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A Venerated EDC Brand Upgrades Its Most Pocket-Friendly Multi-Tool Knife in Nearly Every Way

This ultra-thin folding blade is slimmer than a packet of gum, yet it offers a ton of utility, cutting power and style.

Close-up of a green textured folding knife handle with a silver metal clip and a small emblem on a gray surface.The James Brand
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By Sean Tirman

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A few weeks ago, The James Brand relaunched its Elko keychain knife, making one of the best all-around tiny EDC knives even better in nearly every way.

What you might not have known is that the Elko was just the beginning. Now, as the beloved brand continues its renaissance, it has unveiled another ground-up revamp in The James Brand Ellis.

And just like its keychain-ready sibling before it, there’s a lot to love.

Folding knife with a black textured handle, silver clip, and partially serrated stainless steel blade on a gray surface.
If you’re familiar with the original Ellis, you’ll immediately notice that this new version is much more refined.
The James Brand

Slim pickings

The original Ellis was The James Brand’s slimmest knife ever. It was so slender, in fact, that it was thinner than a packet of gum.

This new edition continues that tradition and pushes it to the next level. That’s right, the Ellis relaunch is actually even slimmer than the original, making it, once again, The James Brand’s slenderest, most pocket-friendly folding knife across its entire catalog (by a pretty wide margin).

Black folding knife with textured handle and partially serrated blade on a gray surface.
The new handle scales are grippier and more ergonomic.
The James Brand

A huge reason for that is the knife’s new pocket clip. The original came with a wire clip, whereas this one has a low-profile machined clip that sits even closer to the handle scales.

Observant EDC fans might even notice that this new clip seems familiar. That’s because the design was borrowed from another everyday carry gear category: pens. And yet, the low-profile design doesn’t prevent it from being just as user-friendly and useful.

I’ve also heard you can remove the clip entirely for an even slimmer take on this knife (though I haven’t confirmed it myself yet).

Close-up of a green textured folding knife handle with a silver metal clip and screws on a gray surface.
On the opposite end of the blade, there’s a scraper, driver and lanyard hole, granting this knife multi-tool status.
The James Brand

Packs a punch

Slimness aside, there’s far more that has been changed with this new take on the Ellis. For instance, it shares the same ground-up stylistic redesign as the new Elko.

That means the original handle scales have been completely eschewed in favor of new machined aluminum ones, which are sleeker, more refined and more ergonomic. They even have a dimpled texture that enhances grip and creates a more faceted, eye-catching appearance.

Yet, some of the best parts of the original remain intact. That includes its workhorse, corrosion-resistant Sandvik 12C27 steel blade, with nail-nick-like manual deployment hole (although the shape is, again, more refined and sleeker). It also maintains its classic slip-joint mechanism, putting this non-locking knife in the same company as Swiss Army Knives.

Silver metal clip with a textured grip attached to the back pocket of black denim jeans.
The refined pocket clip was inspired by EDC pens. It also makes the knife even slimmer than ever before.
The James Brand

And that comparison goes beyond just the blade mechanism. Another returning element is the multifunctional tool opposite the blade. Part driver, part scraper, part pry bar, part lanyard hole, this clever addition adds so much extra utility to this knife, easily granting it multi-tool status.

It should be noted that, unlike other earlier editions of the Ellis, this version does not come with a spring-loaded scissors attachment. Rather, this is just the single-blade version. It also does not have a partially serrated blade option. Whether the brand expands upon it in the future with more tool inserts and blade styles remains to be seen…

Maybe I’m biased, but I think TJB knocked this one out of the park, just as it did with the new Elko.

Hand holding a black textured folding knife with a partially serrated stainless steel blade.
There’s a whole lot of value packed into this incredibly carry-friendly package.
The James Brand

Availability and pricing

The James Brand’s new Ellis EDC knife is now available on the brand’s site for $99 each.

About the Author: Sean Tirman is an associate editor at Gear Patrol who specializes in EDC, cannabis and outdoor gear.

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