QUICK TAKE: NICE GUY MACHINE CO JAPANESE COWBOY PRY
Archie at NGMCo has proven time and time again that he is a creative and resourceful fella. It can become quite challenging to keep up with all the different iterations of his pry bars, but the Japanese Cowboy does stand out from his normal line up. One of the more uniquely shaped pieces that is convincing me that we are watching his pieces slowly evolve and morph into the next Swiss army knife. One of the things I look for in an EDC piece is getting the most diversity of usability with the smallest footprint. Some EDC people want an individual tool for everything. You only have so many pockets and unless you want to wear industrial grade suspenders to keep your pants at your hips, I'd recommend going for lighter materials and that multi tool functionality. The majority of Nice Guy's pieces have had many of the everyday bases covered with the pry and bottle opener functions. You really don't even need to carry a knife anymore with these pocket prys. That being said, the Japanese Cowboy has a unique pry edge that is both narrower and longer. It comes to a substantial point that would no doubt do some damage. The front pry edge is small giving it the added functionality of a flathead screwdriver, but the side edge is longer with a beveled edge that is quite thin for cutting and scoring functionality. Many of the bottle openers within the EDC space feel like you need a masters degree in engineering to get it to do what it was made to do. What Nice Guy excels at is functional design. One of the standout features that hasn't been used in a Nice Guy product before is the 10mm wrench at the base of the pry. One of the more common wrench sizes for working on everyday tasks, the 10mm can come in handy when working on your lawnmower or other yard equipment. Archie added a little slot that fits the .275 lanyard cord, so your bead set up won't get in the way of the wrench's capabilities. It would be interesting to see Archie build on this idea in the future and add some type of socket wrench capability where you can interchange different size sockets for more functionality. It really does seem like the pry bar is a blank canvas with infinite possibilities for all your EDC needs. The model I received is pocket clip-less with the skeletonized handle. He has also come out with versions of the Japanese Cowboys with a solid structure so there is more engraving and customization options. I was really impressed with this piece having pretty much owned every item he has ever come out with. Looking forward to seeing what he can think of next!
THE BASICS:
- Material: 6Al4V Grade 5 Titanium
- Functions: 10mm Wrench, Flathead Screwdriver, Cap Lifter
- Carry: Keychain or lanyard (no pocket clip)
- Country of Origin: Made in USA
