-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
Condor knive, what steel they use?
- Thread starter kurodrago
- Start date
- Joined
- May 18, 2011
- Messages
- 1,476
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2008
- Messages
- 7,283
They have carbon steel, and some are 420HC. I have both, and both came sharp. I can sharpen them pretty easily too. I own a couple machetes and a couple of their knives, and I have been able to successfully sharpen each one of them with relative ease. As far as not buying the 420HC, I bought 2 with this, and they both hold an edge decently, as well as take an edge easily. Neither have failed me yet.
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
- Messages
- 4,256
i like the bg parang's balance and ergonomics of the handle actually. it chops really well but not too blade heavy (like the cs kukri) that it's not a hassle to use the lower portion of the edge for finer tasks. i just can't get over the fact that i can't get it sharp enough to at least cut paper cleanly - if it can't do that then i'm going to have a hard time making feather sticks and shavings thin enough to light using a firesteel. for $30 i'd like to say try it and see if you get a better edge/heat treat than mine but there's the $20 kukri that gets really sharp so...pass.
as for condors in general, i have an esee lite machete (the blade is made by imacasa - parent company of condor, or is it the other way around?). that blade takes a shaving sharp edge from a dmt diafold and the thin edge really bites deep into hard wood all day and cuts paper cleanly afterwards. i'm hoping if i got a bad heat treat that it's a fluke. i'm not asking too much from my knives - just that they should be able to cut printer paper cleanly is all.
i sent it back to fortytwoblades (he's a member here and also the dealer i bought it from) since he went above and beyond in customer service and offered to regrind the edge using a belt sander and check the edge. i'm getting it back from him soon but if it's still the same way i'm not going to hesitate to post a bad review of it. nothing against condor or anything but i'll say it like i see it (hopefully it'll be a good review though)...stay tuned.
fortytwoblades is a good guy to deal with.
Condor knive steel is a bit on the soft side? or issue with HT? hard to tell!!
To me steel that is soft don't say much really, in other words soft don't really means bad...If can take a good edge! HT issue is completely different matter all together!
I own few other cheap knive from Cold Steel too, made of 1055 steel. CS Trail Hawk, Pipe Hawk, Gi Tanto all those cheappo staff are on the soft side but take a very good hair pumping edges...on the contrary condor that using a bit better steel 1075, WANT.
I can't promise a review but will try to understand what is happening with this 1075 steel. yes.. stay tuned:thumbup:
- Joined
- May 31, 2011
- Messages
- 1,124
Actually, wish I could get to the tang of the blade. We have Rockwell testers here at work that I could use. They leave a dent that you don't want in a visible area, though.
My heart just skipped a beat for a second there.
Where did you hear that?
I can't give you an exact place, but it was in a write-up I read. Possibly Blade Mag, but don't hold me to it. I've looked into some of their products, that looked good, but was turned off when I read that.
If you can't take a video about Rockwell test...the test itself, will be without credibility!
- Joined
- May 31, 2011
- Messages
- 1,124
Well, and I wouldn't want to use them on an assembled knife anyway, a Rockwell tester works by pushing a point into the steel and measuring how much force it takes to do so. It leaves a rather nasty permanent ding that looks like the mark from a center punch. Most knives that are Rockwell tested are tested somewhere on the tang, where it will be covered by the grip.
- Joined
- May 31, 2011
- Messages
- 1,124
It's a rather boring thing to watch, but a useful instructional video can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF5943tlbBs
I probably can't video the results if I do it at work, given that we're an ITAR controlled facility, but if I do it down at Central I might be able to.
I probably can't video the results if I do it at work, given that we're an ITAR controlled facility, but if I do it down at Central I might be able to.
I've seen people sharpen mild steel to an edge that will cut a piece of hanging 1" rope. That's not the issue. Condor uses both 1075 and 420 steel, each perfectly acceptable for the models they're used for. If anyone's having that much of an issue sharpening one of their Condors, ship it to me and I'll take a crack at it too. If you're not able to raise a burr with a file, I'd say something is wrong with the technique, or the blades are too hard to be easily filed. A file will give an edge that shaves hair off my arm if done properly.
- Joined
- May 31, 2011
- Messages
- 1,124
Well, they should be showing up here sometime next week. I'm looking forward to giving 'em a lick on the belt!