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- Nov 29, 2000
- Messages
- 1,926
I just received the Condor Low Drag Knife from KnifeCenter.
https://www.knifecenter.com/item/CN...l-blade-micarta-handles-welted-leather-sheath
This is the first Condor knife I've got to see in person.
Over the years I looked many times at their products, but never bought one.
I decided to get one of their medium sized fixed blades and picked the The Low Drag.
What appealed to me was the overall shape of the knife, the grind, handle shape and material and the heavy duty leather sheet.
I tried to get some info over the net, but there wasn't much there except a few short posts on various forums and a few, mostly positive reviews.
Price wise Condor sets a uniform manufacturer approved price for all of its retailers, so price shopping was not an issue.
I have read that Condor had problems with maintaining consistent quality in the past, but also that it worked hard to improve and that in recent years its quality control got much better.
Forty Two Blades at Baryonyx Knife Co. did not carry this particular model, so I purchased it from KnifeCenter, another really great dealer I highly recommend.
Condor packs the knife in a plain but very sturdy cardboard box. Inside the box there was an excellent leather sheath, a nice product catalog and an instruction sheath with recommendation how to prevent rust on the carbon steel knives. The knife itself was tightly wrapped in a heavy duty plastic bag with a silica gel pack to control moisture - a good detail.
The knife itself looks nicer in person than on the stock picture, with first grade fit and finish. It can easily pass for a mid-level custom knife, so I am really pleased.
I really like the grind, which is a full flat one with a wide secondary bevel. This should make the knife a good slicer while improving edge stability for some chopping too.
The blade has a clear coat and Forty Two Blades reminds people to slice some cardboard to remove the coating from the edge, which might interfere with initial cutting as well as might gum up the sharpening stones.
Besides some German slipjoints, this will be my first knife with 1075 steel. I cannot comment yet about edge holding, toughness etc., but based on the many reviews of Condor's 1075 knives I don't foresee any problems.
The micarta handle looks nicer in person than on the stock photos. It is nicely smoothed yet has enough grippiness.
Some of the reviews commented that the thinner portion at the front of the handle makes the knife a little unstable, so I was curious how it would feel to hold the knife. Well, I found it very comfortable and in my hand it felt very stable, it was easy to control. It is easy to chop with the knife if you grasp the thicker back portion of the handle, but I would definitely use a lanyard in this case for security.
The thinner front portion of the handle allows for a comfortable pinch grip, aided by the scalloped out part at the front of the handle scales - a great design feature. This way the knife can be used as a chef's knife with a more relaxed grip.
The thinner front portion leads to a nice guard, which is not too pronounced to prevent some finer carving for bushcraft chores.
Overall I think this is a great handle design which allows for a variety of grips, a feature which is usually achieved by straight, unassuming handles, ones I usually prefer.
Given, that people's hands and grips can vary greatly, I was worried if the shaped handle would feel comfortable and secure for me, and luckily this was the case.
I would however advise people to handle first these types of handles, to avoid disappointment. Straighter handles, like the ones on the Kephart, Bushlore, Terrasaur etc. would work for almost everyone, I think.
The main reasons why did I chose this particular Condor model were the size (a nearly 7 inch blade) and the grind (a slicer). I like wooden handles, and likely would have bought the knife if it was offered in the typical Condor walnut scales. In fact, I was considering the Moonshiner too, but personally I think the handle is too skinny for uses other than fighting.
Many people comment that the price increase over the last several years made Condor products less competitive. I think, that given the excellent fit and finish on my knife, the price I paid was fair for the quality I received. There is nothing crude or homespun in this knife and the overall package (knife + sheath, versatility, quality of materials) justify this price. Since this is my first Condor knife, you can hardly call me a fanboy, and since I paid the manufacturer approved fixed price of of $80.73 and did not get any incentives or promotions, I don't think my opinion is influenced by other motives.
Will I get other Condor products? I don't know yet, but things like the Bushcraft Tomahawk, the Bisonte and the Hudson Bay knife sure look nice.
As for the Low Drag knife, I think it is a winner and I highly recommend that you try it out in person to find out if it appeals to you too.
https://www.knifecenter.com/item/CN...l-blade-micarta-handles-welted-leather-sheath
This is the first Condor knife I've got to see in person.
Over the years I looked many times at their products, but never bought one.
I decided to get one of their medium sized fixed blades and picked the The Low Drag.
What appealed to me was the overall shape of the knife, the grind, handle shape and material and the heavy duty leather sheet.
I tried to get some info over the net, but there wasn't much there except a few short posts on various forums and a few, mostly positive reviews.
Price wise Condor sets a uniform manufacturer approved price for all of its retailers, so price shopping was not an issue.
I have read that Condor had problems with maintaining consistent quality in the past, but also that it worked hard to improve and that in recent years its quality control got much better.
Forty Two Blades at Baryonyx Knife Co. did not carry this particular model, so I purchased it from KnifeCenter, another really great dealer I highly recommend.
Condor packs the knife in a plain but very sturdy cardboard box. Inside the box there was an excellent leather sheath, a nice product catalog and an instruction sheath with recommendation how to prevent rust on the carbon steel knives. The knife itself was tightly wrapped in a heavy duty plastic bag with a silica gel pack to control moisture - a good detail.
The knife itself looks nicer in person than on the stock picture, with first grade fit and finish. It can easily pass for a mid-level custom knife, so I am really pleased.
I really like the grind, which is a full flat one with a wide secondary bevel. This should make the knife a good slicer while improving edge stability for some chopping too.
The blade has a clear coat and Forty Two Blades reminds people to slice some cardboard to remove the coating from the edge, which might interfere with initial cutting as well as might gum up the sharpening stones.
Besides some German slipjoints, this will be my first knife with 1075 steel. I cannot comment yet about edge holding, toughness etc., but based on the many reviews of Condor's 1075 knives I don't foresee any problems.
The micarta handle looks nicer in person than on the stock photos. It is nicely smoothed yet has enough grippiness.
Some of the reviews commented that the thinner portion at the front of the handle makes the knife a little unstable, so I was curious how it would feel to hold the knife. Well, I found it very comfortable and in my hand it felt very stable, it was easy to control. It is easy to chop with the knife if you grasp the thicker back portion of the handle, but I would definitely use a lanyard in this case for security.
The thinner front portion of the handle allows for a comfortable pinch grip, aided by the scalloped out part at the front of the handle scales - a great design feature. This way the knife can be used as a chef's knife with a more relaxed grip.
The thinner front portion leads to a nice guard, which is not too pronounced to prevent some finer carving for bushcraft chores.
Overall I think this is a great handle design which allows for a variety of grips, a feature which is usually achieved by straight, unassuming handles, ones I usually prefer.
Given, that people's hands and grips can vary greatly, I was worried if the shaped handle would feel comfortable and secure for me, and luckily this was the case.
I would however advise people to handle first these types of handles, to avoid disappointment. Straighter handles, like the ones on the Kephart, Bushlore, Terrasaur etc. would work for almost everyone, I think.
The main reasons why did I chose this particular Condor model were the size (a nearly 7 inch blade) and the grind (a slicer). I like wooden handles, and likely would have bought the knife if it was offered in the typical Condor walnut scales. In fact, I was considering the Moonshiner too, but personally I think the handle is too skinny for uses other than fighting.
Many people comment that the price increase over the last several years made Condor products less competitive. I think, that given the excellent fit and finish on my knife, the price I paid was fair for the quality I received. There is nothing crude or homespun in this knife and the overall package (knife + sheath, versatility, quality of materials) justify this price. Since this is my first Condor knife, you can hardly call me a fanboy, and since I paid the manufacturer approved fixed price of of $80.73 and did not get any incentives or promotions, I don't think my opinion is influenced by other motives.
Will I get other Condor products? I don't know yet, but things like the Bushcraft Tomahawk, the Bisonte and the Hudson Bay knife sure look nice.
As for the Low Drag knife, I think it is a winner and I highly recommend that you try it out in person to find out if it appeals to you too.
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