Condor quality

FortyTwoBlades said:
Both Joe and I were early advocates for the brand. Pretty much no one had been talking about them until then. I actually miss the blue handles, but there's no arguing against black having broader appeal.
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Haha, everytime Knifecenter has put up a sale on one of the old blue handled models I picked it up. Got an Outback Machete, the 12'' Mountain Knife, and the 9'' "Multi-Camp Knife" all with blue handles that way...
 
I have four or five and another on the way. They don't cost much, give good bang for the buck, and you aren't munching a $200.00 knife when you decide to modify. I bumped into a dirt cheap sale on a Jungle Bowie and grabbed it for giggles n' schnitz. I can always chop it into a Matt Graham special if I get bored with it.
 
I have a Rodan and a Crotalus. Both came to me PERFECT. I wouldn't worry about it.
 
My experience with them is good. If you are looking at something more "organic" or rough - in good way - then they are totally worth trying out. Great knives, no jewelry.
 
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I have a few Condors ,I haven't had any problems other than they are heavy ,not something you would want to swing all day-the Solobolo is my favorite its about the right size for packing ,on hikes you can use it as a chopper or just as a camp knife and the quality is tops in my experience holds a decent edge(careful shopping you can get them ~50$ ) the sheaths on most condors are really nice however my Solobolo sheath has an unorthodox fit ,they may have done it so it packs easily if not then somebody was drunk when they designed it.
 
If you ever. EVER. have any problem with your fit and finish, or how it performs, or sharpness, Condor has a 100% SATISFACTION, not just lifetime guarantee. We will replace it as long as you provide the reason and picture. That is the only question asked. Sorry, if you chop cinder blocks or throw non throwing knives, we will question you.

These guys don't wake up and check their cell phone before they go to work. They wake up and sharpen their machetes. Where we can text, worry about coffee, worry about the tread on our tires, the people who work in the factory, or around it, live by the blades they produce, literally, for over 60 years.
 
and when a factory has consumers that literally live by the blade, work by the blade, they are serious about there stuff.
 
It's just one of the many reasons why Condor is my favorite knife company. They'll take care of you right and they genuinely care about what they do.
 
Joe and 42, good to hear about Condor. I have never returned a blade even if I am not totally satisfied. I tend to just put them aside and move to something else. I am generally not a complainer.
 
I own 12+ condor knives... other than the factory edge being " utility " edges regardless of knife style and thus often need touched up....I have had exactly zero complaints about any of them....

Perhaps I just have great luck, but it's one brand I buy with confidence without much second thoughts when I decide I need something they sell.


ETA: I take that back... I bought one of the " pipe knives " they sell that looked like it had been dropped and the tip was bent at a near 45....that however though, I contribute to the seller, not the maker....you could tell the blade wrap had gone on with it straight so it had been opened and dropped sometime after it shipped from condor to seller....I just don't use that seller anymore.
 
I think your experience mirrors mine Hawgsnawt. The only one mentioned that I didn't care for at all was the poly handled Rodan as I felt it was not balanced at all. I believe it is available in micarta at a higher price point. I think the wood handle would work for it too. I didn't buy that one. I am very much a supporter of the Condor line and want to pick up the Moonshiner just to try it out.

Added: The Rodan is similar to the BK-2 and I probably wouldn't purchase it regardless although the knife appeals to my knife-self. I just don't use knives like that at all.
 
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I've owned mostly Condor machetes since shortly after they started importing them into the U.S. I believe it was actually Joe that recommended them to me at one of the PWYP where I got to use one. My 1st was the Condor Puerto Rican in 420C and I beat it like a rented mule chopping wood & using the sharpened tip like a bill hook. Edge wasn't great when I got it so I sharpened it. Handle felt wrong so I sanded it and wrapped it in grip tape. Other than that it endured heavy use over the years until this Spring at PWYP. I was chopping some seasoned oak and went to use the tip like a bill hook and fling the chopped log to the side - the tip snapped off. Sucked, but I finished chopping the firewood with no problem. Showed it to Joe and he said leave it with him and he will get me another. When I walked into the Condor booth at BLADE the 1st thing Joe did was hand me a NIB Swamp Master machete as the Puerto Rican was discontinued.

Now sure I've known Joe for years and count him as a friend, but he would do the same for any Condor customer. I've also been satisfied with all my Condor products for the money. My sons have a couple of their knives they use on Scout trips. The boys & I enjoy the heck out of the throwing stars. My wife uses her Bolo machete in the yard. My new go to tree beater is the Bushcraft Parang. A lot of the newer line up are made incorporating user feedback they get from Joe and others actually using them. I believe the Baryonyx machete was recently featured in the recent issue of Backwoodsman. There was also the Condor Kukri used in the alone series. Are they perfect - nope, but for the money they are a great deal. They're also priced low enough that you don't mind beating the hell out of them for fear of breaking it and not being able to afford another.
 
I have used Condors for years. I have the Bushlore (both wood and Micarta handles), Mini Bushlore, Tavian, Rodan, Hudson Bay, Nessmuck, bushcraft basic, and my favorite Kephart. Early models I had to sharpen and regrind quite a bit but on the latest (any with the new Condor logos) edges were fine. I beat the heck out of the Hudson Bay and it came through like a champ. My hiking knives are the Kephart and Mini Bushlore...love them. I wish they would put a micarta handle on the mini bushlore...not that it would be needed, just cool. I think you would be happy with them.
 
I have recently picked up a Bushlore and I am really impressed for its price. I have read of some guys having a problem with the knife point being a little weak, but the guys say they where going to town beating the knife up. With that said i had it out making feather sticks and had no problems. Handle is a little big for my hand but nothing that a quick sanding cant fix. The leather sheath alone is worth what you pay for the entire knife. Hope this helps...
 
I'm among the group of people who got the Monday morning knives from Condor. Both the Crotalus and Rodan I bought exhibited spotty quality, and that's being generous really. The Rodan I gave to my nephew who is in the Boy Scouts, while the Crotalus is just gathering rust in my basement.

My research suggests Condor knives are made by Imacasa, same as the Primal Gear Hell And Back and HABS-K ss I bought. If so, that explains a lot; both the Condor and Primal Gear knives show the same lack of attention to detail and QC, at least the ones I have anyway. Neither company will be on my short list for future purchases, that's for certain. :thumbdn:
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Their QC is getting better every year, by significant amounts, but yes a lemon still gets through from time to time. If you do end up with one they'll take good care of you, or you can buy from a vendor that inspects their inventory.
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Just buy one from this guy. He will pick a winner for you.

I've purchased two of the Hudson Bay knives. Old coated versions. Pretty thick behind the edge, but I still like them.

Worth the money, but could be thinner in the grind. I think the newer versions are much better.
 
theJman said:
I'm among the group of people who got the Monday morning knives from Condor. Both the Crotalus and Rodan I bought exhibited spotty quality, and that's being generous really. The Rodan I gave to my nephew who is in the Boy Scouts, while the Crotalus is just gathering rust in my basement.

My research suggests Condor knives are made by Imacasa, same as the Primal Gear Hell And Back and HABS-K ss I bought. If so, that explains a lot; both the Condor and Primal Gear knives show the same lack of attention to detail and QC, at least the ones I have anyway. Neither company will be on my short list for future purchases, that's for certain. :thumbdn:
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I respect your opinion, but I would be interested in hearing what kind of QC problems your pieces have had.
I recently got myself hudson bay (my second one, foolishly sold the first one) and even though it has rough spots here and there I don't mind them. In knife of that style and budget I can forgive them and tweak them away.
 
It's important to have your expectations properly set in the precision department. While machine-assisted, most of the manufacturing processes are hand-operated, and so each piece is essentially a hand-made knife. As such there are some minor variances piece to piece and the overall aesthetic could be considered as "rustic" so if looking for a knife that looks precision machined etc. then you might be a bit more critical of their fit/finish but from a functional standpoint it's fairly uncommon at this point to have them turn out a true lemon. Originally their spotty QC served as the inspiration for my hand-inspection system and ""Grade B" items page, but at this point other brands are more frequent culprits than Condor is! :p
 
When I received my Parang, I was blown away with the quality at such an affordable price !
 
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