Condor quality

[theJman]

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.

The two Condors I bought had the following issues...

Rodan (I actually bought this one for a buddies grandson to use in the Boy Scouts, so I didn't have it for very long)

• Primary grind line was wavy.
• Blade coating started coming of in streaks after battoning a single 4" log.
• Molded plastic handles did not align, leaving a pronounced ridge (the scales are two halves pressed together over a partial tang).
• Residue from the molding process left a sharp line along the entire area were the two sides of the handle scales meet (essentially the middle of the handle). I had to take a razor blade and sandpaper to that immediately because you couldn't even grasp it right out of the box.
• Was pretty dull.
• Sheath had an unpleasant smell to it, and didn't fit the knife snugly. I had to soak it and wet-form it myself.
• Finger choil is square with sharp edges, rendering it useless. Well, maybe for the 9 year old I gave it to his finger might fit, but it's not adequate for anyone much older than that.

Crotalus

• Visibly uneven plunge lines side-to-side.
• Coating on the flats by the spine chipped off after just a few strikes with a ferro rod.
• 2 of the 3 handle pins were sticking up beyond the scales, creating an instant hot spot.
• The outer edges on the handle scales were not sufficiently rounded, leaving sharp ridges. The finger guard was particularly bad. Took some work with the Dremel to make it comfortable.
• The knife rattles around in the sheath. I don't know that it would fall out, but it sure makes a racket.
• Knife edge cuts into the sheath every time you insert/remove it so there's always Kydex shavings on the blade.

In general I actually like this knife - and it has a handle big enough for my larger than average paws, something that's always a problem for me - but this one has been relegated to the shed as a beater.


I paid $45 for the Rodan and $59 for the Crotalus, so obviously not a ton of money. In my opinion though, neither was really worth what I did pay. Recently I've bought a number of inexpensive knives, among them; Boker Magnum Nordic ($13), Elk Ridge 543BW ($16), Marttiini Condor Skinner ($25), Fremont Alfa Benetti Primal Force ($40), Gerber Gator Fixed ($40). Every one of those had much better QC than my Condors, even the $13 and $16 blades. I've read a lot about their history of spotty quality, so I knew beforehand what the potential outcome might be. In my case it didn't end well. Caveat emptor.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Does the sheath on your Crotalus have divots in the mouth of it? If it just looks rectangular (which I'm guessing it does) then it was one of the first run, which had some sheath fit/retention issues. If that's the case Condor would hook you up with one of the revamped sheaths, I'm sure. Also, when did you get your Rodan? That likewise sounds like it may be an older one. I have a first gen. one and it's a damn ugly knife, but it's performed well nonetheless. I know dealers sometimes receive older stock that's been discovered in the back of a warehouse somewhere etc. so I'm wondering if that may have happened in your case--especially with the weird-smelling sheath?

 

[dullone]

I think too often we confuse qa/qc with build quality. Build quality is building to a price point. It's quality level is purposely and deliberately determined to allow the product to sell for a certain price while producing a satisfactory profit. The purpose of QA/QC is to see that the product meets the defined quality level designed into it, it doesn't define the quality, just assures it.

Condors are inexpensive knives. They are not designed with the "best" materials or workmanship as they are designed to be inexpensive.

You can't realistically expect Mercedes Benz quality for the price of a Yugo.

Do Condors come with the sharpest factory edges....no. Do they come with the latest and greatest super steels....no. Do they come with a CRK level of fit and finish....no. And they weren't designed to. But they are functional and deliver performance equal to, or above their price point which makes them a good value.

 

[Cobalt]

I have owned 5 Condor knives and I still have 3. I have found that the fit and finish are more than acceptable at their price range. My only gripe is the severely obtuse edges and you have to do a lot of work to get a working edge on them They are polished and they look sharp, but they can't cut. With a 1 inch slack belt sander you can take care of the problem fairly quickly, making sure you do not overheat the steel.

 

[DShiflet]

I have owned 5 Condor knives and I still have 3. I have found that the fit and finish are more than acceptable at their price range. My only gripe is the severely obtuse edges and you have to do a lot of work to get a working edge on them They are polished and they look sharp, but they can't cut. With a 1 inch slack belt sander you can take care of the problem fairly quickly, making sure you do not overheat the steel.

Have you bought any Condors recently? I assure you, they have NO trouble cutting out of the box.

 

[theJman]

Does the sheath on your Crotalus have divots in the mouth of it? If it just looks rectangular (which I'm guessing it does) then it was one of the first run, which had some sheath fit/retention issues. If that's the case Condor would hook you up with one of the revamped sheaths, I'm sure. Also, when did you get your Rodan? That likewise sounds like it may be an older one. I have a first gen. one and it's a damn ugly knife, but it's performed well nonetheless. I know dealers sometimes receive older stock that's been discovered in the back of a warehouse somewhere etc. so I'm wondering if that may have happened in your case--especially with the weird-smelling sheath?

I'm not sure what the smell was because I've never run across anything like it in the past. The best I could describe it would be to say it has a medicine-like scent. Quite acrid really. While soaking it to do the wet-form there was a sheen of some sort in the sink, which felt a little slick when you rubbed your fingers together. After I finished forming and letting it dry I rubbed it down with some leather polish I use in the car and it helped minimize the stink, but if you get up close you can still smell it.

Both of these knives are a year old, if not even older. I got the Crotalus first, with the Rodan just a few months later. I'll see if I can snap a pic of the sheath and perhaps you can tell me if it is one of the early ones. If it does turn out to be from the original batch Condor will really swap it with a newer one?

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I think too often we confuse qa/qc with build quality. Build quality is building to a price point. It's quality level is purposely and deliberately determined to allow the product to sell for a certain price while producing a satisfactory profit. The purpose of QA/QC is to see that the product meets the defined quality level designed into it, it doesn't define the quality, just assures it.

Condors are inexpensive knives. They are not designed with the "best" materials or workmanship as they are designed to be inexpensive.

You can't realistically expect Mercedes Benz quality for the price of a Yugo.

Do Condors come with the sharpest factory edges....no. Do they come with the latest and greatest super steels....no. Do they come with a CRK level of fit and finish....no. And they weren't designed to. But they are functional and deliver performance equal to, or above their price point which makes them a good value.

^Well put.

Have you bought any Condors recently? I assure you, they have NO trouble cutting out of the box.

Depends on the model. Some come ready to go or very near it (such as the Bushlore) while others are pretty thick and not very refined at the apex (Kephart.) The variance isn't from example to example--they're very consistent that way. Rather it's model to model.

I'm not sure what the smell was because I've never run across anything like it in the past. The best I could describe it would be to say it has a medicine-like scent. Quite acrid really. While soaking it to do the wet-form there was a sheen of some sort in the sink, which felt a little slick when you rubbed your fingers together. After I finished forming and letting it dry I rubbed it down with some leather polish I use in the car and it helped minimize the stink, but if you get up close you can still smell it.

Both of these knives are a year old, if not even older. I got the Crotalus first, with the Rodan just a few months later. I'll see if I can snap a pic of the sheath and perhaps you can tell me if it is one of the early ones. If it does turn out to be from the original batch Condor will really swap it with a newer one?

Yup--Condor would almost certainly replace the sheaths to both of those knives, and probably the knives themselves if you deemed the flaws to be significant enough. They do sound a bit rougher than usual, at the very least. While they're "rough cut gems" of sorts they aren't intended to be quite that rough!

 

[theJman]

Condors are inexpensive knives. They are not designed with the "best" materials or workmanship as they are designed to be inexpensive.

You can't realistically expect Mercedes Benz quality for the price of a Yugo.

Assuming this is directed at me... my expectations are in line with the selling price. Case in point; my Knife Research Legion SC cost $290, so I anticipated it would be flawless and have a good presentation. It lived up to the hype, and then some. The Crotalus was almost $60, which to me means it should at least be usable right out of the box. Mine wasn't though. I've bought knives that cost a third as much that didn't have as many issues. YYMV of course.

 

[Cobalt]

Have you bought any Condors recently? I assure you, they have NO trouble cutting out of the box.

I bought all of them in 2013. Cant imagine things have changed much. But it may have been the blade style I got

 

[dullone]

JMan
Don't assume..... without going back I can't recall who posted what, or what you posted. I was trying to address the idea that QA/QC has something to do with the intended quality of a product. The function of QA/QC is to "try" to insure the intended quality . Do they insure 100% compliance....most certainly not. Few manufactures can afford a 100% product inspection program, so they resort to some kind of statistical sampling program which they hope catches the repetitive and trending errors.
If you recall I said a product is designed to sell for some cost that will provide a profit. Part of that manufacturing design includes inspection level, hence some allowable level of defects and resultant warranty costs.
I agree, I've gotten things that cost me less and are better quality than another manufacturer. Once you start getting into high volume production, with automated manufacturing methods, lower labor costs/unit and in some cases automated visual inspection systems for 100% inspection of product, quality goes up and costs come down. Victorinox would be a good example. Consistent good quality at a low consumer cost. Having said that I'm sure even Victorinox has a few lemons get out.

 

[popedandy]

I just purchased the Soldiers axe. Fit and finish were excellent and it was nice and sharp, plus the sheath was the usual superb Condor quality. I have purchased several of their knives and machetes over the past year. All of the handles were very well done. All of the blades were sharp out of the box, but on the larger blades, the ones 10" and longer, I reprofiled most of them so that the bevel was less obtuse since that is my personal preference. They all came with excellent sheaths. Of the approximately dozen Condor products I have purchased, all were of perfectly acceptable quality, especially when the price point is taken into consideration. If you are concerned about quality, you may want to order from Baryonyx. He checks everything he sells. He also offers an additional service for a minimal charge where he does a little extra work on the product before he ships it. That typically includes thinning the bevels on the knives with the more obtuse grinds. I always order it on the machetes and other choppers and have always been pleased with the results.

 

[Halfneck]

theJman - you just jogged my memory regarding the stinky sheath. The sheath on my Condor Puerto-Rican stunk. Went away with time and the elements, but it took a bit. Sheath for it never impressed me with it's quality, but it was functional.

 

[theJman]

theJman - you just jogged my memory regarding the stinky sheath. The sheath on my Condor Puerto-Rican stunk. Went away with time and the elements, but it took a bit. Sheath for it never impressed me with it's quality, but it was functional.

So it wasn't just me! Pretty rank, wasn't it?

 

[22-rimfire]

theJman - you just jogged my memory regarding the stinky sheath. The sheath on my Condor Puerto-Rican stunk. Went away with time and the elements, but it took a bit. Sheath for it never impressed me with it's quality, but it was functional.

I generally don't care for the sheaths that you slide the machete in from the side. But with a blade shape like that, what choice does Condor actually have? You have to be very careful not to cut yourself. I don't recall any unusual odors with my Puerto Rican sheath. Had it for a few years now and I like that machete after I sanded the handles down A LOT. Not complaining however. After I sanded the handles down, I grew to like that machete and have recommended it. Will have to pick up a swamp master one of these months.

I handle a lot of the Condor blades at retail stores, so I am generally not just buying something I see a picture of.

 

[Vicarious Reality]

All my condors are good, i hit steel or someshit with my eco-lite machete and it only rolled the edge
All verry sharp, handles are unfortunately a bit too round... actually they can not get more round

 

[Battleship]

I have never had a problem with Condor knives, I own several of them.

 

[Halfneck]

So it wasn't just me! Pretty rank, wasn't it?

Wasn't as bad as yours from the sounds of it. I'd just forgotten about it because it was a while back. Couple hiking trips where it got left out in the rain seemed to help.

22-rimfire - sanded my Puerto-Rican handle down quite a bit, then wrapped some grip tape around it - Big improvement. Have yet to do the same with the Swamp Master I got from Joe as a replacement. Hell it's still in the box since I picked up the Bushcraft Parang. The Puerto-Rican was easier to pack along on hikes since it was shorter.

 

[theJman]

Wasn't as bad as yours from the sounds of it. I'd just forgotten about it because it was a while back. Couple hiking trips where it got left out in the rain seemed to help.

Ironically a good soaking is what helped in my case as well; I had it in a sink full of water for about 10-15 minutes so I could do the wet-form and fit it better. After it dried the smell wasn't nearly as bad.

 

[22-rimfire]

Wasn't as bad as yours from the sounds of it. I'd just forgotten about it because it was a while back. Couple hiking trips where it got left out in the rain seemed to help.

22-rimfire - sanded my Puerto-Rican handle down quite a bit, then wrapped some grip tape around it - Big improvement. Have yet to do the same with the Swamp Master I got from Joe as a replacement. Hell it's still in the box since I picked up the Bushcraft Parang. The Puerto-Rican was easier to pack along on hikes since it was shorter.

I have been exposed to tannery odors from time to time. Very smelly places. After I bought the Puerto Rican, I handled it and chopped with it and said "No thanks", and promptly wiped it down and put it back in the box. It sat there for at least a year until one day I decided what good is it sitting in the box and decided to take my electric sander to it. Did it slowly and then stained the wood with Linseed Oil and it produced a very comfortable handle (eventually).... I hit it over and over until the handle was a good fit for me working the wood down. I don't really like to put tape on my machete handles. Did that years ago and you still get blisters quickly if the handle sucks. I could see wrapping one with bicycle tape especially if you got a little carried away with the sanding.

I know it was never that popular of a machete, but I like it and it is one of my primary users along with the wood handled El Salvador, Pack Golok, Village Parang. The Viking doesn't see much use as does the original long Parang. The Viking is a very cool machete however.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Really bizarre...I've personally examined literally hundreds of Condors and never once come across a stinky sheath...they've all smelled like new leather shoes to me. KA-BAR handles, by contrast, often smell strangely similar to hot dogs. ;;