CRKT’s Affordable New Outdoor Knife Has Some Handy Tricks Up Its Sheath

Thanks to smartly integrated purpose-built Easter eggs, the hyper-capable Altai can stay sharp and throw a spark, too.

Close-up of an orange CRKT knife sheath with black handle and orange paracord on camouflage fabric.

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By Steve Mazzucchi

Published August 13, 2026

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Updated 24 hours ago

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As sturdy and reliable as they are, most fixed-blade knives are by their very nature a bit limited.

They can’t fold for easy stashing, nor can they sneak bonus functionality into their handles the way some pocket knives do.

Orange fixed-blade knife with black grip and matching orange sheath on a textured surface. — With its field-sharpening and fire-starting abilities, the Altai offers much more than most fixed blades in its price range.

CRKT’s new Altai, however, isn’t most fixed-blade knives.

With the help of a smartly designed sheath, it offers, performance, field sharpenability and fire-starting power its peers can’t match.

This dog will hunt

The Altai wasn’t created in a vacuum. Far from it.

Rather, the knife was designed in collaboration with Spartan Precision Equipment, makers of premium stability shooting platforms.

Thanks to its ceramic coating, the Altai’s 3.53-inch 14C28N steel drop-point blade boasts ample corrosion resistance and toughness in addition to edge retention.

CRKT

Hence the name, which is inspired by Spartan founder Rob Gearing’s hunt in Mongolia’s Altai Mountains.

The Spartan influence is present in the branding and also many touches that optimize the Altai for hunting but suit lots of other off-grid and EDC tasks, too.

Orange and black knife handle with a finger hole and attached orange cord on a textured surface. — The Altai’s textured handle offers a steady grip, while the ring pommel makes it easy to deploy in an instant.

The 3.53-inch drop-point blade is sized to balance capability and control when field dressing an animal.

It’s made of 14C28N steel, valued for its edge retention, with a ceramic coating that boosts corrosion resistance and toughness.

Close-up of orange bungee cords with black plastic hooks attached to an orange plastic device on a brown fabric surface. — Both the fire-starting and blade-sharpening rods can be pulled with reflective lanyards, enabling you to quickly access them after dark.

The full-tang is rendered in hi-viz orange, making it easy to spot in low light, while the glass reinforced nylon scales reinforce the ergonomic shape with a textured, hand-filling grip.

Meanwhile, jimping on the finger choil, spin and rear handle enhance the tactile traction, while a ring pommel makes it easy to withdraw from the multi-mounting thermoplastic sheath in a flash.

Two sparklers burning with bright sparks held close together over a dirt and dry leaves ground. — The magnesium alloy rod pairs with a dedicated striking notch on the blade’s spine for fast fire-starting.

Speaking of the sheath, that’s where the real secret sauce resides.

It’s equipped with reflective orange paracord, which serves as a lanyard that doubles as an emergency problem solver.

But even more impressive are the pair of purpose-built tools that the sheath houses.

Hand holding an orange knife blade being sharpened with a sharpening rod. — The ceramic sharpening rod lets you hone the blade at home, at camp or out in the field.

One is a magnesium alloy fire rod, which can be used with the striking notch on the knife’s spine to start a fire in a flash.

Its sibling is a ceramic sharpening rod, enabling you to hone the blade at home, at camp or out in the field, where your trusty knife becomes your best friend.

Availability and pricing

The CRKT Altai is available now for $85.

Orange fixed-blade knife with black handle, matching orange sheath, and two fire starter rods with orange cords.

CRKT Altai

$85 at CRKT

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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