The company’s shop was extensively damaged in the natural disaster.
Hurricane Helene affected a vast swath of the country and the knife community was not immune. Several knifemakers call North Carolina home, the state that took the brunt of the devastating hurricane that tore across Appalachia in September. One of the harder hit was Winkler Knives, based out of Boone.
The tactical- and outdoor-focused maker thankfully did not lose any of its employees in what turned out to be among the worst natural disasters in recent history. The company’s shop, however, incurred substantial damage from the torrential downpours flooding much of North Carolina’s countryside. In a brief estimate on a YouTube video, Winkler’s founder and owner Daniel Winkler when he returned to his shop there was 15 inches of standing water throughout. Even more troublesome, the workspace was swamped with hundreds, if not thousands of pounds of mud.
Needless to say, this halted the company’s production and put many orders on hold, with much of its machinery reportedly damaged or destroyed. In finished products, Winkler estimates it lost two weeks of work.
Living up to the rugged persona of its knives and axes, Winkler is attempting to make the best out of a rough situation. The company is staging a special sales day on Nov. 30, to raise funds to—as the company puts it—build back. The company will stage a meet-and-greet before the actual sale, then offer those who register, early-bird entry before its store opens proper to the public. And Winkler has quite a selection of special knives up for sale at the event.
Among the many special offerings will be Winkler Knives standard models made by Daniel Winkler (DW Made), Winkler Knives Traditions by Daniel Winkler and Karen Shook, and even a couple of one-of-a-kind hand Forged knives by Master Bladesmith Daniel Winkler, accompanied by the leather craft of Karen Shook. There will also be special editions produced by Winkler Knives Artisans.
This is a special affair and only registered customers will be allowed in during the early-bird portion of the event. The company will not conduct phone sales for the event, only in-person sales. However, Winkler will set aside special editions from the sales event for those unable to travel to Boone. Those products will become available on Winkler Knives’ website on December 2, under the “Currently Available” tab.
If you are interested in attending the Winkler sales event, time is of the essence. The deadline to register is Nov. 18. To register, email info@winklerknives.com with the subject Register. The company will email an invitation or a notification the event is full in response.
Winkler Knives Sales Event
Nov. 30, 2024
520 Church Road
Boone, NC 28607
Sales Event Schedule
8 am Meet-And-Greet The Winkler Team
9 am Product Preview
9:30 Early-Bird Sales
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