Note: this knife was sent to me at no cost for review.
This is my third WESN Microblade, but my first of the all blacked out model. It looks killer like this, in case you were wondering — I don’t think my pictures do it justice. There are a lot of knives in this size class out there, but each competing knife focuses on different attributes.
When I look at the Microblade I see a knife designed to be as small as possible, while still being a full fledged knife. That sets it apart from many of the other tiny knives I have, and I have come to love this knife. The black looks stellar and adds a lot to the aesthetics, which is always a welcomed addition.
The Size
First, let’s talk about the size. It is small — like if you have not handled a knife like this, then you will be surprised — small. But to make up for the stubby nature of the knife, there’s width to the design. This makes it easier to hold and less fatiguing to use.
The blade is a scant 1.5” and the overall length when open is a humorous 3.75” and 2.25” when closed. It weighs a single ounce.
The Blade
One thing I have always struggled with on this knife is the blade itself. It’s not the length, but the shape and grinds have always been something I struggled with. This version is the best of all the versions I have received — WESN seems to be hitting their stride with their blade geometry.
I’ve sharpened this myself to add the mirror-ish finish to it.
That’s not to say a lot has changed, but the finish is better than ever. Even looking at this blade next to one of my older models (I have the third one stashed somewhere clever I am sure of that, but I cannot seem to find it) the blacked out model really is finished much better.
This is not a knife made for slicing. It’s not a knife tailored for Amazon boxes. It’s a blade designed to be a versatile and durable as it can be. It’s a tough little blade, especially with D2 being the steel choice for it. It is not delicate.
Yes, it can slice, but it can also be used with some recklessness too. Most companies design small blades to be used for delicate tasks, that’s not what this was designed for. It was designed to be used the same as any larger knife would be. That’s pretty neat once you wrap your head around the concept — which has taken me three versions of this knife to do so.
Carry
Like all the models before it, this knife disappears in your pocket. It feels like nothing, and yet it’s easy to find and grab. The pocket clip works well, but can seem a little unnecessary (note that I am not a huge pocket clip carrier for knives anymore).
It is a small knife that carries exceedingly well. If you wear suits, this will hide very well in thinner pants materials — a very good choice.
But I figured something out this go around, something that is a bit of a game changer with this knife for me. I can’t believe I never tried it before either. I figured this out:
Turns out this knife slips exceedingly well into a PALS/MOLLE webbing slot. It hangs down just enough to allow it to be easily removed as well. I wouldn’t carry it like this on the outside of my bag, but inside on a webbing loop is ideal for a small knife to be stashed completely out of the way. Very cool.
Competition
When I was putting this post together I realized I have a few other knives which are very similar in size, here they are:
From top to bottom: Spyderco Ladybug, Victorinox SD Classic, WESN Microblade 2.0, The James Brand Elko.
All of these carry really well, but all of them are completely different tools. Let me just summarize each for you:
- Spyderco Ladybug: this is a slicey little beast, but your hand will get worn out using it.
- SD Classic: there are only two people in the world who feel threatened by this knife. Only two. It’s a fact. This is the pick if you want scissors, and who can blame you for that, not me.
- Microblade: hard use, do anything, compact knife.
- Elko: this is a knife for people who don’t want a knife, but see the value of a knife.
Of all these tiny knives I have, the WESN and the Spyderco are the two most useable for most tasks. And between those the WESN departs from the Spyderco as the knife that doesn’t feel delicate in some way. But any of these knives suck to use for longer period of times as the small handles will fatigue your hand quickly.
I can’t say the WESN is better than the others, because each has it’s place. But what I can say is that of the options I have, the WESN offers the most versatility and is the one I would chose to carry of the lot.
Overall
It’s taken me three Microblades to find my rhythm with these knives, but I’ve found it. For me it’s less about pocket carry and more about discrete carry in my bags. And this would be a go to the minute I need to wear a suit again.
In the past I thought this was a solid offering, this go around — and especially the blacked out model — this knife is great. It won’t replace a larger knife, but it still can do a lot of stuff. I really like it.
You can find them here, $70.