One of the easiest ways to add a bit more functionality to your EDC is by integrating a bottle opener in your daily kit. You can find them on multi-tools, keychains, knives, and even some wallets. But because of how common they are, they don’t get the attention they deserve. The truth is there are so many interesting and fun ways to integrate a bottle opener into your everyday carry. And even if you don’t drink often, they’re great to have at parties (when we get to have them again). If you don’t EDC one already, or if you feel like upgrading the old rusting one in your kitchen drawer, we’ve rounded up 10 of our favorite bottle openers below, just in time for National Beer Day.
Kershaw’s well known for their line of everyday carry pocket knives, but they also make compact multi-tools like the PT-2. This one-piece tool integrates a bottle opener into a sturdy 8Cr13MoV stainless steel pry tool. It even adds hex wrenches and screwdriver tips into the mix. And when things get slippery and wet, you’ll appreciate the textured glass-filled nylon handle and jimping at the spine that lets you get a firm grip over it as you crack open a cold one.
This update to the classic EDC-favorite Griffin Pocket Tool Mini sizes things down to just 2" long while still providing you hex wrenches, a mini pry tool, a flathead driver, and most importantly, a bottle opener on the side. Aside from the standard bare titanium colorway, you can pick up the GPT Mini in other variations such as blue, green, pink, and bronze.
If you’re tired of small EDC bottle openers that take more than one try to take off a beer bottle cap, you might want this compact standard-style D-ring bottle opener made by TI-EDC. Its design offers one-motion cracking open of the drink of your choice, and its durable titanium construction will last you beyond a single party without cracking or corroding in the process.
If you’re the outdoorsy type, you know how important having a signal whistle can be if you find yourself in trouble. And instead of carrying a flimsy plastic whistle, you might consider picking up this gorgeous sculpted titanium Siren whistle by Kizer. It packs a full 120-decibel signal when you blow through it, but its most important function for our purposes here is the integrated bottle opener at the rear that makes cracking open a cold one at the summit an easy affair.
If the drink of your choice includes a cork (either because it’s aged beer or you prefer wine instead), you know that a standard bottle opener does pretty much nothing to get that open. What you need is a way to integrate a corkscrew into your EDC, and one of the best ways to do that is to integrate a Swiss Army Knife (SAK) into your carry. The Victorinox Picknicker in particular includes a locking Sandvik stainless steel knife, two bottle openers, a can opener, flathead screwdrivers, and a reamer along with the all-important corkscrew.
A lot of the tools in this category tend to be made out of either stainless steel or titanium, but if you’re looking for something with a bit more of a heritage feel that will develop a nice patina as you use it, check out this aesthetic copper-plated bottle opener made by Kikkerland. It’s a pocketable dedicated bottle opener that gives you enough purchase on a beer bottle cap that it only takes one try to crack a cold one open. But unlike a fully-copper tool, the base stainless steel is harder and it won’t bend over time so you can enjoy using this tool for years to come.
If small tools aren’t your thing because they get lost, check out the YETI MOLLE Zinger, which is specifically designed to attach to PALS-/MOLLE-compatible webbing so you can always have a bottle opener on hand. And because it’s attached to the mount with a retractable cord, you don’t have to worry about leaving it at a party after losing track of the time.
If you’re a fan of carabiners for everyday carry, you know how useful they are at keeping your keys attached to your gear or to your pants as you move around. This particular one is made out of grade 5 titanium and precision machined for a sleek look that packs a lot of functionality into its small 2.4" size. While it’s definitely not load-bearing, the swing-gate mechanism holds on to your keys well, and there’s hex wrenches, a screwdriver, and a bottle-opener built into the side.
The keychain is where most people’s bottle openers tend to stay. Unfortunately, the typical keychain bottle opener is a big and bulky deal that makes even less sense if you’ve slimmed down your ensemble with something like a key organizer. At the bare minimum, all you need is a bit of a lever to crack a bottle open, and the Pangea Designs PiCO keychain bottle opener provides just that: a small, lightweight, and durable titanium lever that you actuate with the key ring to lift a bottlecap out of its place.
If you open up a lot of cardboard boxes and packaging everyday, having a trusty utility blade on hand is pretty important. And it’s even better when the utility knife you pick also performs other essential EDC tasks, like prying things open, and of course, opening bottles. The Gerber Prybrid X is the smaller of two new utility knives they’ve put out this year, and this one uses a smaller standard craft blade for fine cuts. The tool also includes 550 paracord for retention, but you can take it off in a pinch for its myriad of uses.
