Remember in the late ’90s when everything seemed to be translucent? It’s like tech brands everywhere wanted to showcase the magic behind the curtain, from iMac computers to Game Boy handhelds. Even non-electronic items like couches and backpacks had their time under the see-through sun.
As style is ever so cyclical, it seems like translucency is back yet again, even where you least expect it. Inspired by retro gaming consoles, Detroit-based knifemaker WESN is getting in on the action. They’ve even developed a brand-new material for the task, employing it on their two most popular EDC models. Let’s take a look…
From the Garage to a New Material
Billy Chester launched WESN out of a Detroit garage back in 2017, driven by a straightforward premise: build the compact keychain knife that didn’t exist in the market yet. That first Microblade Kickstarter pulled in over 3,000 backers, and the rest is EDC history. Since then, the brand has earned a devoted following for its tight-tolerance machining, ceramic bearing pivots, and lifetime warranties on both the Microblade and the slightly larger Allman.
The Retro Collection is the brand’s most ambitious drop to date, but it didn’t happen overnight. WESN Creative Director Ethan Thompson describes an early phase of testing period-accurate translucent materials, all of which underperformed. They scratched, faded, and aged poorly. So the team spent roughly a year working directly with their manufacturing partners to engineer something better from the ground up. The result is a high-clarity, impact-resistant polymer they’re calling Arcadite. It delivers the visual depth and color punch of those retro plastics, with meaningful improvements to durability, wear resistance, and long-term color stability. After four rounds of sampling, they finally had it.
Two Knives, Four Colorways
The collection puts Arcadite to work on both flagship models. The Allman, WESN’s full-size workhorse, gets a front scale machined from the new polymer paired against a Grade 5 titanium back, keeping the knife grounded in the brand’s usual material expertise. It ships in very N64-core Frosted Cherry and Cosmic Blue colorways.
The Microblade, the sub-2-oz keychain knife that started it all, goes dual-sided Arcadite on both scales, in Lavender Haze and Voltage Green that recall old-school Macs you may have used in school. Blade steels are untouched from standard spec: CPM S35VN on the Allman, D2 tool steel on the Microblade.
Beyond just looking cool, the transparent scales have an unintentional bonus for gear nerds. You can actually see the frame lock, liner, and bearing mechanism through the handle.
The WESNBoy
To complete the nostalgic kick, every knife ships in custom packaging designed to mimic the tactile experience of cracking open a ’90s video game box, and each order includes a tiny 8-bit keychain gaming console called the WESNBoy. It’s playable, clippable, and matches your knife’s colorway.
Spec Sheet
Model: Allman / Microblade
Blade Steel: CPM S35VN (Allman); D2 Tool Steel (Microblade)
Blade Length: 2.8″ (Allman); 1.5″ (Microblade)
Open Length: 6.65″ (Allman); 3.75″ (Microblade)
Closed Length: ~3.85″ (Allman); 2.25″ (Microblade)
Weight: ~3.65 oz (Allman); ~1 oz (Microblade)
Handle (Front): Arcadite Polymer
Handle (Back): Grade 5 Titanium (Allman); Arcadite Polymer (Microblade)
Lock Type: Liner Lock (Allman); Frame Lock (Microblade)
Colorways: Frosted Cherry, Cosmic Blue (Allman); Lavender Haze, Voltage Green (Microblade)
Includes: WESNBoy Keychain Console
Edition: Limited Run
Price: $219 (Allman); $135 (Microblade)
Pricing & Availability
The WESN Retro Collection drops April 3 at 11AM EST exclusively on the brand’s website. This is a limited run, and based on how past WESN collabs have moved, it won’t stick around.
Recap
WESN Retro Collection
Inspired by ’90s aesthetics, WESN just dropped the Retro Collection, putting their newly developed translucent polymer — Arcadite — on both the Allman and Microblade in four bold colorways. It launches April 3.
