Condor Knife & Tool owners: Give an honest opinion

earlthepearl said:
Condor Engineer bolo..... Rugged, nice enough sheath, Works great at keeping my hiking trails clear.:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
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I was looking at the Engineer Bolo, but it looks like you lose some crucial length at the chopping end due to the upswept tip on the last 3" or so. It still chops okay?
 
I have two or three Condor knives in the accumulation. Here's my initial assessment:

1) Absolutely the most steel for the money.
2) The construction and finishing are a bit crude, but well within the acceptable range considering the price.
 
TriviaMonster said:
Mr. FortyTwoBlades, I have some questions. The 18 Thai Enep looks to be pretty cool. On one special machete ;) site, they have the thickness listed at 1/4" and the weight as 1.3lbs. You have it listed at 1/8" thickness and 2.1lbs. I am guessing you are more correct, but just wanted to make sure.

Also, I am looking for a chopper. I am really considering the Golok 14", the Engineer Bolo 15", the Svord Kiwi in L6 (really like this one), the 18" Thai Enep, and maybe either of the Condor Kukri's. I was also considering the Warlock, but someone said it doesn't out chop the Golok, so I will need to look more into that blade.

My main use will be my MLO, and general backpacking large knife. I also carry a 4.5" fixed blade, but need something bigger to chop and use as a machete. I do a lot of trail clearing and I am very physically fit so weight for packing nor use is an issue. But, I do like to make use of my tools in many different ways, and like the Native Americans, I like to use all the parts of the buffalo err machete.
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The Thai Enep Knife is the thicker and lighter one, while the Thai Enep Machete is the thinner and heavier one due to its longer length. :) I'm really liking the Engineer's bolo right now vs. the Golok, but the shape would take some adjusting to. The thinner grind will allow it to bite deeper and it's definitely got a lot of "oomph" to it. In fact, it's heavier than I expected. I think that the Warlock COULD outchop the Golok but you'd probably want to thin the edge first before putting it to the test. I'm leaving the slightly more obtuse edges on them for now though since they ARE good and sharp--just not as thin as I would use and they're intended as a tactical version of a golok ("war golok" = "warlok) so the edge angle makes sense for that application and I'm not messing with it. :) For pack carry the Svord is very convenient as the deep-carry pouch sheath isn't very well suited to belt carry but does very well inside the main compartment of a pack. This also keeps the fact that you're carrying a big chopper discreet in case you're in a situation or environment when you might find yourself encountering "sensitive individuals." :) It's also very light. The Enep Machete hits VERY hard for an 18" machete and you can get two hands on the handle for extra power if you need it.

So they're all good--it's just a matter of what you're leaning towards stylistically.
 
Jakeboy said:
The Toloza is a solid, tough knife and it's named after a very brave El Sal soldier.

I've got one of the older pouch sheaths, but would like the newer ballistic one. Any chance of getting one??
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Just write Condor and they should be able to hook you up! :)

And BePrepared--there are two "Grade B" Warlocks up on the site right now, along with all of the other models. The only defect with Warlocks is the shape of the sheath at the throat not lining up quite right, as some other folks have observed with theirs. Joe is on top of getting it fixed. Nothing functionally wrong with them whatsoever. So you get the same thing everyone else is getting...but cheap! :D
 
if they want one, yall better beat me to it...i plan on ordering one of those warlocks monday;)
 
i'm staying with my boomslang for at least a little while. I am dropping 330 on a zermeno azrael this week so i'm a bit broke this week.

i got lucky on the boomslang. I got it before the prices went up for $49
 
I think I may go with the Engineer Bolo. I have been a big Bolo user in the past, even though it seems not much like a bolo I think it will work. Love the belly on it. I just really like an efficient chopper and brush clearing machine and I think a 3/16" thick 15" long blade is right up my alley.

Also, one more question FortyTwoBlades. Could one say place an order and pay for a "Special Grade" upgrade? Like flush handle scales, better edge etc...? I think that would take your shop to the next level which is pretty up there considering your shop is top notch already.
 
Well the Engineer Bolo has already been snatched up, but doing edge upgrades on items that pass inspection on edge quality are definitely an option. If an item passes inspection on the "edge" category of our inspection process it means there's at least a reasonable working edge on it, but there may still be some room for fine tuning it to bring it to "Special Grade" levels of performance. I'm happy to do that by request, and if a model has an excellent edge already I'll let you know to spare you some cash. :)
 
FortyTwoBlades, you are a class act. I will wait until you get some more in stock I guess and contact you concerning the "Special Grade" upgrade then. There is also a particular L6 friction folder with a wooden handle that I have my eye on.
 
What Condors will do:
-Cut
-Last

What Condors will not do:
-Cure your craving for a high end knife (if that craving exists)

I have an older Rodan. Use it as my tool knife, a sharpened pry-bar if you will. If it breaks (I am running out of ideas...), I'll just hit up Benny B for a new one. The price is right...
 
My Rodan is my most used woods knife! Just so folks don't get the wrong impression of it, though, while you can pry with it it's more of a slicer. Not as brutish as a BK2, for instance. :D
 
I have the golok, pack golok and the parang. All work great for all the work I throw at them. I had a choil area groung into the pack golok so's I could choke up on the grip and do some finer work. Can't say I have a favorite, I like them all. When I bought the parang, the dealer sent me two by accident. When I asked for a return label so I could send it back, they told me to keep it. So I actually sent it to my wife's uncle in West Sumatra. He loves it, though he had the handle redone, the blade shortened by 2-3 inches and the edge thinned out. Says it's great for splitting coconuts. I swear those Minangs use coconut milk for EVERYTHING!
 
Hurrp-de-derp...just fixed the inventory system so folk can actually get their hands on the Warlock, Garuda, HD Kukri, Lochnessmuk, and new Toloza. :p
 
still debating whether or not I would purchase a pack golok. I've heard good things and I've heard bad. I can't seem to find 1 anywhere to purchase. Any suggestions? Is it worth picking up?
 
Unfortunately that's one model I haven't gotten my hands on to give a personal opinion on. :(
 
i can tell you 1st hand 42blades is being very modest. He is a pleasure to deal with and whatever you order gets there as fast as if it was dropped off by a Andean Condor. Lol. Wow pretty corny, pun intended.
Clay
 
Pack golok is on ebay, I think. Thats where i got mine. And yeah, it's worth it. As I've said , I've gone and ground a choil into mine so I can do some finer work. I'm probably gonne thin the edge out just a hair, but it's fine as is. If you don't like the smoothness of the handle, someone went and put a rubber innertube from a bike tire over it and said it worked wonders. Tried it myself and liked it, ended up doing the same with the parang.
 
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claymoore said:
i can tell you 1st hand 42blades is being very modest. He is a pleasure to deal with and whatever you order gets there as fast as if it was dropped off by a Andean Condor. Lol. Wow pretty corny, pun intended.
Clay
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Jesus, Clay, corny-ass puns like that are making us newbies look bad! May I suggest teh internets for some better wordplay?
 
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