Condor Knife & Tool owners: Give an honest opinion

I've got two, a Boomslang and a Hudson Bay. Both are excellent values and very capable of handling anything I've been able to throw at them. The boomslang was not razor sharp out of the box but I got up to field sharp in about 15 minutes and have been very happy with it.
 
theAntihero said:
Ive owned 3 so far

The Standard Golok: Quite possibly the best chopper per pound ive ever run across. The steel is fantastic on mine and can hold a much finer edge than i normally cut with a chopper and still hold up to the beastly tasks i ask of it. The handle while it looks odd is actually very comfortable.

Parang: Chopped better than the Golok but i couldnt get along with the handle so i sold it

Warlock: Fantastic handle on this, literally one of the best ive held. Chopping wise im disapointed despite being heavier and more built for chopping vs. the Golok it doesnt outchop it. The sheath is a big disapointment to me, after reading about how good they were i was suprised by what i got. Its made of some very good leather but im not impressed with the swivel loop in the least bit, drawing and sheathing the knife is troublesome as its far too form cut towards the top, and the throat of the sheath isnt cut anywhere near the profile of the knife. I would have much rather seen a draw up sort of sheath rather than a draw thru. Its a good knife all around, just not a great one.

I hope to buy the Dadao, Pack Golok, Hudson Bay and Engineer Bolo soon as well though.
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I think (though can't be sure) that the cut of the top of the sheath will be remedied with the next production cycle. With regard to chopping ability I think you might find that the heavier micarta (as compared to wood) shifts the balance point back a bit, which takes some "oomph" out of the chop but allows for greater maneuverability. Would have to assess it in person to be sure, though, as I haven't gotten any Warlocks in just jet (darn it!) :D
 
That Warlock is a good looking blade! A bit heavy for me, but darned nice and looks to be a severe chopping beastie.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Oh--BearClaw! Just so you know they're now bringing the edge all the way to the base of the blade from the factory. I take it you extended the edge on yours, or it's two different ones in your photos as it has a ricasso in the top pictures and not in the bottom. :)
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2 different knives, Condor exchanged the old model for the new one, great customer service. :)
 
Bear Claw Chris Lappe said:
2 different knives, Condor exchanged the old model for the new one, great customer service. :)
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They did that for my Rodan sheath. I had the original version that didn't hold the knife in very well, so I E-Mailed Rick and he sent me the new version free with urgent UPS.

I think that most of the bad reviews are from the first few years when Condor didn't have their QC down.

Erd
 
I dont own one yet, but because of this thread i just ordered a Boomslang. It looks like a helluva blade for the price!
 
Erdbeereis said:
They did that for my Rodan sheath. I had the original version that didn't hold the knife in very well, so I E-Mailed Rick and he sent me the new version free with urgent UPS.

I think that most of the bad reviews are from the first few years when Condor didn't have their QC down.

Erd
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They did that for me, too. Again, this was back before I even was running a business, let alone selling their stuff. I wrote them asking if I could BUY a new sheath for my Rodan (which is a first-gen) and they sent me one free. :)
 
i have a condor rodan and its a beast of a knife hair shaving sharp and tuff as nails!!! the sheath is well worth the price of the knife an sheath together get one you will be amazed!
 
It's my most-used woods knife. Great piece of work. I just wish folks would stop trying to compare it to the BK-2. Similar profile, maybe, but totally different thickness and grind. The Rodan is a full flat grind in thinner stock with a thin convex edge. Still tough as nails, too. Mine cuts like a Mora on steroids.
 
I have a hammered finish hudson bay, it looked too cool to pass up, plus the cost was pretty low. As with anything it has pros and cons.

On one hand they give you a very good sheath, on the other, the sheath on this knife is very large. I could never walk around with such a sheath on my leg...its hangs almost to the knee. (if I saw anyone with such a knife walking around my area I'd think they were a traditional version of a mall ninja)

The handle is a bit short as well...which I think should lead to a little modification...and at the original price, no fear of that.

So far its just a thick kitchen knife for me. Not something I would buy again, but there is potential in it.

Plenty of other condor products call to me, all in all I think you get a pretty good tool for not much money.
 
I have a Condor Golok(the 14" model) and quality is excellant considering they are suppose to be working knives/machetes.It works great at clearing brush and bramble,heavy enough to tackle thick stuff but light enough for repeated swings with minimal tiring for grass type foliage.I really think they are not meant to be shelf queens IMO.
 
If your in the market for a larger "hard use" fixed blade" and want a reasonably priced knife that isn't cheezy it's hard to go wrong with a full tang 1075 Condor IMO. I feel that one of the better bargains is the Hudson Bay knife. It's a really cool and traditional knife in both design and construction all in all a great blade with a killer profile.
 
The Hudson Bay is one of the few knives that my lady actually genuinely likes. :D
 
the mora on roids is a great way to discribe the rodan. i dont compare it too a bk2 other than similar in size i use mine alot when camping hard too beat for the 25 bucks i paid.
 
tfields said:
the mora on roids is a great way to discribe the rodan. i dont compare it too a bk2 other than similar in size i use mine alot when camping hard too beat for the 25 bucks i paid.
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Just to clarify I wasn't directing that comment at you--you'd just be amazed at how many times the two have been compared when they really are not very similar. :p
 
oh sorry i understood you're meaning and yeah it gets compared alot on the net too the bk2 i think that accounts for those that end up disapointed in the rodan lol.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I think (though can't be sure) that the cut of the top of the sheath will be remedied with the next production cycle. With regard to chopping ability I think you might find that the heavier micarta (as compared to wood) shifts the balance point back a bit, which takes some "oomph" out of the chop but allows for greater maneuverability. Would have to assess it in person to be sure, though, as I haven't gotten any Warlocks in just jet (darn it!) :D
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I hope they fix the sheath, its pretty dissapointing to not even have the throat cut right, its not like they didnt know what the handle of the Warlock was like.

It could be the micarta weighs it down some but im not sure. It is tip heavy, just not as much as i think it should and it shows when chopping, it lacks(for lack of a better word) follow thru that my other choppers, including the Golok, have. Id be interested in hearing your conclusions when you get some in though.
 
I find Condor to be a step up from Cold Steel. Inexpensive working tools basicly, that can take some rough use. I have a Parang, Hudson Bay and Barong. The Parang is elegant and useful after thinning the cutting edge out a bit. The Hudson Bay is my favourite and the Barong is................ ? I think that it was supposed to be a martial arts machete or somesuch. I just thought that it looked cool. Pretty much all of my Condors came semi dull and the Hudson Bay was a bit rough with fit and finnish, the other two were pretty good. Pretty much all three needed their shoulders filed down, edges thinned out a bit. I just used an axe file on them. I recently took a Condor Barong and Cold Steel Magnum Kukri out for a chop off. Both sharpened by axe file. The C.S. with a thinner blade bit deeper, no surprise. The Barong was thick bladed and a better wood splitter, no surprise. The much thicker Barong also tended to glance off the wood now and then on a chop. The Condor sheaths leave the Cold Steel versons for dead. Condor sheaths are robust thick hide and really nice. The grip on the Barong was also much easier on my delicate little girly hands than the rock hard C.S. grip....I find Condor to be interesting because they are easily affordable, often come out with interesting new designs, and seem to be outdoor use oriented.
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I have a golok, which is great around the yard for clearing brush or branches and even preparing fireplace kindling.

I also have a Hudson Bay, which did a great job as my campfire wood prep tool on a recent four day motorcycle camping trip. I used it pretty hard and it worked great. I think I prefer it to a hatchet for this sort of thing.
 
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