Posted: 8/17/2012 7:53:52 PM EDT
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What do you guys recommend for a small key chain tool. Just something I KNOW ill have on me all the time. I was thinking about the gerber shard.
http://www.gerbergear.com/Essentials/Tools/Shard-Keychain-Tool_31-000400 Its allowable on airplanes and blends in with your keys, i really like that. I see theres some going for like $150. thats a big negative! I want something around this price but reliable. what are you guys are using/like? |
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http://www.swisstechtools.com/proddetail.aspx?pid=29
I have had an older, simpler version on my keychain for ?10 years?. It is very well built, cheap, very versatile, and much smaller than it appears. |
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The Gerber Shard is too small for me to be useful. I know its suppose to be small since its a keychain tool, but if it were another inch longer i would probably carry it. Its spent its life sitting on my dresser in a bowl with spare change.
I really like the PockettoolX Piranha. Its a little more expensive, picked mine up for $30 shipped, but a much more useful tool and the perfect size. I believe its also allowed on a plane. 
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| I've carried a leatherman mini since they came out. Sadly they are discontinued. With the fold out handles, once opened, they work like a full size tool. All of the current small sized multi tools are just to small to use easily. And a plus, it fits in a jeans watch pocket. |
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I don't get the mini pry bar thing. I just don't need a pry bar real often, much less a tiny one like what would fit in a pocket. I have a folding pocket knife that gets some use now and then, and a small Fenix E01 flashlight on my key ring. I get some use of the flashlight as well. I used to carry a multitool but since I got very little use of it except for the scissors I no longer carry it much.
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I don't get the mini pry bar thing. I just don't need a pry bar real often, much less a tiny one like what would fit in a pocket. I have a folding pocket knife that gets some use now and then, and a small Fenix E01 flashlight on my key ring. I get some use of the flashlight as well. I used to carry a multitool but since I got very little use of it except for the scissors I no longer carry it much. I don't find myself prying with it as much as the tip works well as a flathead screwdriver, the clip doubles as a bottle opener. The tip opens boxes well when I'm in a kindergarten classroom and swinging open a blade would be frowned upon. |
I just work with nothing but women. You would be surprised how many things they will have you do, pry, open, and screw (get your minds out of the gutters gentlemen!) ive opened up tons of containers with my knife or keys, and id like a bottle opener. I dont have a belt when im in scrubs and I cant have anything that looks too menacing, and EVERYTHING looks scary to people now a days. So i just need something that will stay on me and that i can squeeze past security. I wish i could wear my leatherman everywhere. 
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I absolutely hate stuff in my pockets. I do everything I can to lessen whats in there. You should get a multi-tool on your belt. I am the exact opposite. I hate pouches on my belt for EDC, but have no problem at all carrying junk in my pockets. 
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Quoted: Quoted: I absolutely hate stuff in my pockets. I do everything I can to lessen whats in there. You should get a multi-tool on your belt. I am the exact opposite. I hate pouches on my belt for EDC, but have no problem at all carrying junk in my pockets. I'm moving to pouches on my belt after years of loading up my pockets like a woman's purse. I've been noticing a lot of pain in my leg–– like a burning rash or something, but couldn't find any outward traces. Then I noticed that the sore spot also didn't have any hair  Then I noticed that it was right under where my pocket rests. So I've apparently been trying to wear a hole in my leg with all the shit I carry around on a daily basis! |
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Quoted: What do you guys recommend for a small key chain tool. Just something I KNOW ill have on me all the time. I was thinking about the gerber shard. http://www.gerbergear.com/Essentials/Tools/Shard-Keychain-Tool_31-000400 Its allowable on airplanes and blends in with your keys, i really like that. I see theres some going for like $150. thats a big negative! I want something around this price but reliable. what are you guys are using/like? I normally love my Gerber stuff. I have the "Artifact" (not too different from the Shard, only has a folding exacto-knife blade on it.) If it's the same materials and engineering, here's what you'll find: - the "bottle opener" won't fit under the lip of bottle caps because it's not sharp or long enough. - the Phillips head will be lopsided, rounded, and useless for all but poking you in the thigh - the pry fork will be good for loose staples - the flathead feature will sorta work, but mostly will be unused - it'll get more attention than it should (even with no blade) at the airport In all, the Gerber tools are not on my list of stuff to get for the keychain when it wears out. Some of the suggestions elsewhere in the thread look promising. But, I find even though I have one LED light on one keychain, that a second would be useful. If you need tools, get a multi-tool instead.
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I absolutely hate stuff in my pockets. I do everything I can to lessen whats in there. You should get a multi-tool on your belt. I am the exact opposite. I hate pouches on my belt for EDC, but have no problem at all carrying junk in my pockets. I'm moving to pouches on my belt after years of loading up my pockets like a woman's purse. I've been noticing a lot of pain in my leg–– like a burning rash or something, but couldn't find any outward traces. Then I noticed that the sore spot also didn't have any hair Then I noticed that it was right under where my pocket rests. So I've apparently been trying to wear a hole in my leg with all the shit I carry around on a daily basis!
I use a Maxpedition Micro EDC organizer to keep things from banging around in my pocket and jabbing into my leg. 
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You know I don't even know who makes the thing I carry on my pack through TSA lines. I picked it up at a trade show for free. Its basically a can opener with a screw driver tip on it.
I leave it chained on the outside of my pack in plain sight. The point being it was FREE and if they take it, I'm not out any money. Half the stuff mentioned in this thread (those with knife blades) travel enough, it'll end up in a trash bin. Heck any of this stuff, you catch a TSA guy having a bad day or on a power trip, it will be gone. On this stuff, you need to play the game. For example, I carry heavy metal pens. I'm talking a downright spike as a weapon. I have one with a built in LED light, I'm patriotically fond of. During the no fire making ban, I carried matches which don't show up on Xrays. (Man did I have more than a few Bic lighters taken during those days.). During the scissors ban, I carried these hard plastic scissors that was as sharp as a knife and once more didn't show up on Xray and if they did, they were technically plastic. The carryon toiletries, hell I put my entire shaving kits in one of those plastic bags. I'm not talking just the fluids, everything comb, brush, razor, everything. There's so much, they just don't even look at it. I was in the air the morning of 9/11, in the air the next day planes flew, and have been since. The abuses I saw, I had not one but two letter to the editor published, and even got one guy not only fired but prosecuted. (I actually missed my flight that time because I dared speak out about someone else being actually sexually molested in public.) I saw things I never thought I'd see in the US, things that make the TSA now look good. What I learned foremost is they know they have you and unless you want to miss your flight, you will comply. Missing a flight is a scary thing to most people, those on schedules and especially those really not accustomed to travel. Other than my personal electronics, I don't travel with anything period that if taken would be a hardship to me or I'd really care. I've watched them take hundreds of dollars perfume from little ole ladies and bottles from bablies. They aren't going to give a shit about me. Tj Tj Story Time "Baby Bottle". During yet another of those TSA transitions from insane to not as insane, I was going though a security line with a nice looking young mother, baby in arm, when I hear "I'm sorry, you can't take this unless I see you drink from it." Shocked, the young mother almost in tears says, "............but its breast milk". The young TSA guy is not sympathetic, "No exceptions." he says and goes on to tell her their pat line of throw it away or go back and ship it etc. I speak up in a loud, loud enough to be heard by everyone but not angry voice, "I'll drink that breast milk for you, MAM! 
As the TSA manager ran over to where we were, the look on everyone's face was priceless. My point is if they can feel up a hot blond, take turns running in the back room to see the Xray camera when a girl goes through, and take a bottle of breast milk from a baby, they can damn sure take your favorite toy. Tj |
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[/quote] I use a Maxpedition Micro EDC organizer to keep things from banging around in my pocket and jabbing into my leg. http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/blt2drg/Gunbroker/DSC03661.jpg [/quote] Pretty slick. What else is in there that we can't tell from the picture? |
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I use a Maxpedition Micro EDC organizer to keep things from banging around in my pocket and jabbing into my leg. http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/blt2drg/Gunbroker/DSC03661.jpg [/quote] Pretty slick. What else is in there that we can't tell from the picture?[/quote] Thank you! Theirs a small note pad, $50 in small bills, and a basic first aid kit in the 2 pockets behinds everything. Theirs also a couple hand wipes in the little mesh pocket on the outside. The whole thing is about the size of a small camera case and weighs 13 ounces. Its worked out great for me. Heres a pic for size reference. 
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