Often when we use the phrase “EDC-friendly,” we’re talking about a pocket knife. That’s because as a category, knives is vast; the quantity of blade shapes, lengths and functions is innumerable, and not all are fit for everyday use. Everyday carry is more general than knives though; it includes flashlights, wallets, keychains — anything that we might carry and use on a daily basis. Even writing utensils are fair game, and The James Brand, a company best known for creating some of the prettiest EDC pocket knives out there, just made a pen.
The James Brand has always maintained daily use as the driver of its creative engine. The first pocket knife it ever made was born of its founder Ryan Coulter’s desire to create a blade that he and his team actually wanted to carry every day. They wanted an alternative to the overly-utilitarian and tactical-focused knives that characterize much of what the knife industry produces. So they came up with the Chapter, a sleek, geometric tool with titanium scales and a steel blade. Then they made more knives to complement it: a more-classic lockback, a keychain model, even a slightly tactical model.
The James Brand cemented itself as a knife company, but then it made the Hook, a ruler/bottle opener contained as a key carrier. This year it followed that up with a lanyard, a bladeless tool, a carabiner and now, a pen. Named the Benton, the new pen is 5.5-inches long and made with a stainless steel barrel. It’s capless, using a lanyard-equipped push button to deploy its writing point. The Benton is available in black and stainless (for now) and follows the company’s refined design schema (attention to materials, clean lines, minimal branding, subtle hits of lime green). It also reinforces an important idea: The James Brand isn’t just a knife company anymore.
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