JDR Knife and Tool Baby Pacu

David Bowen · **on:** October 03, 2009, 05:26:05 PM

MAN! I feel like I am on fire! Alot get done when you have some free time and got alot on the back burner that needs to get done. Here hot off the press is another pry tool/gadget that will debut in the new section once the boss feels we have enough content to open it up. Read it and let me know what you fellows think, it has not been read by anyone other than myself. If you find any misspelling or something that does not makes sense let me know so I can fix it.

JDR Baby Pacu

With pry tools and pocket gadgets being all the rage these days, most folks look to the big guy Peter Atwood. There is however someone else who is very close in quality and can make the tool you want with a quick turn around time. Peter use to make tools on a as needed basis but he got so overwhelmed that he ended up doing runs of particular tools instead. Folks now had to wait till he would make another run of something, if in fact he ever did decide to make that model again. This is not the case with a fellow named Joshua Rice at JDR Knife and Tool. Joshua produces various kinds of both knives and tools and makes them to order out of his shop in Fischer, Texas.

Joshua has designed and made lots of tools out of Damascus, titanium and high end stainless steels such as S30V. His current choice of material is titanium due to its toughness and it lends itself to being a very light medium. When you browse the JDR site you are awe stuck by so many models and styles. For someone as young in the business as he is, he has quite a lot under his belt already. I will admit, his designs are not as far out there as Peter’s (i.e. wrench models) but Josh likes to focus most of his attention on pry tools and knives and less on something that has a gadget factor.

When I had to go and pick a model I would like to give a try out on, I chose the Baby Pacu 2.5. Besides the discontinued Hammerhead model I feel the Baby Pacu had the most to offer when choosing between size and available features. The Baby Pacu is a medium sized pry tool that features a real simplistic design incorporating a pry end and a bottle opener. The pry end can do most of the dirty work you would normally subject a pry tool to that you would not risk your pocket knife with. You can pry, scrape, wedge and lightly twist with the Baby Pacu and it still comes back for more. I say lightly twist because unlike steel pry tools (S30V) titanium is not very forgiving when it comes to a twisting motion. Josh recommends you don’t use it for this purpose or it will mar or misshape the end of the tool and he will have to fix the damage if you chose to have it repaired.

Ok so it can’t function as a screwdriver, kind of a bummer I know but it can’t pry with enough oomph to make up for its handicap. The bottle opener on any of the JDR models is simply perfection in steel. The bottle opener is designed somewhat different that current styles on the market, Josh incorporates a small chamfered hole offset from the main bottle opening area. This opening helps aid in gripping the edge of the bottle cap and when you go to pop the top it never slips, never resulting in having to try a second time. Josh’s bottle opener design is arguably the best design in use today on a pry tool and it’s so effective it darn near bends a bottle cap in half!

Last thing that makes the Baby Pacu a great tool is the weight. In either method of carry; on your key ring or in your pocket the tool rides real easy due to its reduced weight. I really don’t notice I have the tool on me until I need to use it, it’s really nice to not be so conscious of what tool you’re packing that particular day. The tool also features some really sweet jimping on the spine; some tools have small friction jimping or half moon cutouts like on some of the Atwood designs. The really nice jimping in conjunction with the not so buttery smooth edges gives you a real good grip when popping them bottle tops. The edges on JDR tools are not as rounded or smoothed out like on Atwood tools. This may seem like a drawback when it comes to a comfort level, but you actually will praise this rather than curse it. The non buttery smooth edge comes in real handy on the pry end of the tool. You can use the tool as an effective box opener, it splits tape seams with ease and you don’t need to bust out your pocket knife and get it all gummed up with tape residue.

In conclusion the JDR Baby Pacu is a real nice pocket pry tool in a convenient package. Only featuring the basic necessities and no added fluff, the tool is ready to get down and dirty and do the job it was created to do. The Baby Pacu can be had for price which is average for a custom pocket tool considering the time involved and the price of materials. You can check out the Baby Pacu and the rest of Joshua’s designs at jdrknifeandtool.com

David Bowen · **Reply #1 on:** October 03, 2009, 05:26:58 PM

More pics...

Pacu · **Reply #2 on:** October 03, 2009, 05:40:19 PM

oooo me want..

with a name like Pacu it's gotta be good

David Bowen · **Reply #3 on:** October 03, 2009, 05:48:55 PM

that is funny! Yea I think that tool would be PERFECT for you, does Josh have to pay you royalties for using your name?

Pacu · **Reply #4 on:** October 03, 2009, 05:52:22 PM

Did the name Pacu come from the amazon fish?.....mine did

That is some great work btw...come payday i'm gonna be looking hard at that site

David Bowen · **Reply #5 on:** October 03, 2009, 05:55:06 PM

Yea if you look at his site, alot of his tools have fish names, i.e. pryrana, hammerhead, beta, Behemothfish, Barracuda)

Sean · **Reply #6 on:** October 03, 2009, 06:14:09 PM

Although I don't own anything resembling that tool or atwood's in general I really love them! I'll 'av a
look at his site. I'm really stoked to grab a Shard when they come out.

eodtech · **Reply #7 on:** October 03, 2009, 06:34:28 PM

I have picked up 3 of the JDR Tools in trades over the past couple months

Quality work at a price point below Peter Atwood

Joshua's WWW site

JDR   Hammerhead – CPM S30V   3.0”
JDR   Pacu – CPM S30V   2.25”
JDR   Pryranha - Ti   2.5”

Freudian Frog · **Reply #8 on:** October 03, 2009, 07:03:26 PM

I've always loved looking at the JDR stuff. It seems a lot more comfortable, especially since he adds finger choils in some decent places. Didn't see any mention of that in the review?

Also...

Quote from: David Bowen on October 03, 2009, 05:26:05 PM

Ok so it can’t function as a screwdriver, kind of a bummer I know but it can’t pry with enough oomph to make up for its handicap.

I think you were going for "can".

David Bowen · **Reply #9 on:** October 03, 2009, 07:10:01 PM

Whoops, thanks for noticing the mistake, will fix it right now!

BTW no I did not mention the finger choice, must have slipped my mind. Might have to do an edit hehe $:-\$

Freudian Frog · **Reply #10 on:** October 03, 2009, 07:11:17 PM

I take thanks in the form of small keychain gadgetry, by the by.

David Bowen · **Reply #11 on:** October 03, 2009, 07:13:15 PM

Your welcome....I think

I fixed the misspelling and also added below it:

" To help facilitate in getting a grip when opening a bottle or using the pry end, the tool also sports a nice finger choil in conjunction with the jimping to provide a secure grip."

That work for you?

Freudian Frog · **Reply #12 on:** October 03, 2009, 09:48:25 PM

Quote from: David Bowen on October 03, 2009, 07:13:15 PM

Your welcome....I think

I fixed the misspelling and also added below it:

" To help facilitate in getting a grip when opening a bottle or using the pry end, the tool also sports a nice finger choil in conjunction with the jimping to provide a secure grip."

That work for you?

I don't know, I think we need some more independant testing here... have my address, right?

Got some in hand pictures? I kinda wanna see how ergonomic it all really is. XD

Benner · **Reply #13 on:** October 04, 2009, 12:39:01 PM

Great review Dave.

JDR · **Reply #14 on:** October 07, 2009, 06:49:01 PM

Thanks for the outstanding review David.

Looks like a terrific group and forum you all have, and I can't wait to participate and learn some things. Like many other folks, Gadget Guy

is pretty much responsible for my keychain tool addiction, and at least partially responsible for my SAK addiction.

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #15 on:** October 07, 2009, 06:52:18 PM

Welcome aboard mate

And very fine work too

Gadget Guy · **Reply #16 on:** October 07, 2009, 06:55:42 PM

Joshua, welcome aboard my friend, it took you long enough!

I think you're going to love MTO!

There are some really great people here except for that guy Mike, lord of the flies!

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #17 on:** October 07, 2009, 06:56:45 PM

Quote from: Gadget Guy on October 07, 2009, 06:55:42 PM

Joshua, welcome aboard my friend, it took you long enough! I think you're going to love MTO! There are some really great people here except for that guy Mike, lord of the flies!

It's true, I am best avoided

David Bowen · **Reply #18 on:** October 07, 2009, 07:09:56 PM

Welcome aboard Josh, good to have you here!

Benner · **Reply #19 on:** October 08, 2009, 12:15:23 AM

Welcome buddy.

Freudian Frog · **Reply #20 on:** October 08, 2009, 01:38:48 AM

Quote from: JDR on October 07, 2009, 06:49:01 PM

Thanks for the outstanding review David.

Looks like a terrific group and forum you all have, and I can't wait to participate and learn some things. Like many other folks, Gadget Guy is pretty much responsible for my keychain tool addiction, and at least partially responsible for my SAK addiction.

Does this mean we get free stuff now?

Welcome, by the way... and don't take me seriously.

Unless you want to of course. You could totally take me seriously. >_>

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JDR Knife and Tool Baby Pacu

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