Okay so my new Condor Solobolo arrived today and here are my initial impressions. Overall I'm a very happy camper. The look, shape, and feel are fantastic.
The Good:
The weight is perfect for quick manipulation of the blade and I love the handle's shape, feel and size. The extra length of the handle is a plus in my eyes and should help with chopping and the micarta has enough bite to make the grip secure. The handle's shape also allows you to choke up on it for finer work and/or gives a place to rest your thumb for defensive moves. The micarta scales are perfectly fit to the blade with no rough edges or uneven spots. The brass pins and lanyard hole are a classy touch too. The blade's spine has a false edge that starts farther back than most giving it a unique look. The black blade coating is nice and the spine (all the way around handle) is contrasted in smooth polished steel. The sheath is made of very nice leather and the darker (black?) color is better than older more red color.
Comparing it to my Hudson Bay, the weight and blade length are similar. The HB might be an ounce heavier on the blade side. I do however prefer the handle and blade design of the Solobolo. The extra height/profile of the HB may make it a better chopper/batoner, but the extra length of the Solobolo handle might give it more power on the swing.
The Bad:
The grind is uneven on the blade and the spine. The tip is unevenly sharpened and so is the false edge grind. The sheath does not fit very well despite the fine craftsmanship. The sheath is too narrow to easily insert or remove the knife and it is seems as if the blade will eventually slice the leather and stitching at the narrower mid-point. The handle shape does not allow it to be seated into the sheath like the Hudson Bay does. This is not a bad thing per se, other than the extra unecessary sheath length...2 inches of extra length.
The Ugly:
Well that would just be me
. On a 1 to 10 "fit-n-finish scale" I'd give it an 8. On an "untested hypothetical potential survival use" 1 to 10 scale I'd give it a 9. On a personal "how it looks & feels to handle it" 1 to 10 scale I'd give it a 10. So I'd guess that's a big 'ol overall 9 for now. Oh and for a sub $60, 5mm (0.2") thick, 1075 full tang blade it's faults are easily overlooked.
Hope this was somewhat informative. Wish I could post pics. Also maybe Joezilla can/will comment on any sheath solutions.
RD66
The Good:
The weight is perfect for quick manipulation of the blade and I love the handle's shape, feel and size. The extra length of the handle is a plus in my eyes and should help with chopping and the micarta has enough bite to make the grip secure. The handle's shape also allows you to choke up on it for finer work and/or gives a place to rest your thumb for defensive moves. The micarta scales are perfectly fit to the blade with no rough edges or uneven spots. The brass pins and lanyard hole are a classy touch too. The blade's spine has a false edge that starts farther back than most giving it a unique look. The black blade coating is nice and the spine (all the way around handle) is contrasted in smooth polished steel. The sheath is made of very nice leather and the darker (black?) color is better than older more red color.
Comparing it to my Hudson Bay, the weight and blade length are similar. The HB might be an ounce heavier on the blade side. I do however prefer the handle and blade design of the Solobolo. The extra height/profile of the HB may make it a better chopper/batoner, but the extra length of the Solobolo handle might give it more power on the swing.
The Bad:
The grind is uneven on the blade and the spine. The tip is unevenly sharpened and so is the false edge grind. The sheath does not fit very well despite the fine craftsmanship. The sheath is too narrow to easily insert or remove the knife and it is seems as if the blade will eventually slice the leather and stitching at the narrower mid-point. The handle shape does not allow it to be seated into the sheath like the Hudson Bay does. This is not a bad thing per se, other than the extra unecessary sheath length...2 inches of extra length.
The Ugly:
Well that would just be me
. On a 1 to 10 "fit-n-finish scale" I'd give it an 8. On an "untested hypothetical potential survival use" 1 to 10 scale I'd give it a 9. On a personal "how it looks & feels to handle it" 1 to 10 scale I'd give it a 10. So I'd guess that's a big 'ol overall 9 for now. Oh and for a sub $60, 5mm (0.2") thick, 1075 full tang blade it's faults are easily overlooked.Hope this was somewhat informative. Wish I could post pics. Also maybe Joezilla can/will comment on any sheath solutions.
RD66
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