ShivWorks

We began to look at everyday items and settled on a bottle opener. We wanted the form factor to be key-ring sized so one would always have it. The opener would essentially be a single metal knuckle that reinforced a finger, with two prongs at the bottom that caught the edge of a bottle cap.

ShivWorks enlisted knife maker Barry Jones for the project and after a couple of prototypes were done the "Top-Popper" was finally born. Barry offered some pretty critical design changes that improved the tool dramatically. If it weren't for him the tool really would not be what it is and we owe him a debt of gratitude for his insight and willingness to help. Additionally, Barry probably has one of the highest standards of integrity in the industry and kept the lid on this project for almost a year, collaborating with ShivWorks exclusively. Here it is the final product.

The Top-Popper is pretty self-explanatory in application. The middle finger runs through the single hole and you make a fist. The body of the Popper nestles in the palm as the middle finger pulls it in, leaving about a quarter of an inch or so between the outside of the middle finger and the inside of the ring. The insures plenty of stand-off between the two for safety during impact.

Here's another shot of the tool in clenched fist.

The material used in this one is 3/8" Titanium. It packs quite a wallop even for a material so light. Ti stock that thick is usually expensive so some models in the future may be made from other materials depending on what the individual is willing to expend.

This Top-Popper is a bit plain, but crazy anodizing in "happy" colors can provide excellent urban camouflage. This one will probably get a splash of green, gold, and purple so it looks like something picked up from a Mardi-Gras parade. There is a hole drilled on either side to facilitate a ball chain or a split ring so the end-user can run it along with their keys. Besides the obvious defensive applications how well does the Top-Popper function in it's more mundane role? Pretty easy. All one has to do is put the index finger through the ring and the thumb on the spine of the curved palm bar like in the picture. The hooked edge of the Top-Popper is caught under the lip of the bottle cap and the outside of the ring lays flat on the top.

All one has to do now is hold the bottle steady and lever back and the cap pulls right off. Simple.

Overall the Top-Popper represents the next generation of self-defense tools in our increasingly paranoid world. It's effective yet mundane and more importantly plausible. Anyone can carry a bottle opener. As for the name, well Barry gets the credit for that one saying that the end-user could pop the top on a cold one after popping the top on a bad guy!