The James Brand Wayland

If you’re a fan of modern gents everyday carry knives and you’re looking for a new blade to add to your collection, we’re spoiled for choice with this year’s releases. To add to your options, The James Brand has just released the new Wayland knife, which is their modern take on the venerable barlow style gents folding knife. The difference lies in the premium materials used in the construction of the knife, firmly placing it in the modern day with superior cutting performance compared to its vintage traditional gents knife cousins.

At first glance, it’s obvious that the Wayland knife is a barlow-style knife: it has big bolsters, a teardrop-shaped handle, a manual nail nick opening, and a utility-oriented sheepsfoot blade. And like the original barlow knives, the Wayland has a non-locking slip joint mechanism, which makes it well-suited for carry in places where locking blades aren’t an option due to restrictions. But unlike the knives of old, the Wayland features a 3" blade that is made out of premium CPM-S35VN stainless steel, giving it superior cutting performance compared to retro knives and allowing you to carry out any of your everyday cutting and slicing tasks with ease with it in hand. The extended ambidextrous nail nick gives you more purchase on the blade compared to its traditional cousins as well, meaning you can deploy this blade faster than with an older knife and potentially with one hand as well with some practice.

Aside from the sheer practicality inherent in the premium materials used in the blade of the knife, the aesthetics of The James Brand Wayland has to be applauded as well. The minimal blacked-out design with the knife, handle, and scales makes for a low-profile yet classy look without looking too aggressive like a tactical knife can in polite company. And because the handle scales are made out of G10, they’re far more stable against moisture compared to traditional wood and bone inlays, and the use of G10 also vastly improves your grip upon the blade during use even when things get wet. Additionally you’ll find a nice quality of life addition to the design of the Wayland with the inclusions of a rear lanyard hole, which lets you add a bit of string or paracord to the back to make it easier to retrieve from your pockets or from a pocket in a bag.

The James Brand Wayland is the kind of modern gents knife that your grandparents would have loved to have in their pockets, had they been given the chance to EDC it. You have that chance, and the Wayland should be a strong contender if you’re looking for a new gents knife to pick up this year. Check out the link below and make one of these beautiful knives yours by purchasing it today.

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