Atwood G3 Prybaby

[David Bowen]

Here is the Atwood G3 Prybaby, no photos yet so for right now it's a stock photo from Peter's website.

Atwood G3 Prybaby

When it comes to pocket tools Peter Atwood is the king of the hill. Not only has he helped define the genre but his quality and attention to detail is impeccable. When you look at all of the tools Peter has produced; he has come a long way and has created some great tools that are the essence of form meets function. Of all of the tools he produces, one in particular has been more popular and has seen more revisions than the rest. The original prybaby was the landmark tool that Peter created out of necessity and has become a staple in his lineup to this day. The prybaby is so popular due to its simplicity and no bones approach to a tool that can handle numerous duties.

The G3 prybaby is Peter’s third generation version of the famous prybaby tools. What sets the G3 apart from previous models is the addition of a wrench that fits numerous SAE nut sizes ranging from ¼ to 5/8. Before I get to the wrench I want to touch base on the primary function of this tool. First and foremost the prybaby is a pry tool. Pry tools are a category of pocket tools designed to aid the user in opening, prying or scraping material that you would ordinarily submit your expensive pocket knife to.

The prybaby can handle tough jobs for its size due to it being made out of S30V. This special steel lends itself to being very tough steel that can take a lot of abuse and not require a lot of maintenance. The business end of the prybaby is the forks or v-notch. With the notch you can pry loose small nails, cut fishing line and other things the small non sharpened edge can be used for. The forks themselves can be used to drive flat and Phillips head screws. Peter does not mention the Phillips compatibility but I have found it works well on most #2 Phillips. He may not recommend it due to the stress the forks receive when doing this. Other tasks I have used the pry end for are: opening boxes, popping tight soda can tops and opening stuck homemade jelly jars. The prybaby also sports a bottle opener that works quite well on all types of bottles.

The crowning jewel to this masterpiece in my opinion is the wrench opening on the tool. Other than the pocket wrench II tool you find from places like Lee Valley. I have never seen a wrench style like this before. The design is something that has been around for a while but not seen a whole lot. Peter prides himself in resurrecting old tool designs like the most recent cookie wrench. I love the wrench end of the tool so much because it puts so many wrench sizes in a package so small it fits in your pocket. The wrench opening can also be used for other things such as wing nuts too. Versatility of the wrench opening is really only limited by the users imagination.

The G3 prybaby is a fantastic tool in a small package and performs the job quite well. It's not only functional but a piece of art crafted in steel. It's no wonder all the tools Peter makes, let alone the prybabys are so popular. If you're itching for a prybaby or another Atwood model, check out Peter's website. You're not to be disappointed, I guarantee it.

[Gadget Guy]

Fantastic review!!   

[Mr. Whippy]

Very nice!

I find the wrench works extremely well with very close tolerances.  The only downside of this design is, there needs to be a lot space around the nut in order to get force on it. 


It also works well to set on a bolt head while loosening the nut.

[Freudian Frog]

Great review, but continues to stay outside of my price range.

[David Bowen]

It's not out of your price range, you just have to find someone who has one who is willing to part with it and offer him something in trade that he wants badly (no I am not that person...not yet anyways).

[Sazabi]

Well, when you get a G4 Prybaby, let me know.

[Gadget Guy]

I am often asked "If I could only buy one Atwood tool, what should I buy?". Well... The G3 Prybaby is the one I would recommend. It is an almost perfect keychain tool and makes a really nice backup to a multi. I can't tell you how many times I've saved a knife blade by having the G3 Prybaby with me.  

[David Bowen]

Yea out of all my Atwood tools I think the G3 with the prybaby next are my absolute favorites.

[DaveK]

Well, when you get a G4 Prybaby, let me know.

My only remaining Atwood is a G4 Prybaby and it's my most carried tool since I got it. Absolutely great piece of kit.

Great review btw David

[Mr. Whippy]

Ya' know, I like the Atwrench more, cuz it's a slimmer profile than the prybaby.  However, overall, I seem to carry thw Wildcard the most.  Really like the blade on it.