Gerber 22-01769 Shard Keychain Tool

I have had the Gerber Shard for a few months now and have traveled on an airplane several times. While I have not had the Shard confiscated yet, airport security does look at it very carefully. I had one TSA agent ask me flat out what it was and I told him it was a bottle opener. With that being said, I have tried what I think are all "7 uses" which I have listed below.

1. Bottle opener = works well and looks more respectable on my keychain over the Coors Light one I had on there
2 & 3. Small and medium flat drivers = too wide for most screws that you might use
4. Philips screwdriver = works well with smaller head screws but not helpful on even medium sized screws
5. Wire stripper = not very effective as you have to be very careful so as not to rip the wire, much easier to use a normal wire stripper
6. Pry bar = very effective, I was able to open a can of paint with no problems
7. lanyard/keychain attachment hole (kind of a stretch calling this a... Read more

I actually bought this more as a joke since I was buying something else. It has proven to be very handy. The pry bar works good as a standard screw driver and the philips side also works well. I have tried the bottle opener multiple times and it gets the cap off the first time. The pry bar end has also taken the place of my pocket knife when opening products/boxes. It isn't very sharp but it is just enough to bust the tape and get through the twisties.

I agree word for word with the recent review by amost6.
The bottle opener is OK, and this is a small and "cute" thing to hang on your keyring. But that's about it. Screwdrivers are practically useless; "wire stripper" is a joke. Philips screwdriver is sharp enough to poke you through your pocket, but not shaped well enough to be useful.
If you want a well-made, serious version of this tool, which may have been the inspiration for the Shard, check out the Atwood Prybaby. The Piranha Pocket Tool is a slightly larger version with more "wrenches". Warning - you'll pay for the quality on these tools - something like 7X-10X the cost of the Shard. There are other similar, well-made, expensive options available if you dig into some "EDC" (EveryDay Carry) sites.

If you're looking for something FAR more useful and only SOMEWHAT more expensive, get a Leatherman Micra. You can even remove the knife blade if you want to take it on a plane. Also, the Micra's version of a... Read more