Whether it’s part of your job or you end up unboxing new gear you get in the mail more than you’d like to admit, opening up cardboard boxes ranks high on our list of daily tasks. Naturally you’d want to reach for your trusty EDC knife, but sometimes it isn’t the best tool for the job. Cardboard can dull an edge all too quickly, not to mention the packing tape residue gunking up the blade, rendering your knife less useful for making precise, sharp cuts. And sometimes, you might end up in a place where carrying a blade isn’t even allowed. It’s times like these when a non-bladed opener tool can come in handy. In this guide, we’re highlighting some tools that can tackle tacky tape and much more to complement your EDC.
Lansky Roadie
The Roadie integrates eight different essential functions into its small design, and there’s enough pointed edges at the tip of the tool to help you get through most packaging. But if you still prefer a knife to open up packaging, the Roadie can help you sharpen it after it gets dull because it comes with a carbide pull-through sharpener at the top near the carabiner swing gate for your keys.
CRKT Pryma
The Pryma is a compact 3.2” multitool designed in collaboration with Jesper Voxnaes. At its tip is a beveled pry bar that can also work as a box opener, scraper, and screwdriver. A hex wrench with three different sizes and a bottle opener are also found built into the frame.
MecArmy FL10
The FL10 is a combination EDC multitool and LED flashlight that helps you consolidate your carry. It features a rugged TC4 titanium design that’s easy to carry thanks to the swing-gate carabiner and lanyard attachment point built into the design. And at the tip, near the business end of the flashlight, there’s an angled strike bezel that you can use to break through packaging.
Gerber Shard
The Gerber Shard is one of the most popular tools in this category. It has a useful design that mixes a bottle opener, pry bar, and screwdriver in a small keychain-sized tool. The pointed parts of the tool also make for easy opening of cardboard boxes and packaging.
Leatherman Brewzer
You can tell by its very name and the beer bottle lanyard hole built into the design that the primary function of this keychain tool is to help you crack open a cold one. But the mini pry bar at the top really does excel at breaking through tape when it’s time to work instead of play.
Tactica M100
Unlike the rest of the tools in this list, the Tactica M100 features a non-bladed design made mostly of lightweight composite material. And on one of the edges is a dedicated hook for opening up tape and packaging. There’s a plethora of additional uses for this tool, which explains why its initial crowdfunding run ended up one of the most successful EDC projects upon delivery.
Keyport MOCA
The MOCA fits 10 different functions into a small shape that’s compatible with Keyport’s own minimalist key holder. But most pertinent for us is the hooked box opener at the tip that is designed entirely for helping you cut through packages. It’s made of hardened 420 stainless steel and is TSA-friendly so you should be able to take it with you when you’re traveling.
KnifeGuys Impact
If you’re looking for a tool that inspires confidence, the Knifeguys Impact Tool does the job well. It’s a solid piece of 6Al4V titanium built into a wrench-like shape. At the tip there’s a prybar and nail puller that you can also use to open boxes. The tip can drive flathead screws, rounding out its utility.
Prometheus Episilon EKO
For more discreet carry, the key-shaped design of the EKO is ideal. It’s a one-piece tool built to the same dimensions as an everyday house key, but made entirely of grade 5 titanium. It has a beveled edge that helps you open boxes and cut through tape, but it isn’t actually sharp to the touch, making it safe for pocket carry and travel.
EOS Mini Ti Shark
True to its name the Mini Ti Shark features a set of jagged teeth guarded within a mouth shape that also serves as a bottle opener. That, paired with the combination screwdriver and pry bar tip, should get your through most packaging with ease. It’s a one-piece titanium design that has a vague face structure, complete with a small hex wrench near the tip that serves as the eyes. For ease of carry, there’s a clip on the side, and a lanyard hole at the bottom.
If you’d still rather open boxes the old fashioned way, check out our guide to EDC-worthy utility blades for more gear options.
