Knives and multitools have been our EDC staple for a quite a while. Up until the last decade we used what we had; often in ways they were not intended for. People saw a need to carry a pocket or keychain pry bar and things haven't been the same since.
Gerber entered the pry bar market with the Artifact; it was an easy to carry pocket pry that had several features that made it an instant success. Gerber has since released many pry bars in a variety of configurations with the Lockdown Pry series being the most recent.
The Lockdown Pry Slim is Gerber's latest offering and it takes the current formula and puts it on a diet. The Slim removes some of the extra tools and leaves you with just the basics.
The main function of the tool as the name suggests is prying and I'm not sure if I like where Gerber went with the design. Other pry bars are usually straight with a 30 degree or so angle at the end. This helps retain strength while providing an angle that will allow the tool to be wedged easily under or between something. Gerber's pry end on the Slim is also the same 30 degrees but it hooks almost like a crowbar. This design makes it great for opening bottles or paint cans, but I feel it doesn't work as good as pry bars with a straight pry surface.
On the end of the pry bar surface we have what Gerber calls a flat or slotted driver and a Phillips. I've used both and while they will do the job in a pinch, both are truly not suited for either job. They do indeed fit in the head of those screws for the most part but due there not having any crisp edges they slip out easily.
The two tools that Gerber kept for the Slim are the knife and a pair of scissors. The blade itself has a nice profile, sharp and has a fine point for piercing. One day I was cutting some boards and didn't have a pen on me to mark where I needed to make the cut. The blade worked really well at scoring the wood and allowed me to complete my task. The scissors are typical Gerber fanfare; they nice and sharp and make quick work of most material I tried. Everything from loose threads to snipping some shall gauge wire was done easily.
This is nitpicky but I'm a stickler for a liner lock that's centered behind the blade. I can usually tell a poorly made tool or knife by the lack of precision in their locks. The Slim uses an over travel stop similar to Leatherman but these liners are all the way on the other side of the lock fresh out of the box. Will they keep the tools from accidently closing? Yes I'm sure they'll do the job adequately but I feel it's just sloppy.
The thumb studs, if that's what we're going to call them are not designed well enough to open the tools one handed. There's not enough of a ramp open them with your thumb and I think the detent is strong enough to make it really difficult. I think a nail nick would have been a much better solution to opening these blades.
The pocket clip on the Slim is a nice deep carry and it's slim profile makes it unnoticeable in the pocket. I really appreciate a thin clip and this reminds me of the awesome clip on the Pocket Square.
Overall I like the Lockdown Slim, it's a nice addition to an EDC in spite of some poorly designed functions. Gerber's pry bars all have a similar feel and look and this one is no different from their siblings. They're functional and affordable for most people budget.
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