We asked, you told.
In celebration of our fourth anniversary last month, we commissioned you with an important task. To tell us some of your WESN stories. Tales from weekends spent outside battling the elements, through long work days, even some good ole’ urban adventuring.
Storytelling is everything — to us at least. We strive to tell a story through every product we make. With that, it’s up to you to create your own story to tell with every journey you take, WESN at your side.
So here we are, gathered around our metaphorical campfire. Grab a marshmallow and settle in for some of our favorite of your WESN stories.
An extension of yourself
WESN products are made to go everywhere, it’s imbued within the rearranged compass directions that make up our brand name.
For Erik Olsson, his adventures often take place in the Swedish countryside.
“My Allman has lived in my pocket for almost a year now, making itself quite comfortable there and always looking out for me. From picking mushrooms, to finishing woodwork around the cabin, or even splitting some wood for the fire.
“My kids know it’s always in my pocket, so they talk about my WESN like it’s a part of me,” Erik looks up from the fire and tells us with a smile.
“I guess they’re right. I have a tattoo of a knife my father had his whole life, I saw it as an extension of him. Maybe my kids will one day have a tattoo of an Allman on them. That would be the greatest honor.”
For more reasons than simply appealing to our Scandinavian roots, this story gets us excited. We can’t wait to see those Allman tattoos as well!
From generation to generation
From Sweden, we shift across the map into the heart of the American midwest — the sweet state of Missouri. Shawn Cash, a passionate ceramic artist steps up to tell us his tale.
“It was during the Henry Kickstarter campaign that my story began. That was the first time I discovered WESN and fell in love with your dedication to make high quality, long lasting knives.
“During this time, my wife and I just found out we were expecting our first child — that’s what piqued my interest the most. Being that the Henry was a modern take on knives our grandparents carried, I immediately decided that it would be the knife I would start carrying to break in and prepare to pass down one day.“
It’s a classic tale of gaining perspective.
“The quality is stellar,” Shawn says. “I’m confident that it will stand the test of time and my son will be getting the best of the best in his knife when he comes of age. Since then, I’ve been growing my collection! WESN has always been by my side since the start.”
Objects with history are held in highest regard. There’s a reason the things our parents and grandparents hand down to us are often rendered priceless, no matter what the monetary value of the object is. The stories contained within, just can’t have a dollar amount placed on them.
Thanks for starting a story for the generations with us, Shawn.
From forest to open sea
We look up and WESN veteran Rory Shaw from Nova Scotia eagerly begins sharing his journey as we throw some more logs on the fire. We’re all ears.
“We go way back. I was one of the original backers for the Microblade all those years ago. When I saw it on Kickstarter, I immediately loved the design and my WESN journey began. What I had been missing was a knife I could reliably carry every day, close at hand and easy to use. The Microblade seemed perfect, something that could last a lifetime.”
“Now, I carry both my Microblade and Henry everyday, using them for daily tasks or even when I head into the woods for a camping trip. But my Allman is reserved for my sailing kit,” Rory tells us eagerly.
“When I often race and am holding down the foredeck, It reassures me when I reach towards my pocket and feel the familiar outline… ready to be deployed whenever I need.
“As you’ve released more knives, I’ve fallen in love over and over again. I’ve begun giving your knives as gifts to family members — and to this day, my father is never seen without his Microblade on his keychain.”
Rory breathes in deeply. “Since the start of my WESN story, I’ve been through a lot. Graduating high school and starting two universities, love, heartbreaks, and countless adventures… Through it all, my WESN knives have been there, just waiting for an opportunity to perform.”
An essential part of everyday life
A warm breeze sweeps through camp, and suddenly we feel like we're in the middle of the Philippines alongside Gio Puno, who begins painting his story for us.
“The worldwide pandemic really reshaped how we approached our daily lives. I got into the EDC world because of this just about a year ago.
“Everytime we would go out for food and supply runs, we needed to carry several different things on us. I quickly learned that a good pocket knife was the anchor to any EDC kit. I chose WESN, specifically the Henry, as what I would carry with me everyday,” Gio says.
“The size and aesthetic were perfect, and the utility… I never knew I could use a knife so much daily! I appreciated how this one tool was such a game changer for everyday life. As we continue living our lives, I’m glad I have something in my kit that makes my life a bit more hassle free.”
Gio, we’re just as glad as you are.
The sunrise is just moments away...
As time for storytelling comes to a close and the embers of the fire start to fizzle out, an unexpected guest walks out from the treeline and asks to tell their story.
It’s none other than Wes N — Wes Norris.
When Wes stumbled upon our brand, he thought he found a brand that was made completely custom for him, even to his name.
“I was looking through Kickstarter and found the Microblade. I thought somehow, the website had added my name onto the knife to make it custom for me!”
He continues, “I’m a geologist and work with maps all the time. When I realized WESN was the letters of the compass rearranged — even though it wasn’t really completely custom to my name — I still thought that was kinda cool. Since then, I’ve bought every knife. Thanks for making a brand for me!”
While WESN’s namesake wasn’t actually modeled after Wes N, he still found a brand that was made for him.
That’s exactly what WESN is. A brand we created, and you embody with every step you take, WESN in hand.
While reading through every one of your adventures, we laughed, cried, and were filled with a sense of immense pride. Our brand exists because of you and the stories you’ve created. Your stories are why we do what we do.
Thank you for taking us along for the ride, we’re honored to be a part of your story.
Cheers to every tale to come!