Head to Head: Leatherman Brewzer vs. Gerber Shard

The Leatherman Brewzer and Gerber Shard are cool little keychain tools.  They both pack a good amount of functionality into a small, very portable frame.  But which one is better?

Price
The Shard is the clear winner in this category.  Currently on Amazon the Shard sells for $5.95, while the Brewzer is listed at $9.72.

Bottle Opener
Both the Brewzer and the Shard can function as bottle openers, though neither of them is as effective as a standard keychain bottle opener.  I've had times using both tools where it took multiple attempts to pop a bottle cap off.

Pocket Carry
Both tools are small enough to carry in your pocket or on your keychain.  The Brewzer gets the edge here, however, due to the Shard's cross driver point.  That point, which can also function as a box cutter or package opener, is sharp.  Sticking your hand in your pocket can often result in a poke and a few drops of blood when you're carrying the Shard on a keychain or loop.

Screwdrivers
The Brewzer has a wide, straight front edge that can very easily be used as a slotted screwdriver.  The Shard, on the other hand, has a forked front edge for its pry bar, that can also double as small- and medium-sized slotted drivers.  The different-sized drivers of the Shard are nice, but they have limited use because of their proximity to each other.  You won't be able to use them on many recessed screws, or screws very close to a wall or other protrusion, because the driver you're not using will get in the way.

However, the Shard does also include a rudimentary cross driver on its other end.  This driver can turn Phillips screws, and does a fairly good job of it.  The Shard wins by a little bit in this category.

Box Cutter
As a box cutter, cardboard cutter, or package opener, both of these tools are about equal, with the Brewzer being just the tiniest bit better.  The Shard's pointed cross driver makes the initial cut into cardboard much easier, but the Brewzer's slightly-hooked tip gives it better follow-through.

Pry Bar
The Brewzer's pry bar is much less pronounced than the Shard's.  The Brewzer's shape and design give it a decent grip when using the pry bar, which would be useful for small things.  However, the Shard's pry bar is much larger, is angled to allow for more leverage, and is also forked, so it can be used to remove nails (like the claw end of a hammer).  The Shard's pry bar easily beats out the Brewzer's pry bar.

Size
The two tools are very similar in size.  Amazon lists the Shard at 0.3 ounces, with dimensions of 3.1" x 1.3" x 0.6".  It lists the Brewzer as 0.5 ounces, with dimensions of 2" x 1.2" x 3".  However, when you hold the two tools, the Shard feels heavier.  The Shard has a larger footprint than the Brewzer, being both longer and wider, as well as more three-dimensional (because of the pry bar).  If you're looking for a more compact, lightweight pocket tool, the Brewzer wins that fight.

Usefulness
Both tools can be used as a bottle opener, slotted screwdriver, and pry bar.  The Brewzer has a couple of cut-outs that can be used as box or open wrenches to turn small nuts or bolts.  The Shard has a cross driver.  Both tools offer about the same amount of functionality, with the main differences being determined by what you need them to do.

Overall
Which tool is better than the other is very subjective, and depends heavily on what your main uses will be.  Overall, the edge goes to the Shard.  It's significantly cheaper than the Brewzer and offers more everyday usefulness, because of the presence of a cross/Phillips driver as well as the increased leverage you can get out of its pry bar.

Gerber Shard multi tool for under $3!

If you've been thinking about picking up a Gerber Shard keychain multi tool, now is definitely the time to do it.  This pry bar/cross driver/bottle opener/slotted driver/box cutter all in one usually sells on Amazon for about $6 or so... right now it's listed at $0.33 plus $1.99 shipping, for a total of $2.32 (plus any applicable tax).  There is no way this price will be good long-term, so if you're considering purchasing a Shard -- either for yourself or as a gift -- you'll probably never find a better price on it.  (Full review of the Shard can be found here.)

Keychain Multi Tool Deals on Amazon

Here are two small multi tools that have dropped in price on Amazon lately:

The Leatherman Brewzer typically sells for about $10 on Amazon.  It's a pretty good little keychain tool.  Right now it's offered at $7.78, so if you've had this one on your wish list, now is a great time to buy it.  That's the lowest price I've seen it for on Amazon.  (You can read my review of the Brewzer here.)

The Nite Ize DoohicKey is a similar tool to the Brewzer, but it also functions as a carabineer.  It's being listed right now for $3.98, when it typically sells for $5 or $6 (or more).

Tool Review: Wiha 34154 5.5mm Magnetic Nut Driver

Key Features:
 +   Strong magnet
 +   Contoured handle with good grip


If you're a Ricoh or Xerox technician, chances are good that you'll need a 5.5mm nut driver at some point.  The Wiha 34154 magnetic nut driver is a good one, and I highly recommend it -- especially if you're getting reimbursed for it so the cost doesn't come out of your pocket.

The 34154 is a longer driver, 360mm from the tip to the end of the handle.  It's great for reaching into tight places, and it's not overly heavy.  The handle is a soft plastic/rubber combination that provides good grip as well as good leverage.

The magnet in the nut driver is very strong.  It easily attracts 5.5mm screws, but you have to be careful when you put it down because the magnet will also easily pick up staples and other small metal objects, including developer particles.

I've had the same Wiha 5.5mm nut driver for almost 10 years now, and the only thing that's changed is that the handle looks slightly dirtier.  It still functions just as well, the magnet still works great (with the occasional quick dip in a magnetizer) and the handle still provides just as much grip.

The 34154 nut driver is the only 5.5mm nut driver I use, and if I needed to get a new one, I would buy the same model.  It is very reliable and dependable, which is what you need for a nut driver that gets used on a daily basis.  This nut driver can be purchased for $21.98 from Wiha, or $22.72 from Amazon.

Gerber Shard price drop on Amazon

The Gerber Shard is a handy little multi tool (full review here).  It typically sells for almost $6.00, but right now on Amazon you can get it for $3.85.  That's a good price for the tool you get -- bottle opener, two slotted drivers, cross driver, pry bar, wire stripper.  If you're at all considering buying this multi tool, this is probably the lowest price you'll see for a new one any time soon.

Tool Review: Wiha 38460 Magnetic Bit Holder

Key Features:
 +   Very strong magnet
 -   Does not hold up as well to rust as other drivers do


Being over 16" long, the Wiha 38460 magnetic bit holder is not a screwdriver most people will carry every day.  At around $20.00, you probably won't buy one until you think you'll need it.  But once you have it, it's a good screwdriver to hold onto and keep in your tool box for emergencies.

The shaft is made of CRM-72 steel, and while it holds up well to every day use, it does not hold up well over time to rust.  It lived in my car for many years, right next to a long Snap-On driver, and while the Snap-On driver showed no signs of rust, this Wiha driver grew many rust spots along the shaft.  Store it somewhere dry and it should be okay.  The handle, on the other hand, is very well-made and does not deteriorate over time.  It's a mixture of plastic and rubber in Wiha's signature black-and-red coloring that provides a good, solid grip.  I've had this driver for close to 10 years and the lettering on the handle looks just as bright and new as when I first got it.

The picture above is not to scale.  This driver has a 300cm (11.8") blade and measures 410mm (16.25") from end to end.  It provides a lot of leverage and is strong enough to stand up to heavy use.  It has a hexagon shaft that provides additional grip for your off hand.  The bit holder uses standard 1/4" bits.

This bit holder has a very strong magnet, stronger than most magnetic bit holders I've used.  It easily attracts and holds every screw I've used with it.  With Wiha tools, you can typically expect that they will be well-made, and this bit holder will do nothing to change your mind.

The Wiha 38460 magnetic bit holder currently sells for $19.19 from Crawford Tools, $19.95 from Amazon, and $22.58 directly from Wiha.

Wiha tool reviews

Bit Holders / Screwdrivers:
- Wiha 38460 Magnetic Bit Holder

Nut Drivers:
- Wiha 34154 5.5mm Magnetic Nut Driver