{"id":82929,"date":"2017-12-05T14:31:46","date_gmt":"2017-12-05T19:31:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/?p=82929"},"modified":"2017-12-05T14:31:46","modified_gmt":"2023-08-21T13:08:41","slug":"new-winkler-ii-belt-knife-full-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/new-winkler-ii-belt-knife-full-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The New Winkler II Belt Knife – Full Review"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Winkler<\/a>

The Winkler II Belt Knife with sculpted G10 handles.<\/p><\/div>\n

Living in Houston during Hurricane Harvey,\u00a0<\/span>I saw multiple news reports of families getting trapped in their attics and drowning because they did not have the proper equipment. The same thing could happen to me; I’m not prepared either.<\/span><\/p>\n

I started gathering all my prepping gear and quickly realized my kit was lacking a decent fixed-blade knife. I had a couple on hand, including some “gun show specials” aka those cheap Damascus knives you find at pawn shops, flea markets and, of course, gun shows. But nothing that would withstand hard use. (Sorry folks, in case you didn’t know those gun show specials are more likely than not made from\u00a0<\/span>Pakistani Damascus steel, which is just another name for scrap metal recovered from car bumpers, broken pots, discarded pans, and anything else found in the junkyard. Not a tool you want to rely on if your life depends upon it.)\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I am a self-proclaimed folding knife\/custom expert and geek, but fixed blades are not my specialty. I have a few in the collection but they never get used and just aren\u2019t practical for my every day carry (EDC) needs.\u00a0 <\/span>So I began searching for a perfect fixed blade for EDC.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Winkler<\/a>

Starting from the top-down: Winkler II Belt knife, Hoffner Hand Spear, Gunshow Damascus Special, Classic Buck Vanguard<\/p><\/div>\n

The Search<\/h2>\n

I started my search with SEAL Team Six. I wanted to see what the best of the best carry into combat.\u00a0<\/span>I was a little shocked to see that they opted to carry a Winkler Knives Tomahawk<\/a>. It seemed a little impractical to me, but then again I\u2019m not a SEAL. <\/span><\/p>\n

Daniel Winkler, the owner and founder of Winkler Knives<\/a>, worked with the SEAL Teams to develop the perfect combat tomahawk. Every SEAL Team Six member is ceremoniously awarded one of Winkler’s tomahawks after surviving one year in Team Six’s storied Red Squadron. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Winkler<\/a>

The sculpted G10 handles are a real beauty on this blade<\/p><\/div>\n

Winkler’s got 40 years on the job and is a master bladesmith to boot. It’s no surprise then why elite military units have sought him out to create their tools of war.\u00a0 But while the tomahawk is badass, it’s not what I was looking for.\u00a0I wanted a survival, SHTF knife. A knife that can slice, stab, chop — all without breaking. <\/span><\/p>\n

So I ventured onto Knifeart.com<\/span><\/a> since they are a retailer for Winklers, and I found what I was looking for: the Winkler Belt Knife. <\/span><\/p>\n

The G10 digicam scales and CPM-3V Caswell Coated blade had me doing flips. Because the \u201cCPM 3V is a high toughness, wear-resistant tool steel. It is designed to\u00a0<\/span>provide maximum resistance to breakage and chipping in a high wear-resistance steel.\u201d The hot Caswell finish looks tough and ready to be beaten up with a full flat grind. The supple leather sheath it comes with that can be oriented in any direction had me sold.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The knife showed up quickly and I opted for the digicam handle since they are a KnifeArt exclusive.\u00a0 <\/span>My first impression\u00a0was, F#(< yeah! This blade is awesome!<\/em> You can 100 percent tell this knife was made by hand; by someone who loves pointy-stabby things just as much as I do. <\/span><\/p>\n

Impressions<\/span><\/h2>\n

The blade itself is well balanced and has a nice weight to it. The Caswell finish is done right: dark, even and gorgeous. The flat grinds are decent (more on that later) and the blade is true and sharp. It\u2019s hard to obtain flat grinds on knives these days. It\u2019s impressive that Winkler, who is now Winkler II Foundry Knives, has found a way to continue that tradition. And not just an edge flat grind, a full flat grind that starts at the spine of the blade. That takes lots of skill to do, most knives you see these days have a hollow grind. I wouldn\u2019t say the blade is scary sharp, but it will easily cut through paper. I wouldn\u2019t expect a knife of this size or type to be an ideal slicer anyway.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Winkler<\/a>

Closer view of those hand sculpted G10 scales.<\/p><\/div>\n

You can tell the G10 handles were hand sculpted in the workshop, but it grips the palm of your hand and finger swell so nicely. The top spine sports small aggressive jimping for better control. I could see after a long day of use with no gloves, the jimping might irritate your thumb. The finger grove on the bottom of the blade is comfortable and large enough to give me confidence my hand isn\u2019t going to slip onto the blade. On one side of the blade is stamped Winkler Knives CPM3v and on the other MADE IN THE U.S.A.\u00a0 <\/span>I like the fact the handle scales don\u2019t cover the handle completely to allow the user to see how the blade tapers and gets wider near the front. Small details like this are what make a custom knife special.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The leather sheath is made of extreme quality and thick stitching.\u00a0<\/span>The belt clip is high retention and the Kydex seems durable too. The sheath can be oriented horizontally or vertically.\u00a0 <\/span>The knife even comes with extra spacers for your belt size and MOLLE loop straps. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Winkler<\/a>

Belt knife in its leather sheath.<\/p><\/div>\n

Specs<\/span><\/h2>\n