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When it comes to pocket knives, I’m always looking for that perfect fusion of form and function. That’s why I was quite pleased with the James Elko, a small, 2-inch blade that folds down into a lovely 2-inch EDC-worthy pocket knife.
The Elko is about two inches long when closed and features something they call an All-Things pry tool. This steel loop on the back of the knife doubles as a screwdriver, pry bar, and even bottle opener. The two-inch Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel blade folds to two positions – 90 degrees and 180 degrees – and is super sharp out of the box. A hole in the blade makes it easy to open from both sides of the knife.
The Elko I tested features an acetate body, a plastic used on high-end eyewear. This particular model features a transparent and brown color scheme – it looks better than that sounds – and is definitely reminiscent of a higher-end pair of shades. They also come in aluminum and titanium.
The knife itself costs a respectable $89 – quite a bit for the size by definitely far lower than similar offerings from SpyderCo and Benchmade. Plus the design and build quality of this James knife is superior to anything I’ve seen at this price point, making it definitely something for your EDC collection.
