I like it. I would probably buy one. I also have the Condor.
It was my frustrations with the Condor Bush Knife that inspired the design, actually. I love the thing, and I've logged enough ours in the woods with it to know the changes I'd like to increase its utility:
1) I find myself mostly using the "hatchet" edge; I only use the hook on the light stuff or as a pick. The hook itself would benefit from being "opened up" slightly to maximize the strike angle of the hook's point when used as such, and shrinking it and putting it on the backside makes it available for when you need it without dominating the design.
2) I often find myself wishing it were longer. While nice and packable, the short length prevents it from being the only chopper I take with me (I pair it with a Viking at the moment.) Increasing the blade length to something around 18" makes for a good balance between reach and packability.
3) While you can use the top corner of the "hatchet" blade as a point, it's a little on the obtuse side, and it's awkward. Adding a true point to the design fixes this AND increases the length. The point is still nicely inline with arm, but is offset slightly both to shift mass forward for balance, as well as to provide clearance for the hook when used as a pick.
4) While you CAN baton with the Bush Knife, it's not as straightforward as with a standard machete, and grasping it for use as a draw knife (or push knife, as I usually use it) gets uncomfortable fast. Again, the addition of a true point comes to the rescue, providing a place to grab it or strike it with a baton.
5) In order to hit
hard on full-blown trees, I find that most machete patterns need to be between 20-24" to really start plowing through. This limits their packability and can get them hung up if you're in dense brush. By making the blade extra broad (which the hook also helps with) the mass-per-length ratio is increased without making the blade thicker (which causes more energy from your blow to be lost since it has to displace more material during the cut.) Thus you end up with a shorter machete (but not too short!) that hits like it's longer cousins.
I hope that made sense! It's kind of a lot to try to explain.
