One of a series of hunting and caping knives designed for Columbia River Knife and Tool by Alaskan hunter and guide Russ Kommer, the 2760 Chugach Range Utility Hunting knife is such a good-looking blade that it’s a shame to call it a utility knife. With a beautifully styled drop point hollow ground blade of 440A high carbon stainless steel, it’s a knife well suited for ordinary work. Later versions of the Chugach Range upgraded to better AUS8 steel with a harder cutting edge.
Hardened to Rockwell 55-57, the edge of the 440A version of the 7-7/8-inch Chugach Range knife will need regular maintenance, although with some extra care, it will do as CRKT says and dress out even big game animals. The blade length of 3.75 inches might be a little short and light for the largest game, but it’s not too much knife for trophy caping. Except for the ordinary steel, the Chugach Range is a fine example of design and craftsmanship. The ample stainless steel bolster and pommel on this rat-tail tang knife give the Chugach a heavy look, but the polished stacked leather washer grip lightens the total weight to only 5 ounces.
Kommer designed this knife for skinning and caping work. The Chugach is balanced well for detailed cutting with a blade length chosen to allow fingertip control along the spine of the blade’s tip.
The leather sheath provided with the knife is equally well made, using dyed leather strips in a basket-weave pattern instead of a simple stitched leather scabbard. The Chugach is a knife to be proud of, and a little extra sharpening time would be well spent on this beautiful piece of work.
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