condor Moonshiner knife

C

Charlie_K

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Jul 16, 2012
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I just recently found out that this knife actually exists when I was looking at their Hudson Bay knife, and seeing that it's currently not available at my usual distributor.

Does anyone here currently own the Moonshiner and able to provide feedback on it? How does it compare over all to their Hudson Bay model? Is it worth getting for outdoor and bushcrafting use?
 
Better chopper than the Hudson Bay. It is really a cool knife. Most people who are active bushcrafters don't like the grind near the tip (top edge) that you could perhaps sharpen as it weakens the tip. For batoning much, it will likely eat up your baton. I bought one at Blade last year at the Condor booth along with some other stuff. I personally think the Hudson Bay would be easier to use for smaller cuts than the Moonshiner. But everyone has their preferences. Like most big blades, I don't get much use out of it.
 
Fantastic big blade. I'll write more tomorrow, but mine sees a good deal of use. I love the hell out of it.
 
I'm actually looking forward to hearing about that. I'm always on the lookout for good bowie-type knives.
 
19-3ben said:
Fantastic big blade. I'll write more tomorrow, but mine sees a good deal of use. I love the hell out of it.
Click to expand...

Oh man. What a day. Sorry I didn't get to this sooner.

Here's the deal. It's a big blade but handles very very well. I actually think, in my experience, it compares very favorably against the Becker BK9. Heresy, I know. But my BK9 was sold, and my Moonshiner remains.

The blade:
It's a nice thick (but not like 1/4" kinda chunky) piece of carbon steel that can chop, baton etc... If you really want, I can take measurements and get back to you. It has a nice tip heavy feel that aids nicely in chopping, but it's not so tip-heavy that it can't be precise. In fact, I took my Moonshiner to my Ken Onion Worksharp, and gave it a nice 18DPS convex edge, and I am amazed at the stability of the edge. It's supposed to be a carbon steel run relatively soft (low-mis 50s if I recall) so I figured I was going to run into trouble at 18DPS, but I can still chop seasoned hardwood without edge deformation. Go figure, right? At that sharpness i can shave with it, and slice paper effortlessly. The edge retention isn't the best, but considering how easy it is to touch up, I don't mind.
When it does have an edge issue, like if I unexpectedly hit something really hard (like a rock, brick, or whatever else) the edge deforms. No chipping at all. it's just dent or roll.
My one gripe with the blade is the swedge. I took a file to the top of mine to dull it a bit so that it wouldn't eat batons quite as quickly. but let's face it. Any knife with a swedge is going to have a nasty appetite for baton. Nomnomnom!!! Imagine if Joe had designed it with a flat battoning spot like the Becker BK1. Oh baby!

Handle- this is where it really shines. While I have no personal experience with Condor's HB, I imagine the hook on the end of the Moonshiner would make it a much more comfortable chopper. It's a large grip, and my medium-large sized hands can easily fit on the back 2/3rds of the grip to get good leverage for chopping, and that hook just plants my hand so it can't go anywhere.
That said, if I want to choke up a little bit and use the knife.. you know, like a knife... to cut/slice things it has a nice large handle that just fits comfortably... I don't know what else to say. On a knife of that type, I definitely prefer it to the BK9. (although I love the feel of my BK4. Weird, right?)

Ultimately, I'm not a "big knife" kinda guy. If I want to chop, I usually use a hatchet. If I want to slice, I usually use a 4"-5" blade. So really my only two large knives are my BK4 and Moonshiner. I really don't have a desire for more.
 
Yeah, I like the handle a lot better than the Condor Hudson Bay. That is a big plus in terms of using it. I also compare it to the BK-9.
 
There is a video on YouTube comparing it to the HB . It shows some differences I found interesting I personally own the HB slightly modified , I removed some of the metal just in front of the handle from the unsharpened section just before the cutting edge and it added enough length to make a major difference in the way the knife handles . I can get almost right up to the cutting edge with my forward most hand position on the handle , about an 1/8th of an inch from the cutting edge . This feels better for fine task . I also took down the hump on top to a rounded profile just for personnel preference .
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Have a condor moonshiner. Haven't figured whats with it, but it balances well and feels exceptionally light in the hand given its size. You can choke up on it for some finer tasks. I use a lanyard and two-finger swing it for a little extra chopping.
 
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