The Gerber Shard: Funky and Utilitarian
Overview
The Gerber Shard is a small key sized every day carry (EDC) multi-tool. It has unique and out of the ordinary look, and yet still has a lot of function for a single piece of metal. It's corrosion resistance and boasts 7 tools that can be used from the entire piece. Although I think the 7 "tools" is a bit of an exaggeration, I still think it is a tool that will impresss your friends and is easy to carry on your key chain. The best part is that it can be found in multiple colors (black and silver) and it cost less than $8. Below are some pictures that will direct you on where you can by the shard. Now let's get into the details.
The Gerber Shard is a small key sized every day carry (EDC) multi-tool. It has unique and out of the ordinary look, and yet still has a lot of function for a single piece of metal. It's corrosion resistance and boasts 7 tools that can be used from the entire piece. Although I think the 7 "tools" is a bit of an exaggeration, I still think it is a tool that will impresss your friends and is easy to carry on your key chain. The best part is that it can be found in multiple colors (black and silver) and it cost less than $8. Below are some pictures that will direct you on where you can by the shard. Now let's get into the details.
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Non- Physicals
The Shard is stainless steel with titanium nitride coating, so rust is not something you have to worry about. Like most Gerber Products, this tool has a lifetime warranty, so if it breaks, you could get a replacement (although I don't see that happening). Another thing that they inform the consumer on is it is safe to take on an Airplane, which is reassuring because it looks like a scary metal claw. It reaches up to 2.75 inches in length, which is one of my biggest gripes about it, because if it were slightly smaller, it would be less obvious you were carrying it around. |
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Flat Heads (-)
As you can probably tell, the Shard has two flat head screw drivers, with one being slightly bigger than the other. The biggest concern I had is that when I used one of the flatheads, the other would scrap around where I was using, however, that did not end up happening because they appear to not be parallel. Other than that, the flat heads work as one would expect. |
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Phillips (+)
The coolest thing about this keychain EDC (besides its looks) is the Philips screw driver. I was pretty unsure how it would perform being that it is built into a flat piece of metal, but it works very very well. Obviously, it will not work on all Philips screw sizes, but it fits most of the standard sizes around the house. |
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Bottle Opener
As I mentioned before, the Shard has pretty badass look and a lot of that has to do with the bottle open forming somewhat of a claw with the two flathead screw drivers. Although it looks cool, the bottle opener in my opinion is not great, which many could say is expected because it only has one point of contact and the shard is relatively thin. All this means is you typically will have to pry the bottle opener a couple times to remove the cap, which isn't the end of the world. |
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Wire Strippers
This is where the "7 functions" gets a little iffy for me. The area between the two flathead screw drivers is said to be wire strippers. I'm sure with practice you could get pretty good at stripping wires with this, but I personally just ended up breaking the wire (and stripping it some) when I attempted to use it. I think this notch could be used for something else a little more obvious. |
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Pry Bar
The "wire strippers" paired with the bent portion of the Shard (the Pry Bar) make a way to pull out nails. Although, because they seem to be wire stripper focused, I think the angle of attack is pretty steep for pulling out nails, so I often used the flathead screw drive to get started. Obviously the pry bar can be used for prying open other small things, but don't expect much since the shard isn't long enough to gain much leverage. |
Lanyard Hole
The seventh function on this shard is the Lanyard Hole, or a key ring hole, which is what I use in conjunction with this hole. Not sure I would call this a function, but it is useful for when you need to attach it to something.
The seventh function on this shard is the Lanyard Hole, or a key ring hole, which is what I use in conjunction with this hole. Not sure I would call this a function, but it is useful for when you need to attach it to something.
Conclusion
In summary, I think it’s a useful and really cool looking multi-tool that is great for someone's keychain. Priced at $5 - $8 on Amazon or the Gerber store it makes a great gift for someone or a splurge purchase without feeling guilty. Don't expect it to solve all you problems, but it does come in handy from time to time. Hope this help clear things up.
In summary, I think it’s a useful and really cool looking multi-tool that is great for someone's keychain. Priced at $5 - $8 on Amazon or the Gerber store it makes a great gift for someone or a splurge purchase without feeling guilty. Don't expect it to solve all you problems, but it does come in handy from time to time. Hope this help clear things up.
