Announcing: The Brand-New 2005 CRKT Ultima!

April 5th, 2006

The Columbia River Knife and Tool Ultima is a new concept in fighting knives. The handle was designed by orthopedic specialists in an attempt to redesign knife handles, which have been basically unchanged for about 5000 years now.

That sounded intersting to me, and the troops that visit the Hobbit Hole. I put my order in on February 3, 2005, and waited.

And waited, and waited, and waited.

The knife finally arrived in late March, 2006, slightly over a year after I ordered it. Was it worth it? We’ll answer that at the end of this article.

First, the Ultima comes with either a 5 or 7-inch blade, serrated or plain. The sheath, with a hard liner for safety, is a definite winner, with easy attachment to any MOLLE gear. Here they are, with the Camillus BK2 Campanion as a comparison.

The next picture shows the blades themselves. The high-tech handle design is apparent. The handles have “sipes” like tire treads, and the grip is very secure and comfortable, even though it’s a hard plastic. The blade is a modified tanto style with the top edge thinned down to almost a false edge. This makes for a very light blade, with most of the knife’s weight in the handle.

Here’s a better view of how the knife and handle are built:

The thought and ingenious design work that went into this knife is apparent. If you need a fighting knife, this one would be a “keeper”.

If you need a knife for utility work, survival in the wilderness, and general cutting chores, there are better choices. In fact, the blade design, in my opinion, disqualifies the knife from anything but knife-fighting. Even the “shark tooth” serrations are large and jagged, making cutting rope or paracord difficult. They would do a good job in opening up an enemy.

About the only token of utility is the butt, which has a “beak” for breaking glass, or prying things open:

Despite the negatives from my point of view, let me say again that the design and workmanship is great, for the knife’s intended purpose. If they ever offer a model in the future with more of a utility/survival blade, the could quickly become a favorite of mine. But if you want a “pure” fighting knife, the CRKT Ultima will do the job nicely.

As things stand now, we have four sample knives, two large, two small, with and without serrations. We have no plans to buy more unless there’s overwhelming demand. So the first request from a servicemember gets first pick, until all four are gone. If you really really want this, despite the limitations of the design that I pointed out, just ask. We are here to help to serve the American military that serves us. Thank you.

Entry Filed under: Hobbit Hole Knives