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 daily, and even if you could tolerate the weight, lugging one around could give people the wrong impression about your intentions.
Many people resort to using their EDC knives to wedge things open in a pinch without a pry bar. Not only can that ruin your knife, but it could also injure you. Thankfully, more than a few compact, dedicated pry tools are available for your everyday carry. This guide will highlight some of our favorite EDC pry bars that you can pick up today.
An EDC pry bar has to have the appropriate tool at one of its ends to fulfill its essential function. All others are secondary, but as many functions as can be placed in a compact tool without making it too big for EDC are welcome. Common features include a bottle opener, screwdriver, a bit driver, a hex wrench, and occasionally a knife blade.\
Length and Weight
You want an EDC pry bar that’s not so big for EDC that you can’t justify carrying it around unless you pry things open regularly. The length of the tool determines its pocketability. But a too small tool will be difficult to use as an effective pry tool for heavy-duty use, so you will want to find a happy medium that’s easy to EDC.
Grip
Most EDC pry tools are single-piece steel or titanium items with bare metal handles. Some integrate handle scales for added grip in wet conditions. Others have slightly more ergonomic designs that let you leverage the tool to accomplish big tasks despite the size. And if there’s a lanyard or keychain hole at the rear, it becomes easy to use those things as an extension of the tool's grip despite its size.
Material
Stainless steel or titanium comprise the metals used in most everyday carry multitools. Steel has more durability, but it comes with the cost of added weight and bulk in your pockets. Titanium is a popular material for EDC gear, and its use allows larger tools a lighter weight that’s easier to manage.
Price
EDC pry tools can run the gamut from affordable keychain accessories that can do some pry functions to one-of-a-kind handmade and hand-finished tools that can become quite expensive. It’s up to you to choose how much you want to spend on the tool. Whether a pry tool works is a purely practical concern, but sometimes you might want to pick a more expensive tool for its aesthetics or added features rather than its base performance as a pry tool.
The CIVIVI Ti-Bar is a highly compact (1.75”) keychain pry tool with full titanium construction. Ostap Hel designed this EDC multi-tool in collaboration with CIVIVI. And with the Ti-Bar on hand, as it lets you cut, scrape, pry, peel, and open without taking too much space.
The Gerber Lockdown is a fully-featured pry bar multitool built around having a pry bar rather than a pair of pliers. It has a 2.75” plain edge folding knife that locks into place. Also included are scissors, a replaceable craft utility blade, and a file with a chisel edge. The practical tool assortment lets you use the proper tools for the job rather than trying to use the knife to do everything. And with its deep carry pocket clip and smart looks, it is an excellent daily driver EDC pry tool.
The Olight Opry features a high-strength TC4 titanium alloy construction. Its smooth appearance comes with a pocket clip and a happy face design for EDC-friendly carry. Aside from the pry tool, the Opry comes with a bottle opener, hex wrench, screwdriver, and a measuring ruler. It's also lightweight and convenient, weighing only 1.94 ounces in your pockets.
The Gerber Chonk is a simple and reliable EDC pry tool that provides more sturdy leverage than others on this list. Part of that practical advantage comes from the micarta handle overlay. The Chonk includes a pry bar, nail puller, wire cutter, and bottle opener. There's also a small and large flathead slotted screwdriver at the tip. And despite its versatility, the Gerber Chonk is still pocketable at 4 inches long.
The WE Knife Gesila is a uniquely milled and elegant EDC titanium pry bar tool. Its relatively simple yet beautiful design features a pry tool at the front and a bottle opener at the rear. The rear lanyard hole increases your carry options for EDC convenience. The included side clip also adds security when carrying this tool in your pockets as you do your daily chores.
The Gerber Prybrid is the preferred pry tool for anyone who regularly opens lots of boxes and packaging. Its standout feature is the replaceable contractor's utility knife blade at the front. The pry tool at the rear also operates as a flathead screwdriver, scraper, and bottle opener. There's also a substantial amount of grippy G10 handle scales, ensuring easy and secure operation even when your hands get wet.
The Twosun TS-EDC04 features a sturdy single-piece construction made of TC4 titanium metal. Its beefy body won't bend at first use like inferior tools on the market. At the center of the device, there are also three sizes of hex wrenches. The large ring at the rear also adds defensive application in an emergency.
The Kershaw PT-2 is a compact, 3.25” two-sided multitool featuring a widgy pry bar and bottle opener on 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 keep the overall tool featherweight at just 0.8 ounces, making it easy to carry with its key ring.
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 other gear, and you can attach it to your keys via the hole at the top of the tool. It's available in three different materials: brass, titanium, and stainless steel, so you can choose the one that most fits your aesthetic.
The CRKT Pry Cutter features a unique replaceable circular cord cutter at the top of the tool. It also includes storage for a standard hex screwdriver bit. There's a compatible screwdriver bit holder at the top as well. The stainless steel construction stands up to hard use. And aside from the pry bar itself, there are also three hex wrenches and a bottle opener for when you have to unwind after a long day.
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.
The T&P Ti-Breaker features a chunky heavy-duty one-piece 6AL4V grade 5 titanium construction. But despite its size and sturdiness, this EDC pry tool is still lightweight at just 1.23 ounces. It's also only four inches long, with a deep carry pocket clip for carrying anywhere with discretion.
The Amsler Knives HR Micro Pry bar is a custom handmade, compact, and lightweight skeletonized metal pry bar made of a single piece of super-tough 3V stainless steel or premium zirconium. Amsler accommodates keychain carry with the rear lanyard at the top of the tool. For added convenience, Amsler also includes rubber o-rings for neck carry.
The Lynch Northwest All Access Pass v2.5 Pry Bar is an attractive small-batch EDC pry tool. This fully-machined and hand-finished tool includes many flourishes, but it's hard to get, so you will need to keep your eye on drops to make one part of your EDC. It features an aesthetic face feature and engraved designs in its 6AL-4V titanium construction.
Joseph Vero designed the Vero Engineering Fulcrum with a unique full titanium minimalist look. It comes with a magnetic screwdriver bit holder compatible with Wiha micro bits. The Fulcrum comes with Torx 6, T8, T10, Philips cross, and slotted bits for EDC convenience. There's also a pocket clip for security on the move, and the tool comes in raw, black, blackwash, and an attractive Damascus treatment.
The TEC Accessories Ti-Pry tool features a slim yet rugged construction with a tungsten carbide glass breaker at the back. The tungsten carbide glass breaker can break through safety glass and windshields. Aside from the pry tool, it includes such EDC essentials as a box/package opener, a scraper, a glass breaker, a screwdriver, and a scribe. And with its lower weighing less than half an ounce it won't be too hefty on the pockets.
The Glow Rhino Tritium Pry Bar has its most unique feature in its name. The embedded tritium inlay makes it easy to identify this tool in the dark and adds a bit of one-of-a-kind flair to the pry bar. The Glow Rhino is TSA-compliant for easy travel EDC convenience, and it features a rugged minimal titanium design that’s sturdy and rust-resistant.
Why do you need a pry bar in your everyday carry kit?
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?
No, a crowbar integrates a hook and a pry tool in one large tool. A pry bar is a flatter, usually split tool at the end of a pry bar.
What is a lady foot pry bar used for?
Lady foot pry bars are used to pry and force things open in small areas and tight conditions. The reverse side is used for alignment work.
What are the benefits of using a pry bar?
Pry bars let you separate, scrape, and pull apart items that are difficult to open or manipulate. They also allow you to avoid using your EDC knife for that purpose, risking injury and breakage.
How we picked
Decades of experience and deep connections in the everyday carry industry give us a unique viewpoint on the market to inform our product recommendations. We have the depth of information for thousands of products that have come before and an extensive eye on the market to see what’s new and trending for each piece of gear. The result is a buying guide that we feel is informative and useful for EDCers of every trade, industry, and budget.
What is Everyday Carry?
Everyday Carry is both the concept of what people carry in their pockets and the process of picking out gear that thoughtfully considers what one wants or needs in their daily lives. It encompasses everything from style to preparedness to utility, meaning an entire industry full of valuable tools and essentials to choose from.
Why you should trust us
Our team has decades of combined experience in all aspects of everyday men’s essentials, from wallets to pens to bags and everything in between, and we know where to find great gear ideas that you may not come across at your local stores or when shopping online. Our expertise with the industry and familiarity in design, materials, and usability help you make more informed choices when it comes to picking up your next piece of gear.
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