HOT TAKE: DO YOU EVEN NEED A KNIFE ANYMORE? POIKILO X TASK ARK PRY

October 19, 2026

Let's be real for a second. When you think about your day-to-day EDC needs, how much of it actually requires a pocketknife? Actually, for me, quite a bit, but it doesn't HAVE to be that way. There is another tool within the EDC arsenal that can actually handle the common jobs of a knife while also doing so much more. This mystery EDC tool in question is none other than the pocket pry bar. One of the setbacks for blade steel is that in order to have edge retention, there is often a high level of hardness. This allows for less edge wear but makes the blade itself more brittle. This is why when purchasing a knife, there is often a warning about not using the blade for prying motions because you are apt to just snap the tip off your blade off. No one wants to do that; besides, knives are getting quite pricey in this day and age. Many of the items in our day to day lives scream to be used, but at the same time, why give our expensive EDC items unnecessary stress when the task can be allocated to a more robust object. Not to say pry bars are inexpensive, they definitely aren't. Many of them cost more than knives actually, but the way they are built are so that they can take a lot more force and abuse than a regular pocketknife. One thing we have to ask ourselves is what we actually use our knives for in the day to day. For me, majority of my knife work comes in the form of opening boxes. Cutting open packages just requires enough sharpness to pierce a strip of packing tape that holds some cardboard together. That is where the Poikilo enters the scene.

This is the Poikilo collaboration with TASK Knife company. They call this unique tool the Ark. It is a Ram-Lok pry bar with a thumb stud to give you that knife like flipping actuation. This piece is constructed from Black DLC titanium with an M390 blade that gives it this fantastic Darth Vader look. The diamond texturing on the handle and the lateral lines of the design seriously does look like Darth Vader's suit. I am not sure whether that was an actual inspiration for this piece, but it is badass either way. So, the "blade" is actually milled from M390, but what gives it its strength is the sheer thickness of it. The construction is quite stocky which actually lends to its prying strength. I really like the functionality of a folder pry bar. As much as I love and carry other prys, having the pry tip (which can actually be quite sharp) just free floating in the pocket is asking for trouble. The folding aspect does make the device more fun to use and also adds the practicality of hiding the blade away. If you were also considering carrying a pocket bit driver, you won't need that either. The Ark comes with 3/16, 7/32, 1/4, and 5/16 inch bit openings in the blade itself. All you have to provide are the bits themselves.

I am always looking for ways to simplify my everyday carry set up. Despite handling some of the most intricate and high-end EDC pieces that the world has to offer, I can't help but look for ways to carry less items. Having multi-functional items like the Ark as an option is fantastic and practical. It hits many of the boxes that I look for which include small footprint, multi-use capability, and just looking badass. The badass part is actually a crucial aspect for me and cannot be overlooked. Every day I stray further and further from God as I get closer and closer to just purchasing a Leatherman and calling my EDC set up complete... but where's the fun in that?