2026 won’t go down in the history books as being a big year for multitools. The category is already brimming with options, so, in my opinion, it really doesn’t need to. That said, the few new tools released have been notable, especially in the plierless sub-category.
Earlier in the year, Victorinox launched its Synergy X Alox, bringing Swiss Army Knives (SAKs) into the 21st century. Boker also launched its Naturensöhne MK II NXT, aimed more toward the bushcraft crowd. Now, for the tail end of the year, the James Brand has launched its first pocket multitool: the Helton ($169).
Where the aforementioned and standard Swiss Army Knives generally focus on function, the Helton is a masterclass in form as well. Sure, it’s got all the onboard tools a growing outdoorsian wants and needs, but it also has an air of opulence that elevates the form factor. This upgrade in aesthetics isn’t just for looks, however — it also supports the overall functionality of the tool.
In short: With the Helton, the James Brand has created a high-end, EDC pocket multitool with eight essential tools for those who don’t mind spending a little more to carry something they can both rely on and admire. It’s not the first tool someone would choose; it’s the one they’d choose when they have the money to choose anything.
Specifications
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Robust build
- Overall design
- Tool assortment
- That toothpick could literally be the deciding factor between life and death if you get caught in the middle of a fight between two rival gangs
Cons
- People will complain about the elevated price
- Having to choose between a pocket clip and tooth pick is harder than you might think
The James Brand Helton Review
Design & Features
The Helton is made entirely of 6061 aluminum, steel, and stainless steel, giving it both a rigid foundation and a lightweight build. This makes it a proper contender for your EDC needs.
Additionally, all its onboard tools lock, and the two screwdrivers are magnetized. This last bit of detail may actually be a first for pocket multitools. It’s also a major benefit for a tool that you might end up using while crawling around trying to fix this or that, in various uncomfortable positions when you’re out and about.
There’s no tool bloat on the Helton. In fact, because the selection is so well-curated, you find yourself wondering if something is missing. After all, we’re used to SAKs that have too little or too much.
Like traditional SAKs, the Helton comes with both a toothpick and a pair of tweezers. However, if you want to carry the toothpick, which doubles as a prison shiv in a jam, you’ll need to remove the pre-installed pocket clip. No fret, Chet — when you remove the pocket clip, you can install the included, color-matched lanyard for easy pocket retrieval. All of these aspects continue the tradition of the James Brand tools being well thought out.
First Impressions
Like everything else that TJB has released, the Helton is streamlined, clean, and proper. It feels like it should come in the glove box of a classic car that some snooty professor would drive in a John Hughes film. Something that, once you saw it, grabbed your attention far longer than any other event in that movie.
Its stippled aluminum handle scales juxtaposed against the finish on the hardware and the tools just look good. Add in the color-matched lanyard and bead, and you’ve got something you can admire. However, the buck doesn’t stop there. Once you put the Helton in your hand and cycle through its functions, you realize that this tool is a high-end, total package.
I read a handful of “first look” reviews before I received my sample. A bunch of words on a screen from people who have seen the tool — maybe even held it in their hand — but never really got down to brass tacks with it and used it. It made for great content in describing what the Helton was, but they all lacked context on what it can do.
That said, never one to pull punches or phone it in for you folks, I’m excited to throw it in my pocket, lanyard and all, to see what it’s all about.
Full disclosure, I am not a fan of combo edge blades — or serrations, for that matter. However, seeing that the Helton is a streamlined tool designed to be all-encompassing without being bulky, I can appreciate why TJB chose this route.
In the Field
I had a real itch to see how well the magnetized screwdrivers worked on the Helton, so that became my first priority, aside from removing the pocket clip to carry the toothpick. I’ll tell you off the bat that you’re not going to be able to drag screws around the table; they do a good enough job of keeping the screw head attached to them while you’re screwing with them. You’ll notice it more with any flathead screw you encounter.
The other shining star of the tool assortment is the scissors. They’re incredibly sharp and sized just right to allow you to cruise through materials, taking sharp turns here and there without getting jammed up. For the last 30 years, scissors have been a must for me on multitools, so I am happy to report how effective they are on the Helton.
From there, it’s just a high-end tool that I think anyone who feels like dropping almost $200 for will really enjoy. Everything plays well together. The tools are positioned in such a way that they don’t get in one another’s way when you’re trying to retrieve them or use them.
And everything locks up like a bank vault. Even the tweezers did a bang-up job on slivers, wayward mustache hairs, and pulling a tick off our new puppy.
That said, I only used the Helton for a week. This tool is just launching, and I wanted to make sure the James Brand got the right press for it at the right time.
However, unlike some of my cohorts in the journalism industry, I did use them — and I used them properly, in real time — in my real life. I think it’s important that if you’re going to review something, you use it — not just admire it.
GearJunkie’s editorial director also got his hands on the Helton. He kept it in his truck during 10 days of elk hunting and found a few great uses.
First, when his phone didn’t charge because a pine needle was stuck in the port, he used one side of the tweezers to break the wedged needle free. He had to get creative to get that broken needle out, and used the scissors to create a sharp plastic pick from a Coke bottle. Problem solved, thanks to the multitool.
In Conclusion
Like all of the James Brand tools, the Helton isn’t for everyone. That’s not a bad thing. TJB over-engineers and over-builds products, and their higher retail price reflects that commitment to excellence. In fact, other pocket tools can do the job as efficiently as the Helton, for half the price.
That said, the kind of people who get in bed with a tool like this are looking for something above average. They’re looking to spend a little more, knowing that the tool isn’t mass-produced and feels exclusive. They like knowing it will overperform in the long run. Where VG-10 isn’t a premium knife steel, on a pocket multitool, it’s better than what most brands are putting out.
Overall, this is the EDC pocket multitool you graduate to after you bring home your first paycheck at your first high-profile job. The one where they serve seltzer at the water cooler instead of flat water. Where all the cubicles have a view of the outside, and someone comes around and dusts at night after you go home.
The Helton is a step up from the other tools in its category in both form and function. It was toiled over, and all the kinks were ironed out before it hit the market, so the only thing you have to worry about is finding things to use it for.
