Cgarcia
Member
Rundown:
As I sit down to write this review it has been a year and two months since I acquired the Skinner.
I paid about $180 out of pocket for this knife. Store price with a modest employee discount.
I get no money or other perks from WINKLER, CASE, or any other manufacturer or maker.
The blade originally grabbed my attention due to its varied handle material offerings, 80CrV2 steel, blade shape, and overall size. 5” blade is right about the perfect size for a general purpose outdoorsman’s belt knife. Profile is pointy enough to function as a weapon but with a deep enough belly to skin, carve, and do limited chopping.
I have partially stripped the Caswell finish, convexed the edge, and squared and polished the spine.
I have upgraded to a custom Kydex foldover sheath from Texas Holster Solutions as well. These are the only mods I have found necessary to improve the functionality of the knife.
Relevant specs:
80CrV2 Bladesteel, 5”ish blade, trailing point configuration, symmetrical V-edge
Caswell (Black Oxide) coating/finish
Black Canvas Micarta scales. Black Walnut and multicolor G10 also offered.
Kydex reinforced leather sheath with belt loop
Aggressive thumb jimping
Built by CASE to WINKLER KNIVES Specs
Observations:
Out of the box the factory edge is toothy and shaving sharp but on the obtuse side. Even if you keep a V-Edge on this thing you would do well to thin the edge bevels significantly. Bladesteel, Caswell, and Heat Treat are identical to “real deal” Winklers I have owned in the past. Edgeholding and sharpenability are also indistinguishable from other Winkler pieces.
The Micarta scaled version was chosen due to its comfort and durability. G10 is great but the heavy ribbing pattern was uncomfortable and seemed a bit slick. Black Walnut is great for traditionalists and riflestocks. I do not like wood on working knives.
Factory sheath was very well made but overly bulky. Belt loop was HUGE and clumsy. I immediately removed it from the sheath and fastened a static line to the sheath for IWB or pocket carry. Much better but still too bulky for my taste. At this point I commissioned a single piece minimalist sheath from Texas Holster Solutions of San Antonio, TX. Good retention, minimalist build, and slimness were all key features and the sheath exceeded expectations.
With regards to “testing”, I simply use the knife. Nothing fancy or crazy.
-SPEAR Survival SERE Level-A Course.
-EDC in a very humid environment for 6+months.
-Field dressing, skinning, quartering, and boning of multiple small game and a Whitetail spike buck.
-Chopping through deer ribs, smaller bones.
-Carving Ashe Juniper and Live Oak.
-Kitchen use both field and home.
-Preparing wood and kindling for various campfires and bonfires.
-Ferrocerium rod use
-Prying a couple large screws out of a friend’s truck tire.
-Tip stabs into various hardwoods, prying out.
-Cutting webbing, paracord, cardboard, packing tape, blister packs, and other materials.
Early edge testing with factory V-edge did yield decent results but cutting performance in both wood and meat showed a thinner convex edge would perform much better. I convexed the edge about a month into owning the knife and maintain it at about 3K grit with light stropping to finish it off. I find the high polished edge to work very well with 80CrV2 for general use as long as the user does not mind keeping up with it a bit. The edge stands up to everything I throw at it and does not dull noticeably after most use. Even chopping deer ribs, no edge damage or dulling was noted and the knife could have easily gone through at least another deer or two before sharpening.
After convexing, I squared and polished the spine to improve performance with firesteels. Stripping the Caswell finish back to the plunge line/ricasso area slightly improved cutting performance but also allowed for smoother sheathing and also proved to look a bit better. I would LOVE to see Winkler knives offer DLC/PVD/Nitride finish options for all their blades. Color options, markedly better corrosion and abrasion resistance, and possibly friction reduction and better cutting performance.
80CrV2 is well known for being an excellent steel for working knives but is also known for being susceptible to rust if uncoated or neglected. I settled on another excellent product, OBENAUF’S LP for corrosion protection. LP is a great multipurpose product that prevents rust on blades, feeds and maintains leather, and can even be used on chapped lips and minor abrasions and cuts due to its antibacterial properties. Wipe down the blade after use or once a week if carried in a humid environment.
Besides the sheath, coating, and factory edge needing modification, my only other complaint is the thumb jimping. HOLY CRAP this stuff is aggressive! Great for indexing the blade if used for a soldier’s emergency knife, but on a woods knife, it digs at the thumb if you use a thumb supported grip for any decent amount of time. Shallower, finer U-shaped jimping would be a lot less obtrusive for a knife designed mostly for hunting and woods tasks and rarely if ever for combat.
Scoring:
1(utter failure)-10(Excalibur)
Out of the box overall score: 7.5
Edge: 7.5
Ergos: 9
Fit/Finish: 7.5
Sheath: 6.5
Post-modifications overall score: 9
Edge: 9
Ergos: 9
Fit/Finish: 8
Sheath: 9
All in all a solid knife which a few simple mods and improvements will turn into an outstanding knife. I would love to see Winkler offer a Skinner with modified jimping, a convex edge, DLC finish, squared spine, and a minimalist kydex sheath. Heck, make it a hidden tang too and it would be truly perfect.
As I sit down to write this review it has been a year and two months since I acquired the Skinner.
I paid about $180 out of pocket for this knife. Store price with a modest employee discount.
I get no money or other perks from WINKLER, CASE, or any other manufacturer or maker.
The blade originally grabbed my attention due to its varied handle material offerings, 80CrV2 steel, blade shape, and overall size. 5” blade is right about the perfect size for a general purpose outdoorsman’s belt knife. Profile is pointy enough to function as a weapon but with a deep enough belly to skin, carve, and do limited chopping.
I have partially stripped the Caswell finish, convexed the edge, and squared and polished the spine.
I have upgraded to a custom Kydex foldover sheath from Texas Holster Solutions as well. These are the only mods I have found necessary to improve the functionality of the knife.
Relevant specs:
80CrV2 Bladesteel, 5”ish blade, trailing point configuration, symmetrical V-edge
Caswell (Black Oxide) coating/finish
Black Canvas Micarta scales. Black Walnut and multicolor G10 also offered.
Kydex reinforced leather sheath with belt loop
Aggressive thumb jimping
Built by CASE to WINKLER KNIVES Specs
Observations:
Out of the box the factory edge is toothy and shaving sharp but on the obtuse side. Even if you keep a V-Edge on this thing you would do well to thin the edge bevels significantly. Bladesteel, Caswell, and Heat Treat are identical to “real deal” Winklers I have owned in the past. Edgeholding and sharpenability are also indistinguishable from other Winkler pieces.
The Micarta scaled version was chosen due to its comfort and durability. G10 is great but the heavy ribbing pattern was uncomfortable and seemed a bit slick. Black Walnut is great for traditionalists and riflestocks. I do not like wood on working knives.
Factory sheath was very well made but overly bulky. Belt loop was HUGE and clumsy. I immediately removed it from the sheath and fastened a static line to the sheath for IWB or pocket carry. Much better but still too bulky for my taste. At this point I commissioned a single piece minimalist sheath from Texas Holster Solutions of San Antonio, TX. Good retention, minimalist build, and slimness were all key features and the sheath exceeded expectations.
With regards to “testing”, I simply use the knife. Nothing fancy or crazy.
-SPEAR Survival SERE Level-A Course.
-EDC in a very humid environment for 6+months.
-Field dressing, skinning, quartering, and boning of multiple small game and a Whitetail spike buck.
-Chopping through deer ribs, smaller bones.
-Carving Ashe Juniper and Live Oak.
-Kitchen use both field and home.
-Preparing wood and kindling for various campfires and bonfires.
-Ferrocerium rod use
-Prying a couple large screws out of a friend’s truck tire.
-Tip stabs into various hardwoods, prying out.
-Cutting webbing, paracord, cardboard, packing tape, blister packs, and other materials.
Early edge testing with factory V-edge did yield decent results but cutting performance in both wood and meat showed a thinner convex edge would perform much better. I convexed the edge about a month into owning the knife and maintain it at about 3K grit with light stropping to finish it off. I find the high polished edge to work very well with 80CrV2 for general use as long as the user does not mind keeping up with it a bit. The edge stands up to everything I throw at it and does not dull noticeably after most use. Even chopping deer ribs, no edge damage or dulling was noted and the knife could have easily gone through at least another deer or two before sharpening.
After convexing, I squared and polished the spine to improve performance with firesteels. Stripping the Caswell finish back to the plunge line/ricasso area slightly improved cutting performance but also allowed for smoother sheathing and also proved to look a bit better. I would LOVE to see Winkler knives offer DLC/PVD/Nitride finish options for all their blades. Color options, markedly better corrosion and abrasion resistance, and possibly friction reduction and better cutting performance.
80CrV2 is well known for being an excellent steel for working knives but is also known for being susceptible to rust if uncoated or neglected. I settled on another excellent product, OBENAUF’S LP for corrosion protection. LP is a great multipurpose product that prevents rust on blades, feeds and maintains leather, and can even be used on chapped lips and minor abrasions and cuts due to its antibacterial properties. Wipe down the blade after use or once a week if carried in a humid environment.
Besides the sheath, coating, and factory edge needing modification, my only other complaint is the thumb jimping. HOLY CRAP this stuff is aggressive! Great for indexing the blade if used for a soldier’s emergency knife, but on a woods knife, it digs at the thumb if you use a thumb supported grip for any decent amount of time. Shallower, finer U-shaped jimping would be a lot less obtrusive for a knife designed mostly for hunting and woods tasks and rarely if ever for combat.
Scoring:
1(utter failure)-10(Excalibur)
Out of the box overall score: 7.5
Edge: 7.5
Ergos: 9
Fit/Finish: 7.5
Sheath: 6.5
Post-modifications overall score: 9
Edge: 9
Ergos: 9
Fit/Finish: 8
Sheath: 9
All in all a solid knife which a few simple mods and improvements will turn into an outstanding knife. I would love to see Winkler offer a Skinner with modified jimping, a convex edge, DLC finish, squared spine, and a minimalist kydex sheath. Heck, make it a hidden tang too and it would be truly perfect.
