I took an initial look at both of these machetes, but said I was going to do a comparison of chopping performance, so I thought I'd post some quick impressions from an hour's worth of work in my yard. I've been taking down an apple tree and used some of those limbs to compare chopping performance using the side of a large juniper log as a backstop/chopping block. Please note that these are very subjective impressions and that I have not spent a great deal of time with either machete.
Looking at the specs, the Angelo has a thicker and somewhat shorter blade (1.75" shorter). Difference in weight between the two machetes was less than an ounce.
Balance: The Angelo felt slightly more nose-heavy, but it was very slight.
Sheath: I like the Condor sheath better, but I already knew that. I am a Condor leather sheath fanboy, so please bear that in mind. I like the sheath design on the Angelo and it is very functional, but it isn't as robust as the Condor leather offerings. The Angelo will fit in a Marbles Bolo sheath if you like that better.
Handle: Once the Angelo handle was sanded flush with the tang and the corners smoothed over, it was comfortable to use. Since it has no swell toward the end and I tend to use a pretty loose grip, I wrapped it with tennis racket handle wrap and put a slight bulge in the middle to help my fingers keep from sliding. That isn't meant as a criticism of the Angelo B. handle, but is a reflection of my personal preference and my limp grip. As I noted previously, I prefer the Condor handle design and the Condor is ready to use out of the box, but I didn't mind the Angelo B. handle in today's chopping.
Cutting performance: The Condor feels a bit lighter and quicker than the Angelo B. on the flicking cuts and it worked a bit better for taking the little side limbs off. However, I liked the way both of them handled the task. For chopping the main limbs, I worked my way from the tip of the limbs to the base, going from under 1" in diameter to around 3" in diameter. Performance on both knives was pretty equal up to about 2" diameter, at which point the Angelo B. seemed to pick up a bit of an edge - it feels more muscular and hits with more authority, at least when I am the one swinging it. Your mileage may vary.
My opinion: I like them both. I expected to think that the Condor was the superior blade, but in the end I thought I had two great machetes with the Condor suiting my _personal_ preferences a little bit better. The Condor has the edge where a light, quick blade is needed; the Angelo B. is more compact and has an edge in heavier chopping; and there was a lot of overlap in the middle where both machetes performed extremely well.
Looking at the specs, the Angelo has a thicker and somewhat shorter blade (1.75" shorter). Difference in weight between the two machetes was less than an ounce.
Balance: The Angelo felt slightly more nose-heavy, but it was very slight.
Sheath: I like the Condor sheath better, but I already knew that. I am a Condor leather sheath fanboy, so please bear that in mind. I like the sheath design on the Angelo and it is very functional, but it isn't as robust as the Condor leather offerings. The Angelo will fit in a Marbles Bolo sheath if you like that better.
Handle: Once the Angelo handle was sanded flush with the tang and the corners smoothed over, it was comfortable to use. Since it has no swell toward the end and I tend to use a pretty loose grip, I wrapped it with tennis racket handle wrap and put a slight bulge in the middle to help my fingers keep from sliding. That isn't meant as a criticism of the Angelo B. handle, but is a reflection of my personal preference and my limp grip. As I noted previously, I prefer the Condor handle design and the Condor is ready to use out of the box, but I didn't mind the Angelo B. handle in today's chopping.
Cutting performance: The Condor feels a bit lighter and quicker than the Angelo B. on the flicking cuts and it worked a bit better for taking the little side limbs off. However, I liked the way both of them handled the task. For chopping the main limbs, I worked my way from the tip of the limbs to the base, going from under 1" in diameter to around 3" in diameter. Performance on both knives was pretty equal up to about 2" diameter, at which point the Angelo B. seemed to pick up a bit of an edge - it feels more muscular and hits with more authority, at least when I am the one swinging it. Your mileage may vary.
My opinion: I like them both. I expected to think that the Condor was the superior blade, but in the end I thought I had two great machetes with the Condor suiting my _personal_ preferences a little bit better. The Condor has the edge where a light, quick blade is needed; the Angelo B. is more compact and has an edge in heavier chopping; and there was a lot of overlap in the middle where both machetes performed extremely well.