Gerber Shard Keychain Tool - Silver [30-001501] Pack of 1

Product Information

A lot of people will say that Leatherman pays closer attention to detail, but Gerber still produces excellent tools. Many of their top products are still made right in Oregon by American manufacturing, something a lot of EDC enthusiasts prefer. Granted it cannot replace a dedicated screwdriver with a long handle, but for those minor tasks like tightening or loosening an exposed screw, it works excellent. In conclusion, the Gerber Shard has proven to be a worthy companion for the minimalist outdoor aficionado. It’s a testament to how a humble piece of metal can embody the spirit of readiness, offering a blend of practicality and unassuming reliability. Its shortcomings are overshadowed by its ability to be a silent, yet capable partner in the face of minor adversities, making it a solid entrant in the realm of one-piece multi-tools. The box cutter/scoring tool work very well, one of the best out of the tools we reviewed. It does unfortunately make it unsuitable for frequent travelers but overall is a good feature. The bottle opener is somewhat difficult to use just because of the angle of the tool but always works in the end. Frequent complaints include the screwdriver being just slightly too wide to use on standard screws.

The diamond-coated file was a handy tool to sharpen my blades on the go, a useful trait when out in the wild. The ruler markings along the edge of the outer handles were a modest but handy feature, aiding in small measurement tasks. The pry bar and nail puller both work well enough. One thing we really like is the raised wedge on the underside of the puller that gives you additional leverage when getting started. You’re not going to be pulling free any large diameter nails with it but you can definitely pop up heavy duty building staples and standard nails. The bottle opener was unfortunately less impressive. Like many of the tools we’re reviewing here it doubles as the carabiner/keychain hole and you can see the compromises they made there. It works, but you’ll probably need to try more than once. Gerber clearly wanted to make the MP600 a tool anyone could use, but we feel they made some significant compromises to do so. The tools themselves have well, interesting, designs. There is also no version that comes standard with a removable bit driver. You have to buy aftermarket accessories for that. Don’t get us wrong though, the MP600 is a well made multi tool with a lot to like about it. Gerber initially released the Shard as a trade show giveaway with no plans to sell it to the general public. As photographs of the Shard made their way out on the internet, public demand to get a production version produced grew. Finally, Gerber caved and decided to make the Shard for sale. You need a pry bar to have the right tool for the right job, specifically prying and opening tasks. Using a different tool can risk the tool's and the user's damage or safety. Are crowbars and pry bars the same?

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We also need to point out the little grooves along the sides of the Shard. They’re there to help you grip the Shard while using any of the drivers or the pry bar. We’ve definitely appreciated how you can get a nice firm hold while using the Shard—something we haven’t always found with other multi-tools. Gerber Shard Grips Well, the acronym tells it all — Keyring Emergency Rescue Tool. The name guides the design philosophy. Overall, the Gerber Shard has become an important travel tool in our arsenal. After two years on the road, it’s still holding up nicely with only a few minor blemishes to speak of. Other tools are small but well chosen, and all are inside-access only (so the tool must be unfolded to access them.) One handle holds a medium Flat/Philips driver, a pair of tweezers, and a bottle opener/small screw driver. The other handle has a small clip point blade in 420HC, a medium straight screwdriver, and a nail file/nail cleaner. There’s also ruler demarcations on the handle if you need to measure something shorter than 4.7” long. The handle with the tweezers has a built in keyring loop with a small split ring to mount to your keys. The tool set on the Micra is more similar to a Swiss Army knife than to a typical Leatherman product, but they’re all useful things for day to day life, and the whole tool takes up very little space when folded. The Style PS is a great little tool designed for frequent travelers and those who often find themselves in secured buildings. It doesn’t have any blade on it at all, just a small pair of scissors, tweezers, and a nail file. Compared to the Gerber Dime it has a lot less functionality but is still an excellent specialized tool.

Multitool often conjures up a specific type of look in the mind’s eye. And the Dime…well, it likely looks like what you imagine. Both Leatherman and Gerber produce high-quality multi-tools. Leatherman is known for its durable construction, premium materials, and excellent craftsmanship. Gerber also offers reliable multi-tools that are designed to withstand rugged use. Ultimately, the choice between the two may come down to personal preference and specific tool requirements. At 1.0625″ wide and with a large lanyard hole for it’s 2.75″ long body, the Shard is a solid piece of [Gerber mystery] stainless steel that has become an EDC favorite for many. At only 0.6 ounces in weight, it boasts 7 functions and easily fits into your keychain EDC setup. Durable Construction: The titanium oxide coated stainless steel body withstands regular use and outdoor rigors.Remember, while Leatherman and Gerber are popular brands, there are other reputable manufacturers that produce quality multi-tools as well. Exploring different options and considering your specific needs will help you find the perfect multi-tool for your camping, hiking, and survival adventures. Conclusion We’ve previously covered the Center Drive, you can get a more in depth look at it here. The Gerber Center Drive product picture To avoid that situation altogether, here are some of the best TSA-friendly tools that you can take with you on your next trip. Overall this is a good multi tool at a reasonable price, but the best one piece multi tool available? We’re not sure about that. It’s large compared to many other tools and while it does provide a lot of features they don’t all work as well as they should.

The Gerber Shard consists of seven different tools in one: a pry bar, small flathead driver, wire stripper, larger flathead driver, bottle opener, lanyard hole, and Philips head (or cross driver, as the folks at Gerber refer to it as). And, despite its small size, it excels at doing all of these (although, is lanyard hole really a feature something can excel at?). Gerber Shard In Detroit One piece multi tools are frequently written off by ‘serious’ tool guys as toys. It’s true they aren’t nearly as functional as full size versions but they’re small and portable enough that you can be sure you’ll always have them on you.

Features & Usage

The Dime seems to give more than the Micra does. We found the Micra to have a sleeker appearance, better build quality, and generally more useful tools. This is especially true of the scissors. At keychain tool sizes scissors make more sense for a main tool. The Leatherman Micra product picture The Gerber Crucial uses a more classic design but does some weird things with its shape. There aren’t any straight lines to be found on the Crucial, something that makes getting a firm grip difficult. Gerber chose to put standard phillips and flathead screwdrivers on the Crucial, another mark against it. It’s half an inch shorter overall than the Skeletool but we honestly think Gerber really compromised its overall usefulness to achieve this. It’s not going to replace the Craftsman in your garage, but it does work well with average, household screws that need tightening or loosening here and there.

Leatherman understands their market, they know what their customers want, and they provide it. How many companies exist nowadays with that kind of dedication and focus? If you’re looking for just about the best multi tools available, whatever your budget, you can’t go wrong with a Leatherman. Features include spring-loaded needle-nose pliers and an internal wire cutter. Small handles greatly benefit from the spring-loaded design, making gripping and ripping pretty easy. In addition, you won’t have to manipulate the small handles here constantly. The Gerber Center Drive took the slide out plier system in use on most of Gerber’s full sized multi tools and added a purpose built center axis bit driver. The goal was to create something capable of fully replacing pliers and screwdrivers in the handyman’s toolbox. Overall they did a pretty good job with it. The pliers work as well as any of their multi tools and the driver is actually a pretty nice innovation.Can openers on keychain tools aren’t known for their prowess, but I can’t claim it took much difficulty — time, sure, but there’s no difficulty to it. It’s a solid bottle opener! This earned the top spot as our number one bottle opener as well. I even opened a can of kidney beans with the can opener. Next we’ll look at the Leatherman Squirt PS4. The Squirt and the Dime have very similar tool loadouts. The Dime does beat out the Squirt with its inclusion of tweezers and a useful little box cutter. One thing we really like about the Dime when compared to the Squirt are the removable torx bolts instead of rivets used in its construction. It’s a small thing, but we like being able to take apart our tools for regular cleanings. The CRKT K.E.R.T. gives users a very specialized tool, but, unlike the other tools on this list, the K.E.R.T. is not designed for a whole ton of different EDC tasks. A big reason to carry a Shard is the bottle opener. It works flawlessly every time. Enjoying a local Fort Worth, Texas beer, Rahr & Sons Texas Red.