Here is a lil something for the EDC crowd. There are a lot of cool guy bottle openers out there, but Screwpop found a good way to integrate further functionality. The end holds a custom double sided screwdriver bit (Phillips #2/Flat Head #2) which in daily urban life is one of the most common used tools. I haven't had a chance to confirm, but the bit holding area is supposed to work as a 1/4” Hex Nut Driver as well. Chances are slim you'll use that part, however it is better than having some other crazy connection system that won't work for anything else. The bit is held in place by a spring loaded ball, which is sufficient for a hold. The bit grip will feel low to some, but it won't shake out and the bit can be manually pulled out without much hassle. Perhaps a magnet could be added for extra piece of mind, but appears it would be unnecessary at the end of the day and add to cost. The bit sizing is a little off compared to traditional 1/4" hex bits so the ones I tried from separate bit sets were too big and would only insert slightly in.
I don't really open a lot of bottles, but the ring based design of the bottle opening part is classic based and functional. Since the ring is rounded rather than flat, it offers a smooth up rotation motion when actually popping off a bottle top. The ring area is also the preferred keychain connection point. If one were to milk further uses, it could be a last ditch defense tool; having the ring lay inside the hand with the driver portion sticking out between fingers when gripped in a fist. Not exactly as handy as a knife in a fight, but I certainly wouldn't want to get clocked with a Screwpop in the head. As you hopefully see in the pics, at about a 3" x 1-3/8" size footprint, the Screwpop is fairly compact. Since there is only one technical moving part, durability is increased compared to more complex keytool designs. The Screwpop weight is within reason so even though the bit ends may look scarry to your pockets well being, they are no worse than the edges a normal set of keys create. If being picky, I'd say having the Phillips head side of the bit exposed is more pocket friendly.
For further clarification, this is the new black version where the original version is in chrome. I don't know how (only noticed the break later), but I managed to break the original version where the ball came out of the bit. Unfortunately that made the tool only good as a bottle opener. Since then, Screwpop took this issue seriously and has increased the size and durability of the retention ball in this black version. I also feel the bit is easier to insert without loss of retention grip. For my personal usage, the screwpop came in handy while putting together some IKEA stuff where not much driver room was available on some steps. The Screwpop tool size may be small, but the ring really allows for good twist torque all points considered. If it comes down to it, you can do some heavy duty screw work, it just won't be as fast as larger more traditional tools. For some reason I had a harder time setting up screws or staying lined up in the screw than longer screwdrivers, but not all users may have this issue. My guess is the smaller size causes my hand to make more angle movements while turning.
If money wasn't an issue, I like the Leatherman Micra for a keychain setup for my daily tasks. It is small, has multiple useful tools, however is $20+. The Screwpop may do less things, but does what it was made to really well and is only about $6 depending where you get it. Thus the quality / price ratio still makes the Screwpop a viable tool in my book, perhaps a good holiday stocking stuffer for my fellow EDC geeks :)
www.screwpoptool.com
