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Gerber Prybrid Utility/Prybrid X Multitool
- Pros: Clever design, reasonable pricing, add a pry bar and utility knife to your EDC to preserve your knife, tool-free utility blade exchange, light and slim.
- Cons: Both versions are difficult to change blades on, sliding action could be smoother, lack of pocket clip on Utility, limited blade usefulness on X
We’ve reviewed a few of Gerber’s knives (Sedulo, Fastball, Asada, and Savvy), as well as their multi-tools (Lockdown Pry/Drive, Center Drive Plus, Dual-Force), so I don’t want to risk overusing the often-repeated line that Gerber has a lot of interesting ideas that are sometimes poorly executed. Some of their products are stellar (like the Sedulo and Assert) and some of them are duds – like the Asada and the Lockdown twins. But they’re never boring, and that’s especially true when it comes to multitools. Gerber has a long history of innovation in the field, and although they do make some products that are largely similar to other competitors in the market (like the butterfly-opening Suspension NXT, Truss, and the popular pocket-sized Dime), they also make some truly weird stuff, like the aforementioned melted-chocolate-bar-shaped Lockdown twins, or the cleverly named Stake Out – because it’s designed to help you set up and break down a tent.
But two of their most popular compact multitools are the Prybrid Utility and the Prybrid X, which present a compelling USP to buyers. Think about it this way: the average person is carrying a multitool, like a Center Drive or a Leatherman, as maybe the only tool in their pocket. But with EDC nerds and tool aficionados, that’s probably not true. I certainly know it’s not: when I’m at work I’ve got a dedicated folding knife, a multitool in a sheath with its own bit kit, a flashlight, a pocket screwdriver and a pen. Even when I'm just around the house, I’ve got a small light, a folding knife, and a small multitool of some sort – usually a Skeletool CX or a Swiss Army Knife. This combo lets me open packages, tighten screws, see where I dropped something under the couch, that sort of thing. So, a multitool in combination with a knife needs to serve its own purpose – and that’s exactly what the Prybrid models do.
The most common failure on a knife is, by my anecdotal evidence, a broken tip. Even knife nerds like me have it happen – I snapped the tip off my beloved Civivi Crit trying to dig a broken-off screwdriver head out of a screw on a mini-fridge. I snapped two tips off Kershaw Leeks, a party trick they’re well-known for. I try not to do stupid things with my knives, but you know, life comes at you fast. So having a small multitool in your pocket that serves as an effective pry bar is a great start. But how about a multitool that also has a replaceable utility blade so A) you don’t have to beat up your expensive knife cutting up something rough and B) can be used for smaller, more detail-oriented cuts? That could be a winner.
The Prybrid Utility and Prybrid X both offer these features, with a pry tool built into the body, a retractable utility knife that can be replaced with no tools, plus a couple of extra features built into each to make things a little easier. The Prybrid Utility is the larger of the two, using a standard hexagon-shaped utility blade, and the Prybrid X is smaller and takes a #11 precision blade. Although the design is similar, the Utility uses a G10 body and the X has an aluminum handle. Let’s take a look at both, compare and contrast, try them out, and get to a conclusion.
Primary Implements
On both the Prybrid X and the Prybrid Utility, the primary implements are the out-the-front style deployment razor blades. Both feature a double-detent sliding switch, which must be pressed down then slid forward one click to expose the tip of the razor, then pressed down again and slid forward another click to fully extend the razor to change it out. The lockout, which requires you to press before you slide, is obviously to prevent the razor blade from accidentally deploying in your pocket, which could be quite bad. The Prybrid Utility uses standard utility-style razor blades (which measure 60mm/2.36” on the cutting edge, 32mm/1.25” on the top mounting edge, and 0.5mm thick) with a dual notch on the top side so the blade can be reversed in the mount and reused before it’s thrown out. The Prybrid X uses a #11 utility blade, commonly referred to as an X-Acto blade or a hobby knife blade. The difference being shape and size: the utility blade has a more obtuse tip angle, is thicker and harder to snap, and is better suited for opening boxes, whereas the #11 blade has a much more acute tip angle for piercing and detail work and is smaller.
The upside to both of these blade types is cost; you can currently buy a 100-pack of SK5 steel utility blades on Amazon Prime for around $8–$10 depending on brand, and #11 blades generally run $10 for 120 or 150 pieces. As soon as it gets dull or breaks, you just flip it around or toss it out and grab another one. No worrying about sharpening, rust, care and maintenance, wear and tear – just swap in a new blade for a couple cents and you’re good to go. Both feature tool-free blade changing, with a spring plate with a locator pin holding the blade in place. Neither version requires tools to exchange the blade, but it’s worth noting that both are quite difficult: being able to press the spring plate out with your thumb while not cutting your finger on the razor blade is tricky, and particularly getting the blade back into the Prybrid X so that the pin in the spring plate drops fully into the blade is tough, and if it’s not fully seated then the mechanism won’t retract back into the handle.
Secondary Implements
Secondary tools on both the Prybrid Utility and Prybrid X are the pry bar and other implements built into the body. They share quite a few similarities: Both feature a multi-functional pry bar on the end, with an angled tip to increase leverage, and a split end with a bevel to act as a nail puller and a wire stripper. One side of the pry bar is wider than the other, both tips intending to serve as medium and large straight screwdrivers, and of course there’s a bottle opener built in with a hook at the bottom.
Both versions feature lanyard holes for hanging from your keys, but from there they differentiate slightly. The Prybrid X comes out of the box with a paracord lanyard tied around the handle that leaves a long section with a thick knot at the end to make the tool easier to grab out of your pocket. The Prybrid Utility features an angled cord cut notch in the bottom of the handle towards the front, which can be used when the utility blade is in the closed position.
Features, Fit & Finish
The two tools differ in construction: the Prybrid Utility, the larger of the two, features two G10 handle scales that sandwich the center steel portion that is the “spine” of the pry tool. The scales are quite nice on this, with a flat green color, chamfered edges all the way around for a comfortable grip, and a series of angled reliefs cut out that match the cord cut notch’s angle. A neat design detail to be found in that cord cut notch is the indentation in the scales that makes a sharp turn and becomes the slot that the utility blade sliding mechanism travels in. Both G10 scales bolt to the steel center layer with Torx T8 screws for disassembly. The pry bar itself is black oxide coated, except for the tips of the pry bar, which are ground to create a shallow angle surface, creating a two-tone appearance. No complaints about quality of construction, although the sliding switch for the utility blade is quite stiff before it breaks in. I found that dropping a little tool oil (I like 3-in-1) into the slide helps the blade slider move more easily, but it’s still quite tough to open smoothly.
The Prybrid X’s body is aluminum, also bolted to the center section with standard Torx screws for disassembly, with a rough textured finish for traction. The sliding mechanism on the Prybrid X is smoother and easier to actuate out of the box than on the larger Prybrid Utility, with less friction while moving and less pressure required to release the lock on the button. Machining on both pry bars is more “working finish” than “super precision tool,” but that doesn’t really bother me. The paracord wrap on the back of the smaller Prybrid X is well done, tight and clean, with neatly snipped ends that line up perfectly.
Field Test
During my testing, I threw one or the other Prybrid into my pocket during nights and weekends around the house to supplant my usual folding knife. Both are quite slim and light, although the Prybrid X is a lot smaller and lighter (1.7 ounces versus the Utility’s 2.9 ounces, and 4” long versus 4.25”) and also easier to retrieve from your pocket thanks to the 550 Paracord lanyard that’s tied on. Extra points to the Pyrbrid X for width, coming in at 0.325” versus the Utility’s thicker 0.405” across the scales as well. Gerber suggests the Utility and X can both fit in the “fifth pocket” of your jeans, but I find them both too tall to fit comfortably in this spot, poking out and jabbing your stomach when you sit down, so they both lived in my right front main pocket.
Many reviews on the Utility mention the lack of a pocket clip, which one clever artisan on Etsy has solved with a neat deep-carry titanium clip setup you can grab here, although at $25 it nearly doubles the price of the tool itself. I could see the Utility benefitting from a pocket clip just to prevent it from rotating into an awkward sideways position at the bottom of your pocket, although the slim form factor really is better designed for in-pocket carry anyway. The lanyard hole on the end of the Utility could also be used to attached a pull lanyard like the X – because I don’t know how you’d attach a split ring to it without bending it beyond usefulness.
As a consumer of fancy alcoholic beverages, I always love a dedicated bottle opener. I can say that the Utility’s bottle opener is excellent, with a solid grip on the crimped-on caps and plenty of leverage to pop it off. The Prybrid X’s bottle opener is less successful in practice, usually requiring you to pull up once, then reposition it 45 degrees and pull it up again because of the shallow angle that the shape of the hook gets on the bottle cap. Many EDC enthusiasts on the internet will tell you that no tool needs a bottle opener, and you can just use leverage from the tool itself to decap a beverage, but who cares – bottle openers are a fun and basically free addition to any multitool, and I always find joy in having a bottle opener at the ready in my pocket.
Both pry bars are excellent, though, reminding me of the multi-use pry end on the Gerber Shard, which has been a constant companion on my keys for more than ten years now. The angled tip gives you extra leverage to pop things open, and the beveled surface makes getting it under what you’re prying easier. The screwdriver ends on the X are more useful in day-to-day use, since they’re considerably narrower, fitting more easily into most screws than the wide ones on the Utility. It’s a great thing to have in your pocket when switch plates need to be tightened, clamshells need to be popped open, or something needs to be scraped off a surface – all things which can damage the edge of your nice pocket knife.
The retractable blades on both serve different functions, and I found a lot more use for the larger Utility’s box cutter style blade, making opening up packaging a cinch with its downward-facing tip and longer reach than the scalpel-style blade on the X. It is harder to open and close than the smaller X, and both are a considerable hassle to flip or replace the blade on. If you’re cutting a lot of very small things that require precision, the X is better suited, but I ended up using both basically as box openers and preferred the Utility in this regard.
Alternatives
Neither the Prybrid Utility nor the Prybrid X are particularly expensive, running $30 for the larger version ($25 retail) and $28 for the X ($22 retail), but there are a fair number of competitors in the market of combination utility blade/multitool.
Milwaukee Fastback 6-in-1-multitool
See @ AmazonSee @ Northerntool
Although the form factor is different, the Milwaukee Fastback 6-in-1 multitool is to me the one to beat when it comes to a combo box cutter/multitool. I have a regular Fastback I use at work, and the button-lock deployment (press the button and flick it out with your wrist) is fun, easy, and reliable. It doesn’t have a pry bar like the Prybrid and is larger owing to the fold-out mechanism. It does include a fold-out ¼" bit driver with a double-sided bit (with a #2 phillips and a flat head), a cord cut notch, and a bottle opener that can be used in the closed position. It also has a deep carry wire pocket clip and storage in the handle for a spare blade. You can get one for $15 at time of writing at Northern Tool & Equipment, but these Fastbacks are available in clamshell packaging at basically any hardware store near you. The quality isn’t as good as the Gerber, but the functionality is stellar.
OLight Otacle
OLight has branched out into make knives and gear in recent years (we reviewed their titanium-handled Splint Ti recently), and they also offer a sliding-switch style utility knife, the amusingly named Otacle. It uses a non-standard utility blade that has mounting holes in the middle rather than the top, but the rest of the design is pretty solid. The blade opening features a bottle opener, there’s a mini pry bar, a ¼" hex drive built into the body for turning a standard bit, a straight screwdriver, and construction is half metal and half contoured G10. It’s a good bit slimmer than the Prybrid Utility at only 0.27” wide (not including the slide switch) and lighter at 1.93 ounces, and it does come in cheaper at $17 retail, but the non-standard utility blade (which requires disassembly to replace) is a downside.
Big I Design TPT Slide
If you want to spend a little more for a more premium product, the Big I Design TPT Slide offers high-end materials and a lot of functionality for $80. Featuring a full 6AL4V titanium body, a unique multi-function insert (a camping fork on one end, a rounded edge utility razor on the other, available for purchase at Big I Design for $14 for 4), a full set of box wrenches on one end (Metric 6-12mm, SAE 15/64” thru 7/16”), a flat head screwdriver/scraper/pry tool on the other, an integrated ¼" drive hex bit hole, a bottle opener, and a paracord lanyard for retrieval, then the TPT slide is spendy but well-made and very popular.
Kershaw PT-2 Keychain Pry Bar
Finally, one worth considering if you’re not stuck on a replaceable utility blade is the Kershaw PT-2 keychain pry bar, which packs a ton of functionality into under 3” of length. Weighing only 0.8 ounces, this keychain tool includes a semi-sharp package opener/wire scraper on one end, a bevy of screwdrivers including a 2D phillips, a bottle opener, a multi-wrench in the center (3/8”, 7/16”, and ½") and a cap lifter. At only $12, it offers a lot of value for the money.
Wrap-Up
To sum up, in this Gerber Prybrid review: I really like both the Prybrid Utility and the Prybrid X. They offer unique and useful functionality as an add-on multitool to my EDC loadout, taking up minimal pocket space and bringing quite a lot to the table for their reasonable asking prices. Having a pry tool at the ready to use in lieu of your knife is good; using the right tool for the job is always safer for you and better for your knife.
The addition of the utility blade is the icing on the cake. Between the two, I prefer the full-sized Utility with its larger blade, the addition of the cord cutter notch, and more solid grip as well as beefier pry bar, but it could perhaps benefit from the addition of a pocket clip in some circumstances. The Prybrid X works well as a keychain tool or thrown in a backpack pocket as a back-up, but the tiny scalpel blade limits its real-world usability compared to its larger brother, and the bottle opener functionality works but isn’t as good as the full-sized variant. If you’re looking for a sliding utility knife/pry bar and can’t afford (or more accurately, can’t find) a Rexford RUT, the Prybrid Utility seems like a great choice.
