It’s a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.
MagnaCut has become the everyday carry knife community’s favorite steel of choice this year (for good reason), and the new James Brand Wells adds a minimalist folder to the mix. The Wells is The James Brand’s first rear flipper design, eschewing the front flipper and manual activation of their previous models. The index flipper is one of the most intuitive of the flipper deployment mechanisms, and it means most EDC enthusiasts will be able to bring the Wells and its MagnaCut blade to bear faster than ever.
Each Wells knife is machined and assembled in the USA, which aligns well with the knife’s story since MagnaCut also originates from the United States. In the Wells, The James Brand has forged it into a modified 2.875″ sheepsfoot-slash-wharncliffe shape well-suited for everyday cutting and slicing utility tasks.
The wire pocket clip comprises 420 stainless steel, and the aerospace grade 6061 aluminum handle contains ball bearings in the pivot for smooth action. A button lock (another modern knife feature favorite) completes the mix, creating a secure, right-handed carry blade in two colorways to best match your carry.
What we like: While some prefer the cleaner lines of a front-flipper design, the index flipper style is much easier to deploy for most users, and its inclusion in this quality EDC folder is a positive development. It’s also nice to see James Brand occasionally break their mold and try new things, especially with exciting materials and functionality at play.
What to watch out for: This is a hefty knife at 3.3 ounces in weight compared to other MagnaCut folders (and even some fixed blades) available today that manage to get things below two ounces. Still, the sum of its parts makes it a worthwhile carry in our book.
Final verdict: If you’ve been hunting for a premium minimalist MagnaCut folding knife, look no further than the new James Brand Wells flipper knife.
