the Elko

After reading reviews of the Elko, I was excited to get my hands on one. I live and work in a large New England city where a larger pocket knife would not be acceptable to bring to the office, and lets face it…is completely unnecessary for modern urban life. But I still need to cut the odd thread, open boxes, etc… The Elko seemed like a sleek, convenient, non-threatening tool to have on me.

It looks great, it’s the perfect size for a coin pocket. But unfortunately the finish left a lot to be desired. And I do mean a lot. It arrived so dull it couldn’t even cut some butcher twine. The micarta scales were also a little loose, and the slip join felt a little sloppy. I liked the design of it, so I was willing to spend nearly an hour sharpening it to the point it could slice a piece of paper, and found a small enough hex wrench to tighten everything up. Since then it’s been a great, dependable tool. But at $75 for a tiny 1.5” knife, it’s pretty unacceptable for it to arrive in that condition when comparable knives that cost about 90% less will usually come out of the box razor sharp and ready to use with no user servicing required. Granted, once sharpened the Elko has held an edge longer than a cheaper knife and it seems far more robust…but….if you’re buying a premium product you expect a premium experience, and the Elko came up pretty short on that.

Works great on a keychain so that you'll always have available. Only complaint is I keep forgetting it's on there when travelling and lose it at security and end up buying another.

Small sharp and stylish!

A perfect kitchen knife. Great job James brand!

James Brand products are made of the highest quality, style and craftsmanship. It one of the best knives I own and I have expensive ones.