Looking for good one piece tool? Recommendations?

jone

jone

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Dec 31, 2012
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I have some good EDC knives and enjoy carrying them but would like to add a one piece tool or small fixed blade (approx. 3 inches) to my keychain. Any recommendations? Thanks for your help!
 
I have spent quite some time looking for one piece tools recently! What kind of features are you looking for?

- for around 10 bucks or less you can get the Gerber Shard or Artifact and the Brewzer
- in the range of $15-30 there are e.g. the TT Pocket Tools (the Gen 3 skull is really great for that price!), Pocketwrench II, Schrade pry tool, Boker Access tool, Boker Toucan (by Jared Price)
- if you want something more special and handcrafted you probably have to spend a bit more, there is the Raker Ring Tool, tools from JDR tools and knife, Dalla Costa Fabio .... and of course the godfather of one piece tools: Peter Atwood ;)
 
Hey thanks for the info. Funny, I just ordered a TT Pocket tool gen 3 this afternoon. Excited about it. Saw the Boker Toucan and might get one of those too. Probably won't splurge for an Atwood piece unless I find a tool like this to be one I carry and use a lot. Do you have any of the tools you mentioned? I wanted to have a small cutting edge, pry tool/bar and screw driver. Anything else is bonus.
 
I got quite hooked so I do have have a couple of these toys! ;) The Gen 3 Skull is awesome, so small and so many functions! I also really like the raw bar style. It is definitely not the world's best bottle opener but it gets the job done.

I also have the Gerber shard, it is simple, light weight, very functional and the price beats most Chinese knock-off tools! Still, I dont really see a place for it on my keychain... I do not have an Atwood but I just ordered a mini Makemake from JDR. You certainly dont order this kind of tools just for practical reasons, I simply admire the style and like having something rather unique and handcrafted. Considering that, I think the prices are absolutely justified! Unfortunately I dont think Joshua is offering any bladed tools at the moment, but you could check out Dalla Costas pry tools which are also in the high quality/high price segment. Another keychain tool I have for a while now is the damascus version of the Raker Ring Tool. Damascus is of course not the best tool steel but it is a real beauty has been quite handy in the past as screw driver and to open boxes.

In the end it boils down to the question whether you look for the best deal - cheap and functional - or for something special that you will carry around for the next 10+ years. The rational thing to do would be to buy the Gerber shard as bladeless tool or the Boker Toucan as pry bar with blade. However, I dont see myself carrying the Gerber shard every day for the next 10 years but rather a JDR. From that point of view 80 bucks doesnt look that much. The TT pocket tools are probably a good compromise. I find them more appealing than the Gerber and Boker tools and they are still cheap enough so you dont feel too bad if you find something better and decide to switch. BTW it looks like the TT chopper is about to come back together with some new tools, might be worth checking them out...
 
I love the unique tool and I don't mind spending the money on a quality product that I will enjoy and want to carry. My family says I have expensive tastes, but if it is something I love, it's worth it. I appreciate your perspective. Do you know if there is a place to buy the Dalla Costas pry tools here in the states? I looked for a few minutes but didn't see much. Found their website but not much else. Those are some neat tools. I'd like to snag one. Thanks again for your time and replies. Enjoy your new JDR mini Makemake. He has some great tools.
 
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