That’s Right, This New Carabiner/Multi-Tool Is No Bigger Than a Postage Stamp

Carabiners are cool. They’ve been around since — well, we’re not sure. The history is murky. Sometime between the late 1800s and the 1930s, carabiners were invented by someone, somewhere, and they’ve been iterated upon ever since. The multifunctional clips really took off in the US when Patagonia founder (and avid climber) Yvon Chouinard began selling his own designs in the late ’60s. Nowadays, carabiners are everywhere: cheap ones at gas stations, high-quality, belay-ready ones in climbing shops, and all kinds across the internet.

Today, we’re examining a new carabiner on the block — one that’s not even out yet. Meet the Urbanix Titanium Alloy EDC Multifunctional Tool Keychain 2.0 (aka the Urbanix), a new Kickstarter-funded multi-tool carabiner keychain from a Hong Kong-based brand that’s got some handy features and weighs less than an unsharpened pencil.

The Urbanix: What We Know

According to its Kickstarter page, this tool was “born out of the pursuit of practicality and portability.” That’s pretty standard language for any small multi-tool, but as we move on to its actual construction, things get interesting. The Urbanix is made from a single piece of machined TC4, grade 5 titanium; rather than relying on the traditional carabiner clip mechanism, the Urbanix Titanium Alloy EDC Multifunctional Tool Keychain 2.0 utilizes a flexible spring-type gate machined from the same block of metal as the rest of the tool.

Kickstarter

Although it weighs roughly the same amount as six one-dollar bills, the Urbanix manages to pack five basic tools into its design: a bottle opener, hex wrench, emergency knife, Phillips screwdriver and flat screwdriver, with the hex wrench doubling as a keyring holder.

The Urbanix measures 35.5mm by 21.5 mm, which is about the same size as a US postage stamp. Its tiny silhouette is a double-edged sword; it’ll be incredibly easy to carry around, and won’t weigh your belt loop, backpack or pocket down. However, we imagine it’ll be tricky to actually use the included tools given their diminutive size, and it could be very easy to misplace.

You can secure the Urbanix now by pledging $30 — a steal for a titanium anything. (It has already raised more than 12 times it’s incredibly modest goal with 22 days to go.) If you miss the initial Kickstarter round, the base price for the tool is $49.

Kickstarter

Urbanix Titanium Alloy EDC Multi Tool Keychain 2.0

• $30.00 at Kickstarter
  $49.00 (39% off)

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