A Cult-Favorite EDC Brand Just Outdid Itself with These Dazzlingly Retro ’90s-Inspired Knives (Exclusive)

Two of the brand’s most iconic blades get a gaming-inspired throwback treatment built on a super-cool new proprietary material.

Red translucent folding knife with black clip resting on a red translucent gaming controller.

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By Sean Tirman

Published March 27, 2026

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For a long while, WESN’s Allman pocket knife was my number one go-to EDC blade. Even now, it’s still a big part of my day-to-day rotation. From its unique, minimalist styling to its robust build, it really hits the sweet spot for me.

I also happen to be a child of the ’90s, the era when transparent technology reigned supreme. It was a simpler time, when our Tomagatchis were well-fed, and our N64s were always ready for a round of Mario Kart or GoldenEye.

Two folding knives with silver blades and translucent handles, one blue and one red, placed on a wooden surface surrounded by retro gaming items. — The retro version of the brand’s iconic Allman is available in either Frosted Cherry or Cosmic Blue.

Imagine my surprise when I learned that these two seemingly disparate parts of my life were to be combined into one fantastically retro crossover in WESN’s Retro Collection.

But this release isn’t just stylistic; It’s built on a new proprietary material. I had a chance to speak with Ethan Thompson, WESN’s Creative Director, about how this novel collection (and its unique material) came to be.

Two small folding knives with stainless steel blades and translucent handles, one purple and one green, on a cutting mat. — The other knife in the collection, the Microblade, comes in Lavender Haze and Voltage Green.

Ready player one

Lovers of the brand will be happy to learn that the collection comprises two of WESN’s best, most recognizable knives: the full-sized Allman and the keychain-friendly Microblade. Their silhouettes and size specs remain thankfully unchanged.

That goes for their steel blades, as well. As is typical with these silhouettes, the Allman gets an S35VN high-performance steel and the Microblade is equipped with hard-working D2 steel.

However, their handle scales are very different from the norm (and different from anything WESN has done before. That’s because, for this collection, they’ve been crafted from a material the brand calls Arcadite.

Hand holding a red translucent folding knife with "WESN" on the blade and "RETRO COLLECTION" on the handle. — WESN’s next-gen Arcadite polymer took the brand a year to develop from scratch.

“A lot of us on the team grew up with translucent handheld consoles and controllers that were popular in the ’90s: GameBoys, N64 controllers,” Thompson explained. “There was something about those translucent materials that stuck with us. They felt playful, expressive, and different from what you typically see in electronics and tools, especially today.”

WESN began its exploration of this collection by using materials similar to that iconic retro tech. However, none of it was up to snuff. “Visually, they weren’t bad,” Thompson continued, “but performance-wise, they didn’t pass our tests. They scratched easily, lost color, and didn’t age well.”

So the brand embarked on a new endeavor, seeking to recreate that familiar vibe in a material that could actually perform in an EDC tool setting.

Hand holding a small purple metal multitool with a visible screw and a clip. — The transparent scales have the added bonus of showing the structure and mechanisms inside the knives.

“We spent about a year working with our manufacturing partners, testing different formulations and finishes,” Thompson said. “The goal was to create something with the same clarity and color depth, but with improved durability, wear resistance, and long-term stability in the color. I think it took four good rounds of sampling, then we finally had it.”

“I got next!”

As much of an endeavor as it is to create a new material from scratch, it wasn’t enough for WESN. “Once we committed to the retro concept, we couldn’t stop at just the knives,” said Thompson. “Something we love is the experience of opening a product, and that general feeling around a truly great packaging experience. “

Green and white box labeled "The Microblade Retro Collection Pocket Knife" with wavy black lines and a small black pull tab. — Even the packaging was painstakingly, lovingly designed and constructed to enhance the experience.

So, the packaging, like the knives inside, was also lovingly and painstakingly crafted to enhance the overall experience of this launch. And yet, even that wasn’t going far enough. The brand even went to the trouble of creating a secondary retro surprise in every package: the WESNBoy handheld gaming device.

“Video games and tech used to have such a grand feeling around unboxings,” Thompson said. “We’ve lost a lot of the grandeur around creating experiences around a product, not just in a product.”

“The WESNBoy came from that idea of bringing that feeling back,” Thompson continued. “It’s a simple, small, playable 8-bit console that you can clip onto your keys or carabiner. It adds a layer of interaction and experience that goes beyond the product itself.”

Blue translucent handheld electronic game with keychain and blue translucent folding knife on a cutting mat. — Every knife also comes with an extremely cool retro gaming bonus: a matching WESNBoy keychain console.

The future of Arcadite

If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering whether we’ll see more knives and tools made with this new WESN-developed material. So, I had to ask…

“Right now, Arcadite is exclusive to our Retro Collection, and we made it just for that,” Thompson told me. “However, we can definitely see it as more than just a one-off material. It opens up new possibilities in terms of color, finish, and how we approach certain handles going forward.”

While that’s a little up in the air, he did leave me with one little tidbit — a ray of hope for those who love this kind of vintage-inspired approach to EDC gear (and beyond):

Collection of colorful WESN folding knives, retro handheld game consoles, Pokémon cards, and game cartridges on a wooden surface. — Speaking as a ’90s kid, this might be the coolest collection WESN has ever dropped.

“If the Retro Collection goes well, we’re not against bringing some different variants of it into reality.”

If this launch is any indication, I, for one, have high hopes for what we might see in WESN’s future.

Availability and pricing

The WESN Retro Collection drops on the brand’s official site on April 3. However, it’s a limited-run lineup and expected to sell out extremely quickly, so you’ll want to sign up for notifications right now.

When it goes live, the Allman will sell for $219, while the Microblade will sell for $135.

Collection of colorful retro-style pocket knives and handheld electronic games on a wooden surface with Pokémon cards and game cartridges.

WESN The Retro Collection

Starts at $135

About the Author: Sean Tirman is an associate editor at Gear Patrol who specializes in EDC, cannabis and outdoor gear.

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