WESN Shares Its EDC Loadouts and What to Look Out for When Buying Outdoor Gear
A catchup on all things EDC.
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The world of EDC has really taken off over recent years, and with so much to choose from, it’s hard not to get lost in all of its little bolts, screws, and stitches. Luckily for those who love well-built, lasting gear, WESN has come to the forefront of the industry.
Having started the company five years ago with just the Microblade on his mind, WESN founder and CEO Billy Chester decided he wanted to create a brand that could cater to true EDC fans that believed in three core values: heritage, longevity, and simplicity.
Joining us at HYPEBEAST, Chester and brand communications head Ethan Thompson shares with us what their own EDC load-outs are, what to look out for when you’re hunting for quality gear, and how to make your EDC last a lifetime.
As guys who are in the business yourselves and design your own gear, what does your EDC look like?
Billy Chester: The beautiful thing about pure EDC is “simplicity.” That’s my motto. When I started WESN in 2017, the vision was to create a company that would simplify my EDC, not complicate it. We started with a mission to make good knives for people who cared about heritage, longevity, and simplicity. When it comes to EDC, those three things are the key aspects for me, so I literally just carry a keychain that encompasses three WESN products. I have our CB carabiner connected to our QR quick-release keychains and our compact Microblade.
Everything I carry on me isn’t just because it’s WESN, but because for me personally, it’s the best option for EDC. So that whole chain forms the hub of my EDC, and then I have my phone with me that has a solid OD green case on it and a Fjallraven sling bag. Inside the bag are my wallet, a pair of sunglasses, and a pen from Tactile Turn, which is one of the best pen makers in the world. I also wear Momotaro jeans every day. That’s my EDC.
Ethan Thompson: I have a very similar setup. When I found WESN, one of the things that stood out to me was the CB. I was using carabiners for the longest time just to hold my keys together, and I think it’s an absolute essential. It holds everything together. I also have a Microblade and a QR for my keys. We make this little multitool called the MT as well and I have one on there for when I need to open a bottle or pry something open.
BC: We jump back five years ago, I was a minimalist. I took pride in having five t-shirts, a pair of jeans, and two pairs of boots. That was my life. I didn’t know much about EDC at the time but I always carried a Montblanc pen with me – which is totally off-brand for me now – and I wore a vintage Rolex. These things were also investments, I wasn’t just some rich guy walking around. I also carried a very tactical SOG pocket knife, and it didn’t really speak to me. All the things I had ticked the boxes for heritage and longevity, but they were all missing simplicity. So when I started WESN, I started with the Microblade and I had a clear vision. When I pull out my pocket knife, I don’t want to look like an ex-Army vet that’s about to cut someone loose. I wanted to create something for the Momotaro-wearing and Red Wing boots fanatics out there, and WESN was born from that vision. Five years later, we’ve almost encompassed the entire EDC spectrum, and we’ll continue to do more.
What are some of the key things people should look out for when shopping for their own EDC gear?
BC: Everything is mechanical in EDC, so the first thing to look for is a warranty. If that product doesn’t come with a lifetime warranty, and if that warranty isn’t simple, then I wouldn’t even consider that product. If you’re not making these things last a lifetime, then what’s the point? EDC products don’t usually go out of date like an iPhone does because of advancements, so they should last you a very long time. This is step one.
Step two is to look at the materials. Learning about EDC materials will help you learn about the quality of a product very quickly. If somebody throws some 440C steel on there – steel that fundamentally lacks toughness – I’m sorry to tell you this but they’re not machining it with precision, they’re not putting energy into it, and they’re using steel that’s already garbage. If you learn basic knowledge about steel and blades, you’ll never make another mistake again when buying EDC.
For step three, I’d like to say heritage to define quality, but in truth, that’s not the world we live in anymore. Montblanc no longer makes the best pens in the world – its Tactile Turn, which is a five-year-old company handmaking pens on a lathe. It’s about commitment behind a product, and what applies to you in design.
ET: Your EDC is something you’ll literally carry every single day, so you want them to not just embody you but also do that for a long time, instead of cycling through five wallets or six pens. EDC gear is coming out left and right now but instead of spending on a lot of different items, find two or three that really speak to you and represent you that you can depend on and carry with pride.
BC: I think EDC is an extension of you, and it’s your personality on a table.
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Given that EDC speaks so much about you, you’d definitely want to keep your setup in good shape. What are some of the best ways to maintain your gear?
ET: There are a lot of ways, and especially with knives, people think about buying a knife but never about how to make it last as long as possible. Here at WESN we always talk about products lasting a lifetime, but you have to be part of that. You get a car and you have an oil change every few months, and it’s the same with knives. Classic knife maintenance includes lubing it up, but we’re also hoping to shine a spotlight on sharpening it. You cannot expect your knife to serve you if you’re using it every day without keeping it sharp. When it’s dull, you actually end up damaging the blade more, so we invented a holiday called the International Knife Sharpening Day on April 9. It came from the absurdity that any day can be this big holiday now because we saw a pencil sharpening day back in March, but there isn’t one for knives! So we created this new holiday to engage with the global EDC community and in the spirit of spring cleaning, just bring attention to knife maintenance as well so you can have it ready for the summer on your next camping or hiking trip. Give your gear care, that’s the biggest thing.
BC: Oil your boots and wax your jacket. That’s the thing about longevity: a product only lasts as long as you take care of it, and maintenance is the backbone of all of it. We believe in repair, not replacement. That’s the principle of EDC.
You can learn more about WESN’s offerings over on the brand’s website.
