Back in my fire and rescue days there was plenty of call for a pry tool, if I was not wearing my turnouts(classic fire resistant suit & helmet) where I kept a folding spanner with a pry edge I ended up breaking plenty of pocket knives and EMT shears.
These look pretty useful perhaps paired with a cyclist multitool.
OTOH if I rent a small plane I can take any damn thing the captain(me) permits “the captain has turned off the no pot smoking and bazooka lights!”.
I have a similar tool, the Wallet Ninja; I flew from SFO to Halifax and back recently. TSA passed it on through, but Canadian security scrutinized it. In Montreal, one agent knew what it was but asked me to take it out to show her co-worker. Toronto security had me pull it out, too, and took a hard look at it.
Nice!
Now please make it from beryllium to not be visible on xrays.
Been considering one of these as I find a leatherman a bit bulky for most of my needs. Does anybody actually own one and can report on the experience of owning it? Does it poke holes in pockets? Snag on stuff? Break inconveniently?
I’ve had a shard on my keychain for the last few years. I’ve never had an issue flying domestically or internationally. One thing to note is the Phillps driver is pretty small which limits its use somewhat. Still, it’s by far one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten.
I don’t think I’d want one made from beryllium.
Don’t grind it. It’s the dust that’s the problem, as bulk metal it is pretty harmless.
…reminds me I have to check if my small lathe (the too small AT125 one, I should’ve bought something bigger) fits my prototype glovebox… Could be handy for machining air-sensitive or unpleasant materials…
I’ve had one on my keychain for the last few years. I’m rough on my stuff and have had zero issues. It’s really solid. Really the only signs of wear is the finish itself, but it’s still black. I’m also currently wearing a pair of Prana shorts that have mesh pockets and I haven’t had any issues with it getting caught on the material.
EDIT: These pics are from today. I just took them to write this comment.
I’ve been using and loving my Swiss+Tech Utili-Key for several years without TSA incident. For my needs, I was happy to trade the pry bar for a small blade. It’s also super tiny, which is also a huge plus as I hate bulky keychains. Less than $10 on Amazon.
::snigger::
I had one of these for a while and never found the right job for the tool. Then I lost it.
Never tried to take it on a plane, but I did have P-38 can openers confiscated from my wallet by the TSA and at the courthouse when I had jury duty. I carried a credit-card sized knife sharpener from NC to San Francisco and back with no TSA problems. I wasn’t sure what to expect with that. On the one hand, it’s just a rectangular piece of steel with diamond grit. There is a limitless list of things that pose greater danger. On the other hand, it indicates the presence of something else that has a cutting edge, and they seem to frown on that.
I have something like the Wallet Ninja: it’s ridiculously heavy and not well designed in terms of holding it to use the various functions. It was a gift and I’ve never used it, but I am constitutionally unable to throw out any tool. No brand name anywhere, but it looks like this:
I am so voting for that to be an amendment!
Is it just me or does “Gerber Shard” sound like something that would perforate the baby’s intestines?
Technically, TSA prohibits crowbars/prybars of any size, so if the TSA person likes the look of your shard, it’s not making it through security.
Had one for years now. Never had a problem with security theater stealing it. Various multitools, however…
Mark sounds a little too comfortable with the inconsistent security theater that is the TSA.
Continue to be furious that these arbitrary restrictions exist, not gleeful that there’s a solution that (sort of) side-steps them (sometimes).
Perfect for the man who doesn’t mind having holes ripped in his pockets.
Whip out your sewing machine and reinforce the pockets.
