EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — If you are into collecting and using pocket knives, one of the most painful experiences is accidently breaking your blade by using it as a screwdriver, pry tool or some other function it just wasn’t made for.
Recently, I’ve become a big believer in having a separate prybar for those types of tasks where you just don’t want to risk damaging your blade — things like working on your camera, prying open a cabinet door or paint can or even prying apart pieces of some frozen meat you are planning to grill.
In fact, ordering a prybar was what made me initially start exploring the products made by flashlight and gear company Olight.
You may remember: I recently offered up my musings on a couple of miniature flashlights I received in my first order from that company. The verdict on them: Great value, great products that I use almost every single day.
But in that same order, I also got a prybar, a couple of miniature pens and a utility knife (box cutter).
Let’s take a look.
First up is the Opry 2 (You may remember, I told you they love to name everything with a letter “O”). This tool is made out of titanium alloy and is about 4 1/2 inches long and weighs a little less than 2 ounces. The size and weight make it perfect for everyday carry or EDC.
It has a tapered tip to use as a prybar, a built-in bottle cap opener and a built-in hex wrench. It can also be used as a straight-edge with measurements in inches and centimeters etched into one side. This last detail is super important for a guy like me, who can’t draw a straight line if my life depended on it.
What originally attracted me to this product actually has proven to be its one negative feature. It has a hidden compartment that stores three bits that are conveniently sized for working on knives or other everyday carry-type tools. At one end of the Opry, there is a small hole where the bits snap into place, turning it into a handy little pocket screwdriver (at least in theory).
But I have had some difficulty opening and closing the side door for this compartment and have also had one of the bits that wants to get lodged in there, it seems like every time.
Fortunately, I have found a Facebook group of Olight enthusiasts and was able to get some advice on how to get the bit dislodged (use one of the other bits to gently force down on one end of the stuck bit, forcing it to move and get “unstuck”). It’s a great group, full of knowledgeable Olight fans and enthusiasts willing to share their experience and expertise.
I’m hoping I can get the hang of this hidden bit driver feature and make use out of it with a little more practice and familiarity.
But overall, the prybar, bottle opener and straight-edge ruler will get their share of use. The jury is still on the bit driver component. We will see.
Oops, almost forget to mention the handy pocket clip that is attached to the backside of the prybar, making it super convenient to carry, almost like a companion to your pocket knife.
Also included in my first order was the Otacle (there’s that pesky letter “O” again) utility knife.
The Otacle utility knife is a little less than 3 1/2 inches long, just a bit wider than 1 1/4 inches and weighs in at 1.65 ounces.
Its handle comes in a variety of colors (mine is blue) and is made of carbon fiber and stainless steel.
If you use your imagination, the Otacle utility knife resembles a lion and the lion’s mouth can be used as a bottle opener (seems like everything has a bottle opener these days).
It also includes a 6.35 millimeter hex wrench and a slotted screwdriver and mini prybar.
The blade can lock into a closed position and can lock into a two open positions (halfway open, and fully open). I’ve tested it out on a couple of packages and it works great.
The one downside is it uses a utility blade that isn’t the most common. You can order replacement blades from Olight and I’ve heard you can find them at the big-chain home improvement retailers, but I haven’t fully researched that yet.
The final product I got from Olight were a couple of O’Pen Mini Portable Ballpoint Pens.
They are small (3.66 inches long) and light (weighing less than a half ounce), so they are super convenient and easy to conceal in a shirt pocket.
They have a pocket clip and use a bolt action design, which can be fun to fidget with and also prevents the pens from misfiring in your pocket and ruining your clothes.
One drawback: The replacement ink cartridges aren’t readily available and have to be ordered through Olight. But besides that, they are great pens. They regularly cost $12.99 but I got mine for about half that price by bundling gear together during the company’s most recent online sale.
So if I do lose them, it won’t be the end of the world.
Overall, I like the stuff I got from Olight, but it is really the flashlights that make me feel like I got a great deal. Absolutely love their lights and have become a big convert.
If you have any EDC questions or products you’d like me to check out, you can email me at dburge@ktsm.com.
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