Wilmont Persian Fighter
Chris Williams, the owner and custom knife maker behind the Wilmont Knife brand, is a retired veteran who spent over 20 years in the SOF community before working another eight years as a mechanical engineer. I’ve known Chris for a long time—going back to his 1911-building days nearly 15–18 years ago. After countless phone conversations, we finally met in person at SHOT Show, back when we were running with legends like Pete Single, Stan Chen, and Jason Burton—all world-class custom 1911 pistol smiths.
Chris eventually shifted his focus to custom knives, crafting his own Damascus steel, and later building the industry-respected Wilmont Grinders. At this year’s SHOT Show (2025), we reconnected and started talking about a possible collaboration. And here it is: his Persian Fighter—a knife that’s incredibly well-balanced and built to perform.
For this collaboration, we upgraded the design with our iconic VZ G10 scales and a tough Cerakote finish. The result is a knife that feels as good as it looks. You really have to hold it to appreciate how naturally it fits in the hand. Measuring 3/16” thick, with a 4.375” blade and 9.25” overall length, it hits the sweet spot—big enough for serious cutting power, but compact enough to handle with ease. Get one before they are gone, we only made a limited supply of them. Hopefully you’ll see more collabs between Chris and VZ in the near future. Sign up for our newsletter to keep up to date on all new products so you won’t miss out on these limited drops.
-John VanZyck
President / VZ Grips