A lot of multitools boast a ton of features, but such products often just end up being cluttered and confusing. The no-nonsense titanium Xbar sticks to the essentials, with a pry bar, bottle opener, hex wrenches and a fold-out cutting blade.
Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the Xbar is made by EDC (everyday carry) company Zyac Knives. It's being offered in three models: the Standard, Mini and Sid. We should point out that none of those incorporate all of the boasted features.
Like its two siblings, the Standard sports a 14-mm M390-steel cutting blade that folds down when not in use. The spring-loaded folding mechanism incorporates ceramic beads to provide friction, keeping the blade from being accidentally deployed. The blade itself has a slight inward curve, boosting its functionality for tasks such as cutting through ropes and opening boxes.
In the middle of the Standard model are three hex wrench holes, in sizes of 8, 10 and 12 mm. At the bottom of the tool is a pry bar, the tip of which is 8 mm wide – it can be used to pull nails and pry lids off cans, among other tasks. The whole multitool measures 87 mm tall by 32 mm wide by 9 mm thick (at the top).
Designed for users with smaller hands, the Mini is essentially just a shorter version of the Standard. As such, it loses the latter model's 12-mm hex wrench hole.
Finally, there's the funnily named Sid. It has 8- and 10-mm hex wrenches, which occupy either side of a single hexagonal hole. Because the whole tool is 8 mm thick, that means each of the wrench openings are 4 mm deep. The Sid is also the only model to offer the bottle opener feature.
Assuming the Xbar's Kickstarter is a success, a pledge of US$59 will get you a Mini, $69 will get you a Standard, and $79 will get you a Sid – the planned retail prices are $79, $89 and $99, respectively.
You can see the multitool in use, in the video below.
Sources: Kickstarter, Zyac Knives
