GerberShard Keychain Tool

great for a keyring device for opening bottles and packaging.

I expected this to be handy, it's more useful than I thought it would be.I've only had it 4 days but I've already used it to work Philips head screws (including accessing a loose indicator bulb on my car while in the middle of nowhere), tighten a loose mic holder mid-gig, open a couple of beers and pry some short nails. I'm a musician and recording engineer, both jobs involve me hauling a lot of gear around, and working to tight time margins. Having this in my pocket has already saved me a couple of trips to my car for a proper screwdriver, and a couple of trips from the couch to the kitchen for a proper bottle opener (there's a Rugby World Cup on, dontcha know).I'm not a tradesman. I'm not drilling into walls, cutting sheet metal or sawing through 2x4s while on a gig. I just need small, capable tools that'll do the job well enough, without adding much weight or bulk to the pile of gear I'm already hauling around. Between this and the Leatherman Surge that lives in my cable bag (the Surge is too big and heavy to keep in a pocket), I've got pretty much all the hand tools I find myself needing while out and about. Obviously, neither are replacements for the full size hand tools they share functions with. However, the Shard is excellent to have on a key chain for those simple little jobs when you don't have your tool box at hand. When I'm doing something that requires real tools, I use real tools.I'd assumed the Philips driver would be pokey in the pocket, but I've not noticed this thing on my keychain at all (my keychain also has a car key, some house keys, a drum key and a small pill box containing ear plugs, all hanging off a locking carabiner for quick removal).I was deciding between this and the Leatherman Brewzer. I'm very pleased I went with the Gerber Shard, it costs less and seems to do more. It's smaller than it looks from the photos online, but it's well designed and fits surprisingly well in my XL hands. I'll probably buy a few more of these to give as presents.Pros:Useful Philips/flat head drivers (these are the winners for me so far)Useful mini pry barDecent bottle opener (Better than the cheapo aluminium one it replaced)Solid build quality. I don't expect this to fail, ever (it'll take a lot of abuse before the steel is stripped off the Philips driver)Disappears onto your keychain until you need itComfortable to use, plus the shape of the body lends a surprising amount of torque to the Philips driverCons:£6+ is a lot for 5p worth of steelThe flat-head drivers are too thick for glasses screws (not an issue for me, but it might be for you)Because of the pry bend, it doesn't sit well in pockets on its own

Great little keyring tools

Great little multi tool that fits easily onto a key ring or just sits snugly into your watch pocket in your jeans.There’s no blade but you can easily utilise this to open parcels / packages which also means there’s no worries when carrying it in the UK.A very handy piece of kit.

This tool is great for a key chain, it is compact enough that you barely notice it but it's big enough that it functions decently. The main reason I bought this was to use a bottle opener on my key ring, it does a decent job at opening bottles however a proper bottle opener will always be better. The screwdrivers are surprisingly useful and I use them more than I ever thought I would. I never really use the tool as a pry bar or wire stripper but the option is always there if you need it.One problem I found is that it's not flat, this adds extra bulk to your keys, however it makes prying more effective. it is also very thin, this may seem like a plus however when opening beers it tends to bend the caps off instead of popping them off. The hole for your keyring is also in a bit of an awkward place for your traditional split ring, however I use a wire loop for my keys so it's not a problemOverall this is a good tool for the price and will fit on your key ring nicely. It's more a jack of all trades, master of none kind of thing as it has a lot of functions but does them not as good as the real tool.

Who knew a piece of small metal could be so useful on a daily basis - I would not be without one now.Gerber have taken time to produce a well designed, minimalist tool yet functional everyday tool. Initially I was skeptical about the hype - Every Day Carry (EDC) forums love the Shard but compared to other offerings from the likes of Leatherman the Gerber Shard seem to cost a fair amount less, was it to good to be true. I was also concerned about the less than flat design (ie how would it sit on my key ring, would it be uncomfortable in the pocket etc), but after receiving the Shard it has become a permanent fixture and an everyday carry.Tool includes a couple of flat screwdrivers, Philips screwdriver, bottle opener and a jimmy tool all in a neat black package. None of these in the form of a dedicated "traditional" tool have ever made it into my pockets on a daily basis (I don't walk around with 3 different screwdrivers in my pockets) and never have I thought I was missing out by not carrying the tools - however, suddenly i am finding I am using the Shard on an almost daily basis. Adhoc jobs can be done instantly rather than later or tomorrow - Screw coming out my sunglasses = sorted, nail protruding from fence = fixed, beer needs opening = job done.The shard just seems to exist in a non intrusive way, but becomes a dependable key chain tool - even my wife has now ordered one!