I'm not a knife expert.

After looking at all the data I think the main advantage here is the low price. I think it would be somewhat useful in an urban search-and-rescue scenario, but as others have said there are tools I'd rather have.

I'm starting to become more interested in hatchets. This doesn't change my direction.

This could be a solution in search of a problem. There are a lot of those out there.

That's where I'm at, too. Hatchets, axes and mauls.

Multi-purpose and formidable tools.

Given a choice of just one blade on a hiking trek, I'd choose my Gransfors Bruks Mini-Belt Axe (12 oz). For an extended roadtrip, a bigger axe goes along. Of the Gransfors Bruks line, I currently have:

Mini-Belt Axe
Wildlife Hatchet
Scandinavian Forest Axe
Small and Large Splitting Axes
Splitting Maul
Splitting Wedge
American Felling Axe

back in the day, I ground what was basically a BUNCH of them at work. We were dismanteling a locker room, and the lockers were bolted together with 1/4" nuts/bolts, and the lockers were youing to be tossed

piece of O-1 steel, 18" or so long, ground to a chisel, hardeded and drawn WAY down, almost back to full soft. Slip it between the lockers to the bolt, and give it a whack with a hammer, and it would cut the bolt in 1-2 shots. Took about 2-3 minutes to shear off each locker, and then hand it to the guys carrying it to the dumpster

They are a brute force tool, where you don't want to beat on a good knife.

I used mine the other day - I forgot exactly what I was cutting/prying, but I pulled it out of the tool bag, and I know I was wailing on the back edge with a 30 Oz hammer

Thanks for all the input. I have not seen all those interesting tools before.

I think the concept of the "breacher bar" type tool is sound. For me the uses would be very limited and if needed, I would probably be able to scrounge other tools (pry bars, axes, hammers, etc) to do the job.

One of these tools however, just might find it's way into my possession at some point in the future.

I left it out previously but it has to be noted that flat-bar type pry bars are easy to modify. The material is typically a mild alloy tool/spring steel that can be worked with hand tools like files and hacksaw but has enough carbon and alloy to allow a considerable degree of hardening if heated and quenched.

I have often ground or filed an edge for various tasks and have used the basic bar as raw material for home made tools, in one case a froe, and other specialty tools. In a couple of cases I have case hardened an edge to get a more durable edge. Just make sure you case harden after you get it to the shape you want. Particularly if your using only hand tools.

The flat bar new is a fair bit of decent quality steel cheap. Buy them for a buck or less a pop at a flea market or garage sale and you have something to work with. The steel lacks enough alloy for extreme toughness and carbon to hold a fine edge but it can be, as mentioned, modified to some extent if you willing to go to the trouble and it is good for a lot of tools and fixtures.

Making and modifying your own tools means you can get exactly, or at least closer to, what you want and get it inexpensively.

Plenty of small pry bars available at your local big box store.

I suspect this particular tool is being sold to people who then make it into a hacking tool of sorts. Not sure why they don't just sell it that way. Probably they buy it OTS from someone else like most of their products and thats just the way it comes.

From memory the EOD breacher bar is less than $15 minus sheath, while the CRKT is around or greater than $60. I'd take the EOD. Cost v. use analysis.