bleeding your brakes. Remove your brake pads, put the yellow bit in and ssecure with a zip tie (this is what the recess is for)

Then bleed your brakes safe in the knowledge your not pushing the pistons together.

I’ve also used them when transporting the bike without wheels in, but as above you need to remove the pads as well.

They are for inserting olives. The brake bleeding blocks are a different shape.

gotcha – cheers

tape one side of each together, stops one of them dropping on the floor.

I wondered why my pencils were so blummin blunt still!

yes, I should add my crayons are totally blunt too – so probably not recommended for that task..