Condor Rodan or Ontario 499 for survival?

Translash

Translash

Doing evil things...
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
771
hi guys. I'm new to this forum (and to knives in general) and I just wanted to start off by saying hello to the community. i hope to be a contributory member in the near future.

Anyways. I started buying knives last month and I like knives for different settings. I already have Ka-bar Black fighter Knife (model 1271 -8inch blade) and a Cold steel GI tanto (great knife) for tactical purposes but now I'm looking for a knife that I could use outdoors.

I am on a budget and 40 dollars is my max for the knife so I was wondering which knife would be great for the wilderness.

I hear the Condor Rodan is a good substitute for the renowned Becker BK2 but would i be sacrificing much by getting the condor???

I also see that the ontario 499 pilot survival knife, which is also 5 inch blade, is viable for survival but I wanted to see what you guys, the experts, say about it?

In general, condor rodan or ontario 499 pilot survival knife? Thanks

PS - i have looked into the Mora blades, specifically the mora clipper but dont you think thats a little small for survival purposes?
 
I would not recommend the Ontario. The blade is okay but the guard, handle and pommel are horrible. If you have very small hands it might be okay. I have fairly large hands and found the handle too small around and the pommel too angular. And the top part of the guard was just in the way, no matter how you hold it.

Frank
 
For a $40 knife that you can literally beat the snot out of, you can't do better than the Rodan. It's great for the sharpened pry bar role. :D

If you want a knife to use as a knife (that makes sense, right?), then the Mora Bushcraft and Allaround line are fabulous.
 
The Rodan is a tremendously good deal for the money, as is its 10"-bladed big brother, the Kumunga. The Condor 2011 catalog also has the Varan, which is an 8"-bladed version. Hard to beat that knife family for the money.
 
Get yourself a 14" Tram.machete for chopping and a Mora for cutting and you will be set.The package will be around $30.
 
I hear the Condor Rodan is a good substitute for the renowned Becker BK2 but would i be sacrificing much by getting the condor???
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This is an unfair way to look at Condor knives.

You aren't substituting anything if you choose a Condor. It will stand by itself as a great & affordable knife.
 
I think of the Rodan and the becker as being similiar sorts of knives. The moras are also getting a lot of recs and I would consider one of those. If I were you, I would look at the moras with the thicker blade with the thick tip--I think the mora 2000 is one of these. In addition to the beefier blade, they also have a longer tang. They come in under $30.

I have two moras and I think they are great buys and they cut and sharpen up very well. Their thinner blade is not going to work as much of a pry bar, but it sure cuts a lot better.
 
Neo said:
I' ll would wait and safe up 20$ to go for an ontario SP46

If not go for a coldsteel bushman for 20$ + a mora ;)
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Kirk_Ferentz said:
I think of the Rodan and the becker as being similiar sorts of knives. The moras are also getting a lot of recs and I would consider one of those. If I were you, I would look at the moras with the thicker blade with the thick tip--I think the mora 2000 is one of these. In addition to the beefier blade, they also have a longer tang. They come in under $30.

I have two moras and I think they are great buys and they cut and sharpen up very well. Their thinner blade is not going to work as much of a pry bar, but it sure cuts a lot better.
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I'm seeing the Rodan for as low as $22 on the 'net, and I can say from experience that it both cuts like a Mora and kicks the crap out of the Bushman. Better sheath than either of them, too. ;)
 
Translash said:
PS - i have looked into the Mora blades, specifically the mora clipper but dont you think thats a little small for survival purposes?
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What exactly do you mean by "survival purposes"? What do you want to do with it? If your idea of "survival" is smacking your knife through a stump with a rock, then no, the Mora probably isn't for you. Realistically, you can probably get anything you need to do in the woods with a hatchet and a pocket knife.
 
PS - i have looked into the Mora blades, specifically the mora clipper but dont you think thats a little small for survival purposes?
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Mora knives are handed-out at survival schools throughout the world. We all like big blades, but for true survival purposes, a blade as long as the width of your palm is enough. It is "knowledge" and not gear that saves lives.
 
I appreciate all your comments guys! It seems the Rodan is overwhelmingly favored by you guys.

And to CWL I had absolutely no intention of belittling the Condor. It's just that I've read stunning reviews of the Becker and few reviews of the Condor, that I assumed that for the price it would be only slightly compromised but I'm glad to hear that it is up to PAR with the Becker.

Before I make my purchase I would really like to hear any input on the Ontario knife. It looks really appealing, and I only saw 1 negative review.

Thanks for the help guys :D
 
The ontario is a good basic knife. The edge is thick on it, for durability, and most people do quite a bit of re-profiling to the blade to increase it's cutting ability.

If I had it, I'd cut the top of the guard off, shorten the bottom part and round it off, to make it suitable for how I use a knife.
 
Translash said:
I appreciate all your comments guys! It seems the Rodan is overwhelmingly favored by you guys.

And to CWL I had absolutely no intention of belittling the Condor. It's just that I've read stunning reviews of the Becker and few reviews of the Condor, that I assumed that for the price it would be only slightly compromised but I'm glad to hear that it is up to PAR with the Becker.

Before I make my purchase I would really like to hear any input on the Ontario knife. It looks really appealing, and I only saw 1 negative review.

Thanks for the help guys :D
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The Rodan is one of my absolute favorite knives I own, in spite of it being one of the least expensive. I use it almost every time I'm out in the woods. :thumbup:
 
I recently purchased a Rodan. so far, I really like the knife. The sheath is very nice, the handle is comfortable, and the edge came shaving sharp. I can see this knife taking a lot of abuse in the future.

For about $30-$35 shipped, I don't see where you could go wrong if you want a heavy duty woods knife. Hell, you can buy two for the price of a BK2...

I feel as though I got my moneys worth with this knife. The sheath alone would cost $25 from any other maker...
 
In case u haven't already made your decision... The condor bushlore is also a great multipurpose camp/outdoor knife, blade shape is a lil different than the rodan. Point down the center line rather than a broad skinner type sweep. Still a brute of a knife tho, and also a great leather sheath. Can be had for $20 online with a quick search.
Great knife, but as someone above mentioned, the knife is only as good as its user, and it's knowledge and skill that are more critical than the type of knife. Moras are also a beautiful finesse knife for the price, worth twice what they cost like the condor knives. Good luck deciding and enjoy!!!
 
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The Bushlore went through a design change recently to improve it. Thickness is down to 1/8" now and the edge is ground all the way to the base of the blade using a jig for uniform results.

:)
 
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Ooops! I'm not familiar with the aforementioned 'deal-spotting' rules, hope I didn't step on any toes just trying to help out.... Link removed.
Also wanted to mention this YouTube vid, since it was mentioned original poster was new to knife craft. Excellent vid,good for novice and experienced alike....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s16uOV1IsV4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
And yes, I have one of the newer gen bushlores, and the folks at condor seem to have addressed some of the issues with the earlier
 
GWashington1732 said:
Realistically, you can probably get anything you need to do in the woods with a hatchet and a pocket knife.
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I carry a fixed blade in the woods cuz I like knives and they're cool. Almost never use it though. Hawk and pocket knife get 99 percent of the work.
 
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