It’s a lightweight hunting knife with a classic feel to it.
The Soldatna design celebrates CRKT’s 30th anniversary. If someone had made me guess what kind of knife they would put out for such an occasion, I wouldn’t have thought of a hunting knife like this.
But that’s part of CRKT’s charm. They find a way to surprise us every year.
There is a distinction that needs to be made here though. The actual “30-year celebration” knife is the Damascus version of the Soldotna, featuring a walnut handle and Vegas Forge Damascus steel. They only made 200 of those, though, and I don’t know how many are still around. We’re here for the common man’s version.
So, it’s a hunting knife made in the USA by TOPS Knives, which should set some reasonable expectations for some people out there. It certainly met and surpassed many of mine.
- It has a tough, high-carbon blade blade;
- It’s light with a grippy handle;
- It’s a Russ Kommer design, which is always a good name to see on an outdoor knife;
- The leather sheath is nice with decent drawing ergos and a good retention system;
- And the knife just looks good. I like having it around.
Specifications
| Overall Length: | 7.63” |
| Blade Length: | 3.48” |
| Blade Steel: | 1095 |
| Blade Thickness: | 3 mm |
| Blade Shape: | Drop point |
| Blade Grind: | Flat |
| Handle Length: | 4.15” |
| Handle Material: | Micarta |
| Weight: | 3.3 oz |
| Designer: | Russ Kommer |
| Made in: | USA |
| What I Liked | What I Didn’t Like |
|---|---|
| Micarta handle has a strong grip | A strong cutter but not a fine cutter |
| Tough blade with a good look | Fit and finish could be a little better |
| Nice leather sheath that draws easy | |
| Lightweight in hand and on the belt |
The Blade
Damn it if I can find a better word to describe this blade other than “elegant”. I shouldn’t be using words like that on knives like this, but here we are.
It looks simple, but the shape comes close to leaf-shaped because there’s just the hint of a raised swell along the spine that makes it a drop point.
But this ain’t no laser. The blade is at most three-quarters of an inch tall with a three-millimeter spine. Even with a full flat grind, that kind of geometry is prone to ponderous cuts. And the 1095 steel behaves in a very carbon-steel way, which is that you will notice a drop in performance (if you’re cutting anything finer than cardboard) fairly quickly if you’re putting this to hard use.
Anyone who’s used to TOPS or ESEE knives won’t be surprised by the edge retention, though. I’d say it’s pretty standard: not too hard to sharpen in the field, and easy enough to put on a new edge.
In Use
As a hunting knife, what really matters is how it can dress game. But I spend more time cutting cardboard and carving wood, and I can tell you it’s a champ with wood.
I chipped out a few stakes from crusty, hard oak to tie down a tarp (the stake ended up doing better than my knots against the wind), shredded a good ten pounds of boxes, and, more impressively, chopped a small piece of wood over some concrete (I’m kind of a dummy sometimes) and didn’t even chip or roll the blade.
I will say it’s not a great chopper. The edge geometry might be right for it, but the weight and length aren’t there, and the handle doesn’t like to stay in the hand that direction. That’s not what the knife was designed for, though. You really only need to look at the handle to see that.
Handle, Fit, and Finish
This handle seems to have some universal appeal. I have somewhat fatter hands that can make thinner handles feel uncomfortable sometimes, but the curve and length seem to be good work arounds, because this feels solid in my hand.
Meanwhile, my wife decided to use this for breaking down boxes for a while (her hands are basically opposite in size and shape from mine) and mentioned how well the handle worked with her hands.
The way it shrinks down into that deep well make by the finger guard creates a great spot where your grip locks in. When I get my index finger tucked in there, it feels like my hand isn’t going anywhere for anyone until I tell it to.
So all aboard, I guess. The Soldatna handle has apparently cracked a code.
I Like the Look, but It’s Not All Perfect
The fit and finish aren’t perfect. The transitions from scale to tang create a few bumps, but nothing so extreme that I notice when I’m using the knife.
It might hold implications about the longevity of the knife. As I use the Sodatna more in dirty and wet conditions, it might get too much moisture between the scales down the road and get warped or rusted. That would be a worst-case scenario. But I think I’d have to use this thing hard for a few years to see that effect. If such a thing should happen, I’ll update this review.
The Sheath
I like this setup. I don’t feel it on my belt too much, and it’s easy to draw the knife.
It’s made of good, thick leather with double stitching. It doesn’t hug the knife at all. It’s held in place entirely by the leather flap wrapping over the finger guard, which means, among other things, that I can just pull the knife out with no resistance once the flap is unbuttoned.
That button can be kind of a bear to undo sometimes, but that should get easier as I break in the leather.
Overall I like the experience of carrying the Soldatna.
Comparison and Alternatives
I was geared up to say the Soldatna was a little too high-priced, but when I looked around for alternative recommendations the reality of inflation really hit home. This is how much 1095 fixed knives made in America cost now.
It runs about the same price as the TOPS BOB knife. I’m not exactly offering that as an alternative (although it’s worth a look), but I want to point toward the similarity for the people who are quick to tell me they would never spend so much money on such “budget material”. It’s fine if you don’t want to make the investment. Just know this is pretty much standard now.
Now, my recommendations:
The ESEE Izula II is a smaller knife with a somewhat similar gripping experience in that it has a well for your index finger to seat into.
If the price is an issue, the CRKT Ramadi is a great option with a similar feel and steel,
And just to disprove my point about the price standard in America-made knives, any number of Ka Bar Becker knives could serve well if you’re more interested in camping or bushcraft over hunting, and are mostly about half the price (there are a lot, but I’d personally go with either the BK2 Campanion or the BK 18 Harpoon).
A Good Knife and 30 Years Well Spent
Maybe the edge retention isn’t up to modern supersteel standards, and the price borders on extravagance, but the Soldatna is a solid hunting knife with an incredible handle and a nice blade shape that’s a little more refined than it might seem at first glance.
It’s also a great way for CRKT to mark their 30th anniversary.
30 years of CRKT making knives alongside some of the most innovative designers the industry has had the pleasure of witnessing in this millennia (where would we be if Lucas Burnley and Ken Onion hadn’t started designing with them?).
It also feels like celebrating a shift in CRKT’s direction, though. They put out their first USA-made knives in 2023, dropping into Shot Show with a couple of folders made by Hogue, with whispers of a fixed blade coming down the line. I remember thinking at the time “This is cool, I really hope they keep going with this”.
Now, over a year later, they keep hauling great designers out of the weeds to expand their catalog of premium knives made by great manufacturers, and doing the kinds of things that make the knife industry great: collaborating, experimenting, and just generally making cool shit.
So happy anniversary CRKT. Here’s to another three decades of cool shit.
