Of everythingthing I saw at Blade Show, this announcement was the most exciting due to the possibilities it opens for SSD readers. Winkler Knives told me about a collaboration between them and Case, an American knife manufacturer with a long and rich history. The new Case Winkler Skinner is the first in their new collaborative “American Heroes” series. It was designed by Kevin Holland. While many of you may know ABS Master Bladesmith Daniel Winkler, you may not know Kevin. He not only served in not just one, but two military services, it was with the most elite units in each, completing more than 2,000 combat missions in multiple deployments across the globe. Since retiring, Kevin has worked as a designer for Winkler Knives and as a consultant for several other companies. He is currently employed as a business executive in the private sector.

If you’ve wanted a Winkler, but didn’t feel you could afford one, this may be just the answer.

For around $300, you’ll get a knife built exactly how Daniel Winkler wants it be built, designed by a great knife designer.

Below is the press release from Case.

Bradford, Pa. – June 2, 2017 – The Case® Winkler Skinner is a new fixed blade knife crafted collectively by Case® and Winkler Knives. The design is the result of a decades-long career in knife making by Master Bladesmith Daniel Winkler and the extensive experiences of retired U.S. Army Special Operator and Navy SEAL Kevin Holland. Case will be unveiling a collection of three different versions of the new knife at BLADE Show 2017, which takes place June 2-4 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA.

The Case® Winkler Skinner is the first in a planned series of collaborations aimed at celebrating American heroes, an idea brought to life by Case’s historic military contributions and Winkler Knives’ ongoing involvement with U.S. Special Operations. The knife is manufactured in Case’s modern production facility by an elite team of Case knife makers whose work is held to strict quality and performance standards equaling the reputation of Winkler Knives’ custom manufactured blades.

The Case® Winkler Skinner is a high-performance field knife that is lightweight, well balanced and built for dependability. The flat ground, distal tapered Trailing Point blade is made from tough 80CrV2 steel, known for its enduring lateral strength, superior edge retention and ease of sharpening. The full tang is skeletonized and tapered to reduce weight and improve balance. The knife is accompanied by a molded black leather sheath that’s specially reinforced to help keep its shape, ensuring a continually snug fit when not in use. A reversible belt attachment accommodates carrying the knife on either side of the body.

All of these premium features make the Case® Winkler Skinner the perfect ally to take on hiking, camping and hunting adventures, and a welcome addition to any military operator’s kit.

“At Case, we like to say that every knife tells a story, and this new collaboration will surely speak volumes,” remarked John Sullivan, Case’s Director of Marketing. By combining Daniel’s and Kevin’s expertise and personal experiences with Winkler Knives’ methods and our own Case technology, we’ve crafted a tough, utilitarian field knife that performs as well as a Winkler Knives II original and is suitable for use across many different environments.”

Daniel Winkler, with more than 30 years of experience to his credit, brings multiple disciplines to the Case® Winkler Skinner project – as a Master Bladesmith, respected metallurgist, blade geometrist and full-time knife maker who, through Winkler Knives, has served some of the most elite Special Operators across all branches of the U.S. military. “My introduction to Case knives came to me as a young boy in North Carolina, when my father gifted me the ‘Tested’ era Folding Hunter that was given to him by his grandfather – which I still own,” Winkler said. “I’m proud to be working with Case – a company who outfitted the First Special Service Force during World War II – and my friend, Kevin Holland – to bring a knife of this caliber to those who still serve.”

As co-designer of the Case® Winkler Skinner, Kevin Holland brings decades of intense military expertise to this collaboration. A highly decorated veteran member of U.S. Special Operations, Holland’s vast knowledge of knife design, construction and tactical use hails from the many different situations and extreme environments in which he had to depend on knives to survive. Holland’s real-world experiences helped craft the Case® Winkler Skinner into an optimal field knife as well as an essential accessory to Special Operators everywhere.

“As a veteran of U.S. Special Operations, I learned first-hand the importance of carrying the highest quality tools on assignment,” said Kevin Holland. “I’m proud to have been able to share my experiences to help create something that performs as well for outdoorspeople at home as it can for our Armed Forces around the world.”

The knife’s name, “Skinner”, reflects Holland’s years as a young hunter and trapper who relied on his Case Slimline Trapper to field dress small game and clean fish in the mountains of North Carolina. It is this story which inspired a Commanding Officer to assign “Skinner” as Holland’s nickname during SEAL Team selection, a title by which he answers to even today.

The Case® Winkler Skinner is 9.625 in (24.5 cm) in length; AKTI blade length is 5.125 in (13 cm) and is .1875 in (4.8 mm) wide. The knife will be available in August 2017 from Case Authorized Dealers nationwide with MSRP’s ranging from $295 to $310. For additional information, please visit wrcase.com.