Winkler leads the way: 6 outdoor professional knife tests

A good work knife is priceless. From gardening to tree felling, these 6 blades excel in the great outdoors.

Severe work knives will be fixed blades. Strength is not sacrificed, and while many folding knives are extremely tough, their mechanisms and moving parts can wear down or become damaged through overuse.

 

Modern folding knives are great knives. However, they tend to fail once dirt, gravel, sand, and unexpected rocks an inch below the ground come into play. Few pocketknives are strong enough to be used as trowels for long periods of time — and even fewer can safely cut through wood. From the perspective of ergonomics alone, this kind of folding knife is usually flat, which is uncomfortable to hold for a long time, and it is not easy to clean. Therefore, fixed blades are superior when wood chips or dust are flying.

 

Determine the working tool according to the specific task at hand. Specialization is the name of the game, and the knife you need to chop wood is completely different than the knife you need to work in the fields. Overall, the main feature is that the knives must perform their intended purpose and at least be used elsewhere if required.

 

In testing, these knives were used a lot, pulling out rotten posts, planting vegetables and bulbs, chopping down saplings and saplings, lighting fires, making tinder, opening fertilizer and feed bags, and all the things you would use in your everyday outdoor chores Knives do things. They’re exposed to rain, soil, and sometimes cleaning supplies. I evaluated how well the edges and surfaces cut, and how the handle felt after long-term use.

 

Keith Winkler 6

No 6 is ideal for cutting straps on hay bales, removing small branches and cutting various hoses and lines.

 

A collaboration between Case and Winkler knives, the Case Winkler No. 6 kekri is large, strong, well made and very, very sharp. It has a sharper edge than most Winkler designs, which makes it an even more interesting comparison to the other Winkler knives in this article.

 

The No. 6 knife is large and heavy. The deep belly and recurve result in a broad, rounded curve to the tip, about an inch and a half from the leading edge. It’s good at digging, but not at penetrating materials.

 

What this knife really excels at is making deep, long cuts. The recurved shape and handle angle make it sink in. It easily goes through wood about 2.5 inches in diameter, makes firelighter, and is very good at striking. The knife comes with a leather sheath that includes a polymer clip for a Zippo mini lighter. That’s probably the only downside to this overall amazing knife – the polymer clip isn’t strong enough to hold the lighter securely and it could fall out.

 

For general use, I use size 6 for every job I can think of in the yard/garden. For a standard size knife, it chops well enough to cut through medium sized branches like a small saw. It wants to work, and because of its shape, it’s so useful that there’s never too much or too little. Overall, this is a terrific work knife that should last you a lifetime.

 

Winkler smasher

The Winkler Drop Point Smasher is great and easy to carry.

 

A classic-style work knife, the Winkler Knives Drop Point Crusher is a solid gentleman’s knife whose looks don’t immediately give away its capabilities. This is the only trial knife with a wood grip, and despite having the most organic ingredients, this has never been an issue. It, like the rest, is exposed to rain, tree sap, dirt, and dry wood. Also, thanks to the glass breaker/striker, it was used to smash rotting pillars and shatter damaged windowpanes.

 

It’s a lightweight pocketknife that’s easy to carry all day. While Winkler makes knives for some of the most tactical guys in the world, this one doesn’t command that kind of attention. It looks old, like something your grandpa took when he was hunting.

 

Being an heirloom knife, it’s hard to want to use it, but like all the Winkler blades I’ve seen over the years, it’s well-honed and just adds character. For basic work, this knife is great in every way, but a little thin for heavy binding, although it can be used to chop up smaller pieces.

 

As a work tool, it’s in the everyday-use category, but knives like the Earth Skill are best reserved for heavy-duty work. This is the knife I ended up carrying the most and using the most.

 

Condor Hacker

Condor Knives

 

The Wood buster is the largest knife I have ever tested. Because of the name of the knife, I decided it would be best to use it on as much wood as possible, from chopping branches to felling small trees. Designed by Joe Flowers, it moves through things like they barely exist. It’s close to the size of a machete, although it’s heavy.

 

I split firewood, chopping 12″ wide trunks for firewood. It’s safe to use, and it’s great because it doesn’t have a real point, so you’re not in danger of pinching your fingers if the blade digs into wood. It chops just as well, if not better, than a camp ax, and requires less physical effort to prepare firewood.

 

Care needs to be taken when felling trees, but it’s like using an ax to cut something less than a foot in diameter, not small by any means. The Wood buster is a 100% work knife that is easy to master.

 

The only downside is the handle, which is rather round in profile. Small hands may have difficulty. The grip is also a bit slippery, though it’s not noticeable if you’re wearing work gloves. It gets a little tough to hold when wet and tends to roll in the hand after repeated hits. It’s not a serious problem, just something to be aware of.

 

Kaba Dinosaur Hunter

Camp Turok is a great knife for tackling twigs, cutting chores, and light chopping.

 

Ka-ba Yaros Khan Turok is large, but not as strong as the “logging giant”, and much lighter. It performs most outdoor tasks except heavy wood cutting and buttoning. The blade is thicker but makes relatively fine points.

 

The Turok by Jesse Jarosz is a great all-purpose outdoor tool because it’s easy to maintain and stays sharp while you tackle household chores. It’s a bit too big for EDC, and like a lumberjack, you’ll want to carry it until you don’t; it’s an open item.

However, it is the most cost-effective and versatile testing tool. The only thing I don’t like is the grip – too slippery for me, wet and slippery. However, the scales are removable, making the knife easy to clean and maintain.

 

Butterfly 162 Jungle Craftsman

The handy 162 Bushcrafter is great for most outdoor jobs and is easy to carry and maintain. Designed by Shane Sibert, it has very sharp edges, but more notable is the handle profile. It’s a relatively small knife with an unusually shaped handle, geometrically almost like a dog bone, and it’s surprisingly easy to get a firm grip on. It can’t really be used for cutting large materials but is exceptional for fine work. It is very good at starting a fire and is also great for pruning in the garden.

Although advertised as a bushcraft blade, it’s a great everyday knife with an elegant and down-to-earth look. It doesn’t look tactical at all and won’t attract attention anywhere from the farmers market to the barn lot. It is very durable and retains its sharp edges in use.

 

It is used, among other tools, to open feed and fertilizer bags and cut rope and tree roots. The only downside is the sheath. While aesthetically pleasing, it has a suede feel and once wet tends to stay wet for a long time.

 

TOPS Earth Skills

In the garden, penetrates tough roots more effectively than a trowel.

 

The Earth Skill Knife from TOPS Knives is large and has a very atypical silhouette. Matt Graham designed it to be a survival knife, though not necessarily a heavy-duty knife. It’s thin and has plenty of Scandi grind, which makes it ideal for tilling the land, planting new bulbs or vegetables through rooted soil, and light jobs like cutting branches and digging up old, barbed wire. It’s a great tool for close work and for food prep, but it’s of little value for tough jobs.

 

The geometry and fine spines of the blade are not suitable for clubbing, although the blade is a good tool for scraping tinder and striking sticks. Because of these special features, the knife is at home in the garden or at camp, as it probably won’t be used for an initial setup, but for cutting food, root vegetables, harvesting forage and as a light machete. The grip is comfortable, but rather large. Through testing, the blade stays very sharp and gets the job done with minimal wear and tear.

 

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