The 10 Best Pry Tools in 2019/2020
When you need to pry things apart or gain access to closed spaces, there's really only one tool for the job: a pry bar. But traditional pry bars are usually too big to carry every day, and even if you could tolerate the weight, lugging one around could give people the wrong impression about your intentions. In the absence of a pry bar, a lot of people resort to using their EDC knives to wedge things open in a pinch. Not only can that ruin your knife, it could also get you injured in the process. Thankfully there's more than a few compact, dedicated pry tools available for your everyday carry. In this guide, we'll highlight some of our favorite EDC pry bars that you can pick up today.
Gerber Shard
The Gerber Shard is one of the most ubiquitous pry tools carried by the community today. It's incredibly simple in design, and compact enough to fit easily on your keys via the lanyard hole at the rear of the tool. The tiny pry bar section works well for light wedging, and for use as a light package opener, and the tool itself also includes a bottle opener, wire stripper, and a flathead screwdriver for your convenience.
Gerber Mullet
If you're a fan of the Shard, but you want more versatility with what you can do with the tool and how you can carry it, the new Gerber Mullet is made just for you. At 3” long, it has slightly more length than the Shard, giving you a bit more material to leverage when you use the primary pry tool. The increased length also gives more space for the various drivers and openers included in the tool. The large hole at the center allows for lanyard or keychain carry, but the integral hook on the Mullet lets you hang the tool on a belt loop (with your keys along with it).
Titaner Multitool Pry Bar
The Titaner is precision-machined out of grade 5 titanium, and aside from the combination pry bar and flathead driver at the front, it stands out from most tools in this list by including an assortment of metric hex wrenches. There's also space included for a standard hex bit as well, secured by rubber bands, letting you further extend the tool. Plus, it has an attractive stonewashed look that's great when carried in hand, as well as on your keys or around your neck via the integral lanyard hole.
MecArmy EH3
At first glance, the MecArmy EH3 looks like a carabiner, but it also functions as a pry bar wedge tool. While it isn't rated to bear the load of your bodyweight, you can use the swing-gated carabiner function to organize your keys or attach the tool to the rest of your gear as well. It's available in both titanium and copper metal, to fit both your needs and your style.
Keyport MOCA
By itself, the Keyport MOCA is a sleek minimalist multitool that integrates a pry bar with hex wrenches, a ruler, and a cord cutter while maintaining a TSA-friendly design that you should be able to fly with anywhere. But when integrated into Keyport's Pivot key organizer, you can further streamline your pocket EDC for maximum convenience. You can also opt to carry it on your own standard keychain as well, if you choose.
Kershaw PT-2
The Kershaw PT-2 is a compact, 3.25” two-sided multitool featuring a widgy pry bar and bottle opener one one end, and a flathead driver, wire scraper, and cap lifer on the other. At the center, there's a glass-filled nylon handle for added grip, and three hex wrenches that also help to keep the overall tool featherweight at just 0.8 ounces in total.
GearInfusion EverRatchet
You might know the EverRatchet more for the namesake feature of the tool: the ratcheting wrench at the center of the tool. And that unique functionality makes this a compelling pick if you're also looking for a pocketable keychain pry tool, as it includes one as well. It's available in your choice of stainless steel or premium precision-machined titanium, which has a durability that'll let you carry the EverRatchet far into the future.
Griffin Pocket Tool XL
The Griffin Pocket Tool's inherently simple and minimalist design belies its versatility, as it packs 11 different multi-tool essentials, including a bottle opener, assorted wrenches, and the ever-handy pry tool at the end of its design. The nature of its clip also lets you attach it to your belt loop or to other gear, and you can attach it to your keys as well via the hole at the top of tool. It's available in three different materials: brass, titanium, and stainless steel, so you can choose the one that most fits your aesthetic.
CRKT Pryma
The CRKT Pryma might look a bit complicated, but its design is made to help you leverage it as a pry tool to the best of your ability while still being pocketable. The wings near the carabiner section let you get a full grip on the tool with your hands, and the angled tip of the tool lets you get it into smaller places to start wedging things apart. And the pointed tip, while not sharp, helps you pierce through thin objects or cut through light packaging in a cinch. And as an added benefit, it's designed to help you punch through glass in an emergency situation.
CountyComm Titanium Widgy Pry Bars
If you want a simple, no-frills pry bar that does one job and does it well, consider the CountyComm Widgy Pry Bars. They are small, pocketable pry bars that do just that; purpose-made tools for getting your prying and wedging done without the bulk of a large industrial pry bar. They're easy to set and forget on any keychain setup as a handy backup to spare your knife blade.
Do you carry a pry tool in your EDC? Let us know your favorite in the comments below!
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