Well this hobby is about to get more expensive.......

[vivi]

Went to a shop to check out their Spydercos and ESEE's. They didn't have anything I was looking for at the moment.

Took a gander of their top shelf section...local customs...none caught my eye. Chris Reeves and Hinderers....I'm good on framelocks. Bark Rivers, they looked gorgeous but weren't the specific models I had in mind.

Then my eyes zone in on a Winkler Belt Knife.

Hmmm. That looks nice. Really nice.

I asked to check it out.

That was the first time I've ever handled a knife that expensive, and felt like paying the asking price. If it were PE, I probably would have walked out with it.

Think I'm gonna have to place an order with them directly so I can get everything exactly how I want it.

It felt perfect for its size. Well balanced, not too heavy, not too light, even the thumb ramp fit me like a glove and that's incredibly rare.

Wish their axes weren't so pricey or I'd consider one of those too, they look beautiful.

[knivesandbooks]

Winkler is legit. There's a few on my to-buy list but are bit above my price range at the moment.

[vivi]

Winkler is legit. There's a few on my to-buy list but are bit above my price range at the moment.

I figure if I buy one really nice knife that I always want to use, that's less expensive than buying a bunch of cheaper knives. That's what I tell myself anyways :D

Gonna unload a few while I wait for them to complete my order, so out of pocket cost will be under a bill.

[Ankerson]

Winkler makes excellent knives, you will not regret getting one.

[knivesandbooks]

Winkler is legit. There's a few on my to-buy list but are bit above my price range at the moment.

I figure if I buy one really nice knife that I always want to use, that's less expensive than buying a bunch of cheaper knives. That's what I tell myself anyways :D

Gonna unload a few while I wait for them to complete my order, so out of pocket cost will be under a bill.

I might pick one up after the holidays. I really like everything about them, including the makers.

[rothnroll]

The Winkler Belt Knife Looks cool. Is it really small enough to EDC horizontally on your belt?

[Naperville]

I have the following and they are very nice. They are not fragile, there is a feeling that they are well made, much like Spyderco knives. The leather sheaths are probably the best sheaths out of the 90 knives that I own. I preferred the black micarta scalloped handles. They come wrapped in some kind of impregnated paper so that they do not rust. Of these I prefer the Recon, Tactical Dagger, Pathfinder and Pick. If you have any questions, let me know.

- Winkler Knives WK II, Winkler Belt Knife - Exclusive Special Edition CPM 3V - Sculpted Multi Cam G10
- Winkler Knives WK II Recon, with "Black Micarta" handles, handle treatment "Sculpted"
- Winkler Knives WK II Tactical Dagger - Caswell and WASP
- Winkler Knives/Jason Knight WKII Pathfinder Fixed Blade Knife Black Micarta (4.75" Black)
- Winkler Knives/Jason Knight WK II Jaeger Fixed Blade Knife Black Micarta
- Winkler Knives WK II Tactical Pick Leather Wrap w/ Kydex Sheath

[JD Spydo]

I know what you mean Vivi. Because my Spyderco obsession/hobby is only one of 3 major obsessions I have. I also collect a German made fishing reel and their other German made fishing equipment made by a superb German Company >> the name of the company is D.A.M. Quick. If you ever fish with one of their German made reels you'll very soon realize why I'm a fan of them. Also Penn reels that are made here in the USA also take up a lot of my time and money.

I also collect books and memorabilia of subjects I find extremely interesting. For instance Charles Manson memorabilia has always been a curiosity of mine. So between my biggest addiction to Spyderco and other nice hardware I'm usually very broke at the end of each month and I very rarely have a lot of excess money in my immediate possession :o . I hope those collections I've accumulated over the years all pay a dividend at some point>> but even if they don't I still enjoy them.

Yeah I can fully understand your mindset :D As far as knives go it's just Spyderco as my main thrust.

[benben]

Hey @Vivi, if you would please, help me out! I'm wanting to buy me a fixed blade soon, something between 8" and 9" with Micarta scales. I've had it in my mind it "has" to be 3V, 4V, M4, or Cruwear, which all of these would be great!

I've been looking at some LT Wright knives and a lot of them have A2 or O1 steel, could you please give the the Cliff Note version on both of those steels, I honestly know nothing about them other than them both being tool steels and used, or used to be used in a lot of customs.

I still may go with a ESEE 3HM, 4HM, or a smaller JG3? I'm sure 1095 would work for me, just curious about those other two steels.

EDIT: Man, a ESEE 4HM in uncoated 3V or M4 would be an awesome fixed blade!

[Surfingringo]

This is all I imagine every time I hear people talking about Winkler knives. :cool: :p

[TomAiello]

Hey @Vivi, if you would please, help me out! I'm wanting to buy me a fixed blade soon, something between 8" and 9" with Micarta scales. I've had it in my mind it "has" to be 3V, 4V, M4, or Cruwear, which all of these would be great!

I've been looking at some LT Wright knives and a lot of them have A2 or O1 steel, could you please give the the Cliff Note version on both of those steels, I honestly know nothing about them other than them both being tool steels and used, or used to be used in a lot of customs.

I'm not Vivi, but have you looked at the Province? It's in the right size range, although the scales aren't exactly what you want, the steel is, and it's a great knife at a really competitive price.

Bark River also has a pretty good Cruwear and 3v selection (lots of them on DLT's web site right now).

If you're looking at A2, check out Landi. I own two of them and they are great fixed blades at a great price. I scratch my head when I see the price difference between Bark River and Landi. Sure, Bark River is super refined and smooth, but we're talking about a knife I'm going to use--not hang on the wall. I can see paying for Bark River's 3v (because 3v options are a lot less plentiful) but their A2 blades seem overpriced (when viewed as tools, rather than art) when compared to the other options on the market. I do own a Bark River in 3v, and that thing is super nice, but if I want to actually beat on a knife, I'll grab my A2 Landi every time because of the price difference.


I own fixed blades in all of the above steels except Cruwear (although I have several folders in Cruwear, and the PD1 Mule, which is pretty much Cruwear). You're basically looking at a sliding scale from super tough and low edge holding up to super edge holding with less toughness (with some that are all around better, but cost more).

My opinions:

O1 is a great easy to sharpen steel that takes a good edge but goes dull fairly quickly. It's a good choice for something you're going to have to sharpen in the field, which is why you see it in a lot of bushcraft knives. It's also super tough.

A2 holds an edge longer than O1 and is still pretty tough. It's also pretty easy to sharpen.

3V is super tough with edge holding in line with good production folders. It's not a super steel for edge holding, but for the combination of edge holding and toughness it's hard to beat. If I wanted a fixed blade for hard outdoor use, I'd go with 3v (or maybe 4v)

Cruwear fits between 3v and 4v for me, both toughness and edge holding wide. A lot of people think it's perfect for them, with that balance of properties, but personally I'd rather have a 4v folder and a 3v fixed blade than either in Cruwear. Your mileage may vary though, and I'm definitely in the minority on Cruwear.

4V is like the flip side of 3v. Holds an edge longer, but not as tough. It's hands down my favorite steel for a larger blade.

M4 is even further along the edge holding/toughness spectrum. More edge holding than 4v, but a bit less tough. Personally, it's not my choice for a fixed blade, and for a smaller folder, if I'm looking for great edge holding I tend to move even further that way (to Maxamet or ZDP) and skip M4.

[MacLaren]

Winkler makes excellent knives, you will not regret getting one.

Yeah, Ole Winkler, is about 30-40 minutes away from me.

[benben]

Hey @Vivi, if you would please, help me out! I'm wanting to buy me a fixed blade soon, something between 8" and 9" with Micarta scales. I've had it in my mind it "has" to be 3V, 4V, M4, or Cruwear, which all of these would be great!

I've been looking at some LT Wright knives and a lot of them have A2 or O1 steel, could you please give the the Cliff Note version on both of those steels, I honestly know nothing about them other than them both being tool steels and used, or used to be used in a lot of customs.

I'm not Vivi, but have you looked at the Province? It's in the right size range, although the scales aren't exactly what you want, the steel is, and it's a great knife at a really competitive price.

Bark River also has a pretty good Cruwear and 3v selection (lots of them on DLT's web site right now).

If you're looking at A2, check out Landi. I own two of them and they are great fixed blades at a great price. I scratch my head when I see the price difference between Bark River and Landi. Sure, Bark River is super refined and smooth, but we're talking about a knife I'm going to use--not hang on the wall. I can see paying for Bark River's 3v (because 3v options are a lot less plentiful) but their A2 blades seem overpriced (when viewed as tools, rather than art) when compared to the other options on the market. I do own a Bark River in 3v, and that thing is super nice, but if I want to actually beat on a knife, I'll grab my A2 Landi every time because of the price difference.


I own fixed blades in all of the above steels except Cruwear (although I have several folders in Cruwear, and the PD1 Mule, which is pretty much Cruwear). You're basically looking at a sliding scale from super tough and low edge holding up to super edge holding with less toughness (with some that are all around better, but cost more).

My opinions:

O1 is a great easy to sharpen steel that takes a good edge but goes dull fairly quickly. It's a good choice for something you're going to have to sharpen in the field, which is why you see it in a lot of bushcraft knives. It's also super tough.

A2 holds an edge longer than O1 and is still pretty tough. It's also pretty easy to sharpen.

3V is super tough with edge holding in line with good production folders. It's not a super steel for edge holding, but for the combination of edge holding and toughness it's hard to beat. If I wanted a fixed blade for hard outdoor use, I'd go with 3v (or maybe 4v)

Cruwear fits between 3v and 4v for me, both toughness and edge holding wide. A lot of people think it's perfect for them, with that balance of properties, but personally I'd rather have a 4v folder and a 3v fixed blade than either in Cruwear. Your mileage may vary though, and I'm definitely in the minority on Cruwear.

4V is like the flip side of 3v. Holds an edge longer, but not as tough. It's hands down my favorite steel for a larger blade.

M4 is even further along the edge holding/toughness spectrum. More edge holding than 4v, but a bit less tough. Personally, it's not my choice for a fixed blade, and for a smaller folder, if I'm looking for great edge holding I tend to move even further that way (to Maxamet or ZDP) and skip M4.

Thank you Tom, excellent post!

[Ankerson]

Winkler makes excellent knives, you will not regret getting one.

Yeah, Ole Winkler, is about 30-40 minutes away from me.

I actually have one coming..

Winkler Belt Knife - Exclusive Special Edition - CPM 3V and Walnut

I had one here years ago to check out in 80CRV2.... Liked the model a lot, not a big fan of basic carbon steels though...

They started using 3V however, the reason why I ordered one.

[MacLaren]

Winkler makes excellent knives, you will not regret getting one.

Yeah, Ole Winkler, is about 30-40 minutes away from me.

I actually have one coming..

Winkler Belt Knife - Exclusive Special Edition - CPM 3V and Walnut

I had one here years ago to check out in 80CRV2.... Liked the model a lot, not a big fan of basic carbon steels though...

They started using 3V however, the reason why I ordered one.

Awesome!
How bout posting it up when ya get it Jim?

[Ankerson]

Winkler makes excellent knives, you will not regret getting one.

Yeah, Ole Winkler, is about 30-40 minutes away from me.

I actually have one coming..

Winkler Belt Knife - Exclusive Special Edition - CPM 3V and Walnut

I had one here years ago to check out in 80CRV2.... Liked the model a lot, not a big fan of basic carbon steels though...

They started using 3V however, the reason why I ordered one.

Awesome!
How bout posting it up when ya get it Jim?

Once it gets here. :)

I really liked the Belt Knife when it was here, the model is great.

I like smaller fixed blades so it was right up my alley, it was just the steel that kept me from getting one.

Until now... :D

Got my notice from Knife Art and noticed them with 3V.

[vivi]

Hey @Vivi, if you would please, help me out! I'm wanting to buy me a fixed blade soon, something between 8" and 9" with Micarta scales. I've had it in my mind it "has" to be 3V, 4V, M4, or Cruwear, which all of these would be great!

I've been looking at some LT Wright knives and a lot of them have A2 or O1 steel, could you please give the the Cliff Note version on both of those steels, I honestly know nothing about them other than them both being tool steels and used, or used to be used in a lot of customs.

I still may go with a ESEE 3HM, 4HM, or a smaller JG3? I'm sure 1095 would work for me, just curious about those other two steels.

EDIT: Man, a ESEE 4HM in uncoated 3V or M4 would be an awesome fixed blade!

Sure, here's my take on these steels.

Lets use 1095 as our baseline. Poor corrosion resistance, but pretty solid everywhere else for a small fixed blade.

O1 has even worse corrosion resistance, the worst I've ever seen, but it sharpens up to an incredible edge with less effort than just about anything. Very good sharpening response, good toughness.

A2 has better corrosion resistance and edge holding than 1095 or O1 for me. Theoretically it isn't quite as tough as those two, but I have never seen A2 fail in the way I use small fixed blades. I think it is the best balance of attributes out of these steels for small knives.

D2 has better corrosion resistance and edge holding in abrasive media than these steels, but is more fragile. This would make a good choice for a hunting knife IMO, something that will see more hide than anything.

Out of all four options I'd go with A2 given the choice, but I can make any of them work for me.

FWIW, while my go to in a small fixed blade is a nice carbon steel with sculpted micarta....I have to say my new Street Beat sure is impressing me. It doesn't have the look I want but man it feels nice to use.

[Ankerson]

Look at Fiddleback Forge then, they use A2...

https://fiddlebackforge.com/collections/handmade

[vivi]

I've got a lot of A2 already.

[Ankerson]

I've got a lot of A2 already.

Then the Winkler could be the best choice then, either steel.

80CRV2 is basically 1080 with added Vanadium.

Or CPM 3V.

Model doesn't matter, you really can't lose, just pick the one you like the best.

Anything you get will last forever...