Before you read any of this.... I abused, and I mean abused this knife... then I broke it on purpose.
These photos are not the result of a knife used in the "normal" manner.
This is the Condor Woodlaw taken to the absolute limit of it's abilities...
I have used this knife off and on for over a year. I have abused this knife for approximately 6 months. I have used it to open cans. I have used it to cut wire. I have used as a screwdriver. I have used it to baton through every kind if wood I could find, both with and against the grain... these are my findings.
PROS
- the handle was fine - no contours that fit the hand and straight as could be, but it worked and felt good
- the price was outstanding - it was way more knife than I could ask for at the $50 it was at the time (I think it's closer to $60 now)
- the sheath was also above par - thick leather and a tight fit - the knife wasn't going anywhere with you wanting it to
- the overall toughness of the blade was also above par for this price - I really put this thing though the ringer
CONS
- the initial grind was horrible - I reground the blade and then resharpened it - after that it would cut properly (it really was that bad)
- the handle, while being acceptable, was void of any contours or reference. If you grasped it in the the dead of night you wouldn't know if the blade was towards you or away
- the initial tip before I reground the entire blade was brittle - I broke it without even trying (then I broke it twice more during testing/abuse)
FINAL THOUGHTS
- Amazing value for the price point
- Outstanding sheath (vertical carry)
- Very tough knife, but not a "High Performance Blade" for those with the highest of standards
- Discrepancies found in the blade after breakage that would never have been seen during normal testing
Keep in mind that I highly recommend this knife in it's price range... You as a knife owner/user are never going to abuse a knife in this fashion. Do not let this review detract you from purchasing a Condor Woodlaw... I really tried to use/abuse this knife to it's full potential for months and then I broke it on purpose in the same fashion that I test my own forged blades.
I measured the blade and put it in the vise between two pieces of soft wood at 1/3 the length of the blade... I then slowly pulled forward and down on the upper part of the handle... she popped at about 50-60 degrees and the following pictures will show you why.
Keep in mind that I had to purposefully bend this knife to it's limit... you will most likely never do this, even in a life or death situation...
Discrepancies inside the blade and a less than desirable grain structure have caused this blade to be an "almost High Performance Blade".
My thoughts are that it was the result of production heat treating and possible overheating of the tip of the blade, resulting in the brittle tip initially.
I cannot say enough about how I abused this knife... most users will never take a blade to this point. For the money this is and awesome purchase, and most users won't need to regrind to find it useful.
EDIT: Since the rest of the blade should be fine I'm going to grind it down and re-purpose it as a splicing knife for a friend of mine that works in high voltage electricity.
These photos are not the result of a knife used in the "normal" manner.
This is the Condor Woodlaw taken to the absolute limit of it's abilities...
I have used this knife off and on for over a year. I have abused this knife for approximately 6 months. I have used it to open cans. I have used it to cut wire. I have used as a screwdriver. I have used it to baton through every kind if wood I could find, both with and against the grain... these are my findings.
PROS
- the handle was fine - no contours that fit the hand and straight as could be, but it worked and felt good
- the price was outstanding - it was way more knife than I could ask for at the $50 it was at the time (I think it's closer to $60 now)
- the sheath was also above par - thick leather and a tight fit - the knife wasn't going anywhere with you wanting it to
- the overall toughness of the blade was also above par for this price - I really put this thing though the ringer
CONS
- the initial grind was horrible - I reground the blade and then resharpened it - after that it would cut properly (it really was that bad)
- the handle, while being acceptable, was void of any contours or reference. If you grasped it in the the dead of night you wouldn't know if the blade was towards you or away
- the initial tip before I reground the entire blade was brittle - I broke it without even trying (then I broke it twice more during testing/abuse)
FINAL THOUGHTS
- Amazing value for the price point
- Outstanding sheath (vertical carry)
- Very tough knife, but not a "High Performance Blade" for those with the highest of standards
- Discrepancies found in the blade after breakage that would never have been seen during normal testing
Keep in mind that I highly recommend this knife in it's price range... You as a knife owner/user are never going to abuse a knife in this fashion. Do not let this review detract you from purchasing a Condor Woodlaw... I really tried to use/abuse this knife to it's full potential for months and then I broke it on purpose in the same fashion that I test my own forged blades.
I measured the blade and put it in the vise between two pieces of soft wood at 1/3 the length of the blade... I then slowly pulled forward and down on the upper part of the handle... she popped at about 50-60 degrees and the following pictures will show you why.
Keep in mind that I had to purposefully bend this knife to it's limit... you will most likely never do this, even in a life or death situation...
Discrepancies inside the blade and a less than desirable grain structure have caused this blade to be an "almost High Performance Blade".
My thoughts are that it was the result of production heat treating and possible overheating of the tip of the blade, resulting in the brittle tip initially.
I cannot say enough about how I abused this knife... most users will never take a blade to this point. For the money this is and awesome purchase, and most users won't need to regrind to find it useful.
EDIT: Since the rest of the blade should be fine I'm going to grind it down and re-purpose it as a splicing knife for a friend of mine that works in high voltage electricity.
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