Winkler WKII Belt Knife. Right knife?

S

Slipperyfish

Joined
Apr 6, 2014
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I'm considering a WKII belt knife. I've heard nothing but great things about him and his work and don't mind dropping some pretty major coin (for me) on a top quality fixed blade. I'm looking for a good woods knife to pair with a larger knife, probably my BK9 or a kukri. Could be used for anything from camp chores to cooking to cleaning game. I'd like to hear from some owners/users about their experience with using this knife and it's suitability for my planned use. Thank you in advance for your input.
 
The belt knife is small for my hands. I don't have large hands and only wear medium size gloves. I think the belt knife is a good duty knife if you have to carry it all the time. It is reasonably sized but not so small that you can't grip it.

I like the Winker II Field Knife much more. Just my experience, FWIW.

Good luck!
 
Thanks retzuis. That's exactly the kind of feedback I'm looking for. I'll take a closer look at the field knife.
 
Landshark99 said:
For me the belt knife feels perfect, great size, really nice tool
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This is why I recommend you really find a dealer where you can handle the knives before you buy them.

Another example... I went to a local dealer to handle a Chris Reeve Neil Roberts knife with the intention to buy it; after I handled it I didn't like it at all. I tried the Chris Reeve Pacific as a comparison and it felt like it was made for my hand. Subtle differences in size and handle contour can make a huge difference in the overall feel.

If you are going to buy an expensive knife like the Winkler II belt knife and you intend to keep it and use it for years it really is worth it to find a dealer where you can handle the knife to see if you like it, even if you do pay a bit more.
 
I have two belt knives and love them. I have short thick fingers and wide palms, I sometimes find knife handles to be too short but the handle length and shape lends itself to great control for me when working with the knife. Takes a good edge and holds it well, very easy to sharpen/touch up. Great carry system. Love the sheath. Very practical. Winkler designs are simple and effective. Beauty in simplicity.

I'm a big fan, was pleasantly surprised when I took the leap and ended up getting a backup I liked it so much.

I eventually bought a Winkler neck knife to carry on my web belt off a retailer. Was going to sharpen it to thin out the edge before putting it on my web gear and noticed upon inspection that it has a crooked primary grind and the edge curved a tad.

I sent Mr. Winkler an email. He promptly responded saying he'd ship a new one out to me with a return label for the old one. No questions asked. The owner of the company found the time to personally deal with me AND backs his product up 100%. I was impressed. After speaking with him about his tomahawks, I ended up ordering one of those as well and even received a discount due to my profession. Without asking for one.

Great product with a great guy standing behind it. Highly recommend getting whichever knife works for you.
 
Thanks for your input. Unfortunately I can't find a stocking dealer in Louisiana. If any of you know of one, please share.
 
I own 5 different models of Winkler 2 fixed blades, and I really like two of them.

My favorites are the belt knife and the hunting knife, and I think either would serve you well for your intended uses.

I think the hunting knife lends itself more to camp chores with the top of the blade being flat so you could baton more easily.
I do not own the field knife yet, but I think that could be an even better choice for that task because of the extra blade length.

I got the rubber handle on the hunting knife, and it's excellent. On my belt knife I have the sculpted micarta.
Both are great knives and I can't really decide which I like better. I kind of alternate carrying them both.

I haven't decided if I'll get the field knife yet, as I don't really need the extra blade length, but it may just be perfect for what you need.
Best of luck, and let us know what you decide.
 
Another option would be his Utility Knife. I have one, pretty much the same size as what you're looking at. A great knife, very usable for pretty much everything.

As someone else mentioned, dealing with Mr. Winkler is always a easy, professional experience. Great guy.
 
Slipperyfish said:
I'm considering a WKII belt knife. I've heard nothing but great things about him and his work and don't mind dropping some pretty major coin (for me) on a top quality fixed blade. I'm looking for a good woods knife to pair with a larger knife, probably my BK9 or a kukri. Could be used for anything from camp chores to cooking to cleaning game. I'd like to hear from some owners/users about their experience with using this knife and it's suitability for my planned use. Thank you in advance for your input.
Click to expand...

If you can't find a stocking dealer in your area I would email Dan, tell him your situation, and ask him if you receive the belt knife and don't like how it feels if you can send it back and put the funds toward the field knife or hunting knife (obviously you can't use the knife, just see how it feels in your hand and test out the overall ergos). He will respond to your email and give you your options.
 
Thanks retzius, I may just do that.

I thought about the field knife, but I have Ratmandu that I love, so I was leaning towards a sub 5" blade.
 
Yeah I just re-read your original post and saw that you plan to pair it with a larger fixed blade. In that case you probably don't need the longer length of
the field knife.

I think your best choices are between the belt knife and the hunting knife. With both in hand the major difference that stands out, to me, is the raised thumb
ramp on the belt knife, vs. the flat top profile of the hunting knife. The blade shapes are also slightly different.

I don't think this has been mentioned yet, but I would like to say that I think Winkler makes some of the best sheaths in the business. He sends plenty of hardware
and spacers to accommodate even the thickest of belts. I believe they are felt lined, as all of my Winklers have a silent draw, and the kydex doesn't scratch up the
finish.

Additionally, Mr Winkler has always been extremely helpful and polite in all of our communications. I think that once you get one you'll be happy that you did.
 
Lefty, I agree on the sheath. Although still an expensive knife, the sheath really adds to the value. I won't have to spend additional money a quality sheath.
 
Yeah, I never really paid much attention, but most kydex sheaths attach to tec locks via two screws. I really appreciate the 4 point retention on Winkler's sheaths
however the trade off is you have to take your belt off to remove the sheath. Worth it to me.

I have a very thick belt and ended up using 3 spacers per screw for a total of 12 spacers. I put them in similarly sized stacks (they're like flat little plastic pieces,
not all the same size) and then super glued them together to make it less trouble. I also put some glue on the threads of the screws to keep them from getting lost.

I first put it together and tightened the screws down with a screwdriver, later I discovered I could not remove the knife from the sheath because I did it too tight. So,
I realized that they needed to be glued and tightened by hand. Be sure you can draw the knife properly before the glue dries!

Now, my sheaths are perfect. They stay put on the belt, are rigid, have a silent draw, don't scratch the blade finish and the leather outer layer makes them look and
feel very nice.
 
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