This Clever New Keychain Knife’s Unique Blade Material Makes It as Tough as It Is Tiny

Boasting premium ingredients and frictionless functionality, the Bitz states its case as much more than a gimmick.

Published May 16, 2025

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Updated May 17, 2025

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It’s no secret we at Gear Patrol love ourselves a tiny knife. From WESN’s Microblade to The James Brand’s Elko to Gerber’s LST Mini, little blades consistently outpunch their weight when added to ye olde EDC.

But there’s tiny and then there’s tiny. Though to go really small, you typically have to get a bit weird, as in the case of Civivi’s Pyrus, or you’ve gotta go to Kickstarter.

ysmart london bitz beauty — The Bitz’s key ingredient? A blade made of tough, sharp tungsten carbide.

That’s where I thought we’d hit peak tininess with Tiny EDC’s Micro Knife a couple months back.

Alas, I was mistaken, as a recently launched project, YSmart London’s Bitz, looks ready to grab the tiny knife championship belt — and a spot on your keychain.

Pocket Hercules

Full disclosure: I am inherently distrustful of Kickstarter projects as there is, frankly, a lot of crap out there.

But having reviewed this knife’s details — and forgiven its name, though I loathe de facto plurals: think McGriddles — I’m actually kinda stoked about this thing, for a couple of big reasons.

Relied upon in surgical tools and industrial cutters, tungsten carbide is valued for its excellent edge retention, toughness and slicing power.

First off, the business end appears to be legit. Part of a unit that measures less than two inches and weighs as little as half an ounce, the blade is made of tungsten carbide.

Relied upon in surgical tools and industrial cutters, this material is valued for its excellent edge retention, toughness and slicing power.

ysmart london bitz usage — Minuscule as it is, the Bitz blade can likely tackle 90 percent of EDC tasks.

That means it should come in handy in situations where it’s more important to be sharp than it is to be big: Just think of cutting through tape, polypropylene straps, twine, mailer bags and clothing tags.

No, you can’t whittle or slice an apple (or any other food, really), but for 90 percent of EDC tasks, you should be good to go.

Click and carry

The second reason I’m inclined to be on board with the Bitz blitz is what surrounds the blade. The handle, as it were, is available in two materials, grade 5 titanium and solid brass.

The former is super-light, corrosion resistant and tough, while the latter is a bit heftier and will take on a nice patina over time.

ysmart london bitz magnet — Is it just me or does unsheathing and sheathing the Bitz looks tremendously haptically satisfying.

In either case, the handle stands a good chance of outlasting the blade, which, it should be noted, screws into the handle and can be replaced.

On the other end of the operation is what you might call a sheath. This little capper houses a neodymium magnetic connector that is super strong but releases with a firm tug, then snaps back into place with a satisfying click.

ysmart london bitz handles — Bitz is available in both grade 5 titanium and brass, with a variety of laser-etched designs.

Equipped with a lanyard hole, it’s this element that allows you to easily attach the knife to a keychain or necklace so it’s ready to go whenever you need it.

Throw in the sheer conversation-starting potential, if that’s something you seek, and the Bitz just might be the … shiznitz?

Availability and pricing

YSmart London’s Bitz is already fully funded on Kickstarter with 27 days to go. A single brass Bitz costs ~$59 while a single titanium Bitz goes for ~$66. Estimated delivery is this October.

YSmart London Bitz

Starts at $59

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.