A little while ago, I did a review on a little pocket tool called the Gerber Shardand was left a bit unsatisfied with it.
CRKT Guppie
Apparently, someone was listening to me and reading the comments left on Survival Life. On Christmas morning I opened a small white box that contained a neat-looking little tool, the CRKT Guppie.
I had seen the Guppie a few times but after my experience with the Shard, I was a little hesitant to make another purchase on a useless tool.
I have been carrying the Guppie, off and on for the last few weeks to try it out and so far it’s OK.
It’s far from perfect but infinitely better than the shard.
The Good
It has an adjustable wrench built into it, which is something I had not seen before. It opens up to ½”, so it could be useful for some small home projects or light-duty tightening.
The entire tool is built into a carabineer, which makes the Guppie is easy to carry on a belt loop, D-ring, pack, or rope.
The stainless steel blade comes from Razor-Sharp out of the box and opens pretty easily with one hand.
It has a removable magnetic bit holder equipped with standard sized screwdriver heads (unlike the flat, useless “screwdriver” on the Gerber Shard
The Bit holder also doubles as a small LED flashlight.
If you don’t want to hang it by the carabineer it also has a clip on the back side that will hold it on your pocket or it could double as a money clip.
And of course, no pocket tool would be complete without the obligatory bottle opener.
The Bad
While it makes for a neat look, the teardrop shape of the tool makes it a bit awkward to hold.
On the same note, the carbineer‘s spring clip makes it tough to put any torque on the wrench without pinching your fingers.
The magnetic bit holder makes carrying the tool a little more stressful, I found myself constantly checking it to make sure the holder was still attached.
The carabineer is not load-bearing. Do not attempt to use it for climbing.
After only a few weeks of use, the bit holder already feels like it is loosening its grip on the bits. I see myself losing at least one of them in the near future.
They made the bit holder magnetic, but the place where you actually attach the bit is not. Couple that with the fact that it is extremely shallow and that makes it easy for the bit to fall out and get lost. I have already dropped the Phillips head several times.
The knife blade opens easily…. A little too easily. It also hangs with the point of the knife sticking up, making it extremely easy to jab yourself with it.
The Bottom Line
CRKT never fails to produce a solidly built product. I think that this is a great addition to keep in a small car kit, glove box, or inside a pocket. The fact that it has an adjustable wrench as well as standard-sized screwdrivers, makes the Guppie invaluable in a pinch.
But the magnetic bit holder non-magnetic drive attachment makes me hesitant to carry it anywhere that it may get knocked loose. While it is much better than the Gerber Shard, it still leaves a little to be desired.
Want more? Check out these related articles from our site:
- Kabar BK&T Machax Knife Review
- Benchmade HK Feint Fixed Blade Knife Review
- Gerber Shard: A broken piece of a better tool?
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 10, 2013, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
