I’m a huge fan of small, useful EDC tools. For years, I’ve carried the hard-to-beat Gerber Shard in my pocket and used it more times than I can count. So when an email about a pocket knife the size of a quarter landed in my inbox, I was intrigued.
The fact that the tiny COiN knife sold somewhere around 5,000 units in just 5 days proved I wasn’t alone.
What Is the COiN Knife?
The COiN (silly capitalization is the brand’s, not mine) is a very small knife that clips onto a keychain. It’s less than 1 inch wide when closed — small enough, the brand claims, that it’ll fit inside a bottle cap.
It’s the debut project from the brand Tiniest Gear, which is based in England and has a very limited website. This type of upstart does raise some flags for me, as it doesn’t share much information about the founders, and the brand has no history of delivered products to support its quality claims.
But the circular design is very compelling. The non-locking knife opens from this circle, a bit smaller than a quarter, into a knife with a 5/8-inch blade. The brand notes that the blade is “stainless steel” or “Damascus,” depending on your choice. But as anyone with knowledge of knives will tell you, the quality of both stainless steel and Damascus can vary dramatically.
It also has a bottle opener, which, while maybe a nice addition, seems like it would be tough to use on such a tiny device.
I haven’t seen one in person, but I do find the concept interesting. I’ve used a few tiny knives over the years, and found some of them, particularly a minuscule model from Spyderco, to be surprisingly useful.
How to Get One
The COiN is currently fundraising on Kickstarter, where they start at about $33. Adding a titanium handle or a Damascus blade adds about $10 apiece to the overall cost. And then there’s the unknown of shipping and tariff costs. So picking one up, while not bank-breaking, isn’t exactly cheap either.
As a knife nerd, I like the unique circular shape as a somewhat innovative way to create a keychain knife that’s both useful and easy to carry. It looks like a nice way to open packages or make small cuts in a pinch. And often, that’s all you need.
So if you’re willing to take a gamble with about $50, the COiN is a clever design that may prove to be a great innovation. But it’s hard to know for sure if this will be a quality piece or just a chincy gizmo. Thus, there’s a little risk, although relatively small.
For those who would rather grab a for-sure home run, grab a Gerber Shard. No, it doesn’t have a blade. But after owning one for a decade that’s still going strong, I can’t recommend any other EDC tool more.
