Condor Bolo Machete

Tyrkon Lawson

Tyrkon Lawson

Joined
Oct 31, 2003
Messages
8,583
I just got this bad boy about a week ago and am really impressed with it so far. Here it is after a little batonning.

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After more chopping the coating was getting pretty worn. I decided to strip the coating as I usually do on my most used blades. I just used stripper. No sanding at all. Nice and smooth underneath.

Pictures002-1.jpg


I made a pvc sheath for it as I waited for the leather sheath to arrive. I was told it might arrive as a lefty. I think I got a righty. Not the most sturdy sheath but it seems like it will be functional enough. I'm not a big fan of the buttons on sheaths.

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Anyway, after a little more testing I think this will be my new "go to" chopper for the wild, the urban environment, and of course for the zombie attack. A heck of a deal from machete specialists.

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Thanks to those that suggested it. :thumbup:
 
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Pretty neat! I debated between Condor and Cold Steel and ended up with Cold Steel because they discontinued three models so I could get the one I wanted for $10, and I'm cheap so I did it. That said, what stripper did you use to get that coating off? I'd like to try it on the CS machete that's on its way to me
 
NoahL said:
Pretty neat! I debated between Condor and Cold Steel and ended up with Cold Steel because they discontinued three models so I could get the one I wanted for $10, and I'm cheap so I did it. That said, what stripper did you use to get that coating off? I'd like to try it on the CS machete that's on its way to me
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Strypeeze

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Nice, I have one, too. I like it for the price.

The handle is a bit large for me - the El Salvador handle is smaller and a better fit.

Not sure what the reason is for the swedge.
 
Raining said:
Nice, I have one, too. I like it for the price.

The handle is a bit large for me - the El Salvador handle is smaller and a better fit.

Not sure what the reason is for the swedge.
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Ya I was contemplating on whether or not to mod the handle a little for a better fit.
 
Personal preferences aside I think you'll find the sheath to be plenty durable. Glad you're liking the machete! I can't wait until I get my hands on one. :D
 
That blade style is one of the best for general purpose bushcraft and wilderness survival. The split top sheath with the dual retainers on the spine can be a real pain in the bush but with that blade shape it is hard to make a sheath that isn't excessively wide at the top.

I find it is really convenient to have a sheath you can just drop the blade into or pull from without having to use your other hand. There's no good way to get around it with a Bolo style blade unless you don't mind carrying a sheath that resembles a plank. Mac
 
I absolutely love it, the best all-arounder I own, and the thickness and factory edge generated alot of trust right out of the box. Although a little heavy to use as an extensive bushwacker, it's definately a mean wood processing tool and an ideal camp beater. Good buy. I didn't like the swedge at first, but I figure for digging and processing the high altitude moss that covers the ground feet thick in areas around here it would be pretty handy. With a little file work it could be used as the bashing/chopping edge opposite the slicing/splitting one, similar to the nessmuk axe theory.
 
Before I received the factory sheath I made a pvc version. It is a lot wider than the factory one but it allows you to use only one hand. On the other hand I really like the compactness of the factory model. Either way I love it and can't wait to use it this summer.

As far as the swedge goes I think one of the guys from machete specialists used it in a video to chop roots in the ground to clear an area for camp. He turned the machete around and chopped with the swedge and since it's not sharpened it didnt hurt the swedge but it was tapered enough to allow it to chop the roots in the ground. I'll have to try that out.
 
By the time you paid a stripper to clean the blade, you could have bought 3 more.... Not tellin ya how to spend your money, I'm just sayin.....

:D:D:D
 
pict said:
There's no good way to get around it with a Bolo style blade unless you don't mind carrying a sheath that resembles a plank. Mac
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LOL.

i love that machete, and i love sheaths that look like planks too - they make great pack frames;
[youtube]nMWOdrp72bE[/youtube]

vec
 
If it were me trying to thin it out, I'd probably whittle it down to just above the size I wanted then hit it with sandpaper, ending in a relatively fine grit to avoid generating hairy little string of plastic off of the surface. :)
 
vector001 said:
LOL.

i love that machete, and i love sheaths that look like planks too - they make great pack frames;
[youtube]nMWOdrp72bE[/youtube]

vec
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Vec,

You resemble that remark! It is actually very rare to see the big blades with any kind of sheath or even blade cover. IMO it is preferable to have them in something rather than cutting up straps, packs, and tarps.

Mac
 
pict said:
Vec,

You resemble that remark! It is actually very rare to see the big blades with any kind of sheath or even blade cover. IMO it is preferable to have them in something rather than cutting up straps, packs, and tarps.

Mac
Click to expand...


:D:thumbup:

yeah, i noticed that lack of sheaths, as well as practiced that, when i was down in your neck of the woods - but a lot of Southeast Asians that wield similar tools to machetes do sheath theirs, i also noticed, when i was in their territory over the last couple of decades. for the military as well as for church missions.

i usually always kept my big machetes "live" when i was in the jungle - meaning; no sheath - i designed this sheath concept long before i found out that about ten million other people per year seem to think it up too independently too - i just wanted something supportive for my other gear, that could be used for other tasks (including those mentioned on the video, but also as little tables for field reloading, etc.) - and heck, might as well make a space for a machete, since the sheath system ways next to nothing. - it's nice to strap my long hawk or some arrows across too.


so it's a thing that happens to also be a sheath, vice being a sheath that happens to do other things, if that makes sense.... :cool:


one thing, that i may not have noticed mentioned here already, is using a similar construction to the Vision Sheaths in the video, but just making a "shoe" for the edges on your machetes, that barely covers the edge for safety and strorage, but is hardly noticeable when you have it along with your machete in the field. - i'll have to try makng some of those out of several materials, for grins. - 'not my preferred style because it isn't as versatile for packing things onto IMHO, but i can definitely empathize with folks liking it better than my preferred rectangular sheaths.

vec
 
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