First Look: Steel Will Gekko 1510

Thin-bladed skinning knives are all the rage right now, but for those of us who prefer a stouter blade for field dressing and all-around hunting camp duties, Steel Will, a new player in the hunting and tactical knife market, has just the thing: the new Gekko 1510. Here are five things you need to know.

1. It's multipurpose.
Steel Will selected N690Co steel because of its durability and strength as the platform for the Gekko 1510, and the 4.33-inch long blade is ready for most any task. In total, the knife is 9.33 inches long, and rests in hand at a solid 6.8 ounces.

2. It can do the job.
The drop point blade tip easily pierce through heavier skin or punch a hole in a leather belt, while the very sharp blade edge can cut a steak—or sharpen a wooden tent stake.  But the 0.14-inch thick blade also has the heft and leverage to make its way through joints and cartilage, too, without the worry of the blade snapping off.    

3. It's ergonomic.
The grey-green Micarta grip not only looks cool, it fills the hand nicely and is tactile to the skin. When the Micarta was wetted on the Gekko 1510 I handled, contact with the handle actually improved a bit—a very good thing when it’s rainy and damp outside. There’s a hole in the handle end for a lanyard, too.

4. It's hardworking.
The full tang construction delivers durability and great leverage. Steel Will purposefully extended the tang from the handle into a burly, triangular point to form a multi-purpose hammer/glass-breaker.

5. It delivers quality.
The Gekko 1510 hand-made sheath is designed with high-quality leather, incorporating a thumb rest for convenient knife extraction. Knife and sheath are made in Italy.