How do you use your Condor Rodan ?

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fatcat55

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Jan 1, 2010
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Since finding this forum, I've been buying some inexpensive but respected knives just to get a feel for the different models and brands and to learn about steels, grinds etc.

One of my recent purchases is the Condor Rodan.

I think it is well made and could be much sharper than I have been able to get it for sure. My problem is I haven't figured out exactly what it's good for so I thought I would ask.

"How do you use your Rodan?" Survival knife, camp knife,hunting knife, ???

Thanks in advance.
 
I second this post (except the part about owning the knife :rolleyes:). I've been looking at the Condor Rodan but I can find pretty much no information about it, be it reviews or just discussion. Any Rodan love/hate/insight? :confused:

I don't own the knife but it looks a lot like a knife I DO own, the Becker BK2. It might not be as thick, but the Rodan still looks like it's beastly. I use my BK2 around the camp for wood processing mostly (I haven't had it long or had many times to use it though). I assume the Rodan would be similar in use?
 
Thanks for the response.

I was about to decide either; a)nobody actually owns a Rodan or b) they own Rodans but are like me and not sure what to do with them!

I think the Rodan is very similar to the BK Campanion and probably the BK2,as well(I just don' recall off hand exactly what it looks like).

The Rodan is indeed a "beast" and seems sturdy enough to tackle just about anything.

I think it needs a longer blade to balance the large handle or a smaller handle for the current blade size. I just find it a bit unbalanced for my taste.

I am still working to get the edge that others say it can have but that is not the fault of the knife steel.

I appreciate the quality of the knife but I am still looking for its highest and best use.
 
fatcat55 said:
Thanks for the response.

I was about to decide either; a)nobody actually owns a Rodan or b) they own Rodans but are like me and not sure what to do with them!

I think the Rodan is very similar to the BK Campanion and probably the BK2,as well(I just don' recall off hand exactly what it looks like).

The Rodan is indeed a "beast" and seems sturdy enough to tackle just about anything.

I think it needs a longer blade to balance the large handle or a smaller handle for the current blade size. I just find it a bit unbalanced for my taste.

I am still working to get the edge that others say it can have but that is not the fault of the knife steel.

I appreciate the quality of the knife but I am still looking for its highest and best use.
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I have a Rodan also. 1st thing is to sharpen it - they come very dull from all reports I've read, mine did too. It has a gigantic polymer handle and a short blade with almost an inch if being non-usable. A belt sander could probably remedy that. The sheath doesn't fit and on mine, I have to shove it all the way into the lanyard hole to get proper retention.

On the good side. It's so cheap that I have no 2nd thoughts about beating it - which I haven't - but will later today or tomorrow and post some pics.

If I had it to do over, I'd have kept my $$ in my wallet even at around $25 :(

They do have some real nifty machetes and I've read good things about them.

I give it :thumbup: :thumbup: out of a scale of 5 :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
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The sheath with mine fits quite well but I agree on the handle size. I think the handle size would be more in scale for a blade of at least 10 inches or longer.

I don't regret the purchase as it is part of the learning process. Fortunately not an expensive lesson and not a waste of money.
 
fatcat55 said:
I think the Rodan is very similar to the BK Campanion and probably the BK2,as well(I just don' recall off hand exactly what it looks like).
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FYI the Becker Campanion is the same knife as the BK2. :thumbup: That's cool that they are pretty similar. The Rodan is a knife I've been considering getting for my brother, since he likes my BK2.


cziv said:
I have a Rodan also. 1st thing is to sharpen it - they come very dull from all reports I've read, mine did too. It has a gigantic polymer handle and a short blade with almost an inch if being non-usable. A belt sander could probably remedy that. The sheath doesn't fit and on mine, I have to shove it all the way into the lanyard hole to get proper retention.

On the good side. It's so cheap that I have no 2nd thoughts about beating it - which I haven't - but will later today or tomorrow and post some pics.

If I had it to do over, I'd have kept my $$ in my wallet even at around $25 :(

They do have some real nifty machetes and I've read good things about them.

I give it :thumbup: :thumbup: out of a scale of 5 :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
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Sounds like an alright knife for the $ if you don't mind a bit of modifying. I'm sure someone I know has a belt sander, so that unusable bit could be remedied - I also thought it looked odd in the pictures. It has the little choil, so I don't see why they didn't bring the cutting edge all the way back to it. It seems like it would be easier to sharpen that way too.

The handle is the thing I'm iffy about. It looks huge. I haven't seen a picture of the Rodan in hand yet though. I wonder what the tang is like? This might be an alright knife to attempt a rehandle.
 
Sounds like an alright knife for the $ if you don't mind a bit of modifying. I'm sure someone I know has a belt sander, so that unusable bit could be remedied - I also thought it looked odd in the pictures. It has the little choil, so I don't see why they didn't bring the cutting edge all the way back to it. It seems like it would be easier to sharpen that way too.

The handle is the thing I'm iffy about. It looks huge. I haven't seen a picture of the Rodan in hand yet though. I wonder what the tang is like? This might be an alright knife to attempt a rehandle.
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Agreed, I guess it's an okay knife for the money. $25 or so? I've read that in the CS Trailmaster failure threads, that - squared off angles tend to cause catastrophic failures. Maybe that's why the little choil is there? I'm NOT an expert just a guess. The handle is large but I have really big hands so I like that.

Grab one and check it our for yourself - they're affordable. I had things pop up today or I would have done a "beat down" on it. Soon! :D
 
an 'ok knife for the money'?that is an understatement of the year to me:)

it has got tough steel(the tang goes all the way throught the handle) and mine came in razor sharp.
and if it didn't like with some others as it seem, you can make it razorsharp.

the handle is a thing i also like.I experience it as comfortable(round ,no square-like edges)
too many smaller blades,in the 4-5 inch range have a relative small handle.
this one doesnt.like the Becker ,it has room for your hand.
not that you can only hold the handle with three fingers.no,you can grip it like a barbell.total strong grip.
:thumbup:
and that's only good to me.

and for that money...very positive
 
Ditto to everything noviomagus said.

You can't judge a knife until you use it. The Rodan's big handle/short blade design is no accident. It allows you to bear down on the blade full force without choking down. The blade is very stout, but still thin enough to slice through wood nicely. Take your Rodan in your hand and try shaving big chunks off a log. You'll get the idea very quickly. It's also a decent chopper and does okay with batonning. I wish the edge was sharp all the way to the back though.

I just weighed mine and it's 9.5 ounces. I would classify it as a middle weight/size camp knife and a capable survival knife. I would also place it in the 'almost free' category since it's a $25 knife that comes with a bonus $25 sheath. It's not a hunting knife. It's also not a good small-task knife, so you have to carry a smaller blade with you to cover those.
 
I just got me a Kumunga which i assume, is just a longer Rodan and it's very interesting. It has a higher convex secondary grind than my moras primary. The only thing i don't like is the guard and choil area, i could easily improve that design.
 
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Halberdier said:
Ditto to everything noviomagus said.

You can't judge a knife until you use it. The Rodan's big handle/short blade design is no accident. It allows you to bear down on the blade full force without choking down. The blade is very stout, but still thin enough to slice through wood nicely. Take your Rodan in your hand and try shaving big chunks off a log. You'll get the idea very quickly. It's also a decent chopper and does okay with batonning. I wish the edge was sharp all the way to the back though.

I just weighed mine and it's 9.5 ounces. I would classify it as a middle weight/size camp knife and a capable survival knife. I would also place it in the 'almost free' category since it's a $25 knife that comes with a bonus $25 sheath. It's not a hunting knife. It's also not a good small-task knife, so you have to carry a smaller blade with you to cover those.
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My Rodan came stupid sharp right out of the box and touches up with just a few strokes of a stone. I use mine for batoning, hacking, light prying, slicing...just about anything really. It's a fantastic knife for just about everything as long as you don't need a fine point. I carry both it and my RC-6 whenever I'm in the woods and find myself using the Rodan more. I don't find the handle to be too big, and I have really small hands (I take a ladies' size 8 glove!). If it's small enough for me it should be small enough for you--just try using it for an extended period and you'll more than likely understand. :)

If you want a longer blade, go with the Kumunga. If that's too long then you can just cut it down to the length you like.
 
an 'ok knife for the money'?that is an understatement of the year to me.....it has got tough steel(the tang goes all the way throught the handle) and mine came in razor sharp.
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My Rodan came stupid sharp right out of the box and touches up with just a few strokes of a stone.
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Let's say I had a 180* different experience. They sent me the wrong sheath, the blade was as dull as a butter knife and despite generous use of my DMT Magna-Guide it finally took a tiny sharp bevel on it's broad, faux silver edge - which I don't "get" either?

I'll give it props for it's tough blade steel, it took every bit of 2 hours to get an edge that would slice copy paper yesterday.

They'd just set up shop (website, advertising) when I bought mine so it sounds like things have improved dramatically! :) :thumbup:
 
Mine is actually a first-gen one. Sounds like you just got a dud. They've been working hard on upping their QC, but every now and then a lemon slips through the cracks. The most important thing for you to remember for any problem you ever have with a Condor is--get in touch with Rick Jones! He's a hell of a guy and will bend over backwards to fix whatever issue you may have.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Mine is actually a first-gen one. Sounds like you just got a dud. They've been working hard on upping their QC, but every now and then a lemon slips through the cracks. The most important thing for you to remember for any problem you ever have with a Condor is--get in touch with Rick Jones! He's a hell of a guy and will bend over backwards to fix whatever issue you may have.
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That's why I'm not "down" on them. I took your advice on the sheath (if you recall?) and he had the right one in the mail immediately. I didn't feel that I should ask for a new knife though, since I'd sharpened it a couple of times.

I finally got a sharp, serviceable edge on it yesterday and future sharpening should only increase the quality of the edge. Like I said it's an okay knife for the price. :)
 
Oh yes, it was more of a comment for the general population here. A lot of folks don't realize how good their customer service is. I just wrote Rick about purchasing a new sheath for mine since this thread reminded me that I still have the first-gen sheath style which had poor retention. He responded within 5 minutes asking for my address to send one to me for free. :):thumbup:
 
the shop where i bought mine also had a Condor Bushlore(they had several that were good) with a little bend in the blade.yes and those blades are thick for its length.
so there might be sometimes some issues with the QC.that could be.
but exchange the bad one for one that hasnt got that issues,i would say.
you got the right to have a sharp blade ,even for 25 bucks :)

I only can say i love the blade,
and for that price :cool:

it's nice to have a company now and then with knives that are so affordable that you can actually buy a couple of them without costing you a rib.
 
I got three Rodans. Two for bug-out bags and one to use. All came in good, sharp condition with tight fitting sheaths. I think at least now that's how they come. These are awesome for a BOB btw, since at $25, you don't mind them just sitting there.


FortyTwoBlades said:
My Rodan came stupid sharp right out of the box and touches up with just a few strokes of a stone. I use mine for batoning, hacking, light prying, slicing...just about anything really. It's a fantastic knife for just about everything as long as you don't need a fine point. I carry both it and my RC-6 whenever I'm in the woods and find myself using the Rodan more. I don't find the handle to be too big, and I have really small hands (I take a ladies' size 8 glove!). If it's small enough for me it should be small enough for you--just try using it for an extended period and you'll more than likely understand. :)

If you want a longer blade, go with the Kumunga. If that's too long then you can just cut it down to the length you like.
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I'm VERY interested in hearing more about your Rodan vs. RC-6 experience. I'm contemplating an ESEE-6 as we speak. I thought surely the ESEE would outperform the Rodan. What's your take?
 
I was surprised to find this topic had come back up so I thought I would update it since I posted the original months ago.

I kept working with my Rodan and I now have a very good edge on the blade. I still have not used the knife that much but as I said originally it is very sturdy and I have no problem with the quality at all.

It goes with me whenever I am out in the country even if it is not used every outing.
 
fatcat55 said:
I was surprised to find this topic had come back up so I thought I would update it since I posted the original months ago.

I kept working with my Rodan and I now have a very good edge on the blade. I still have not used the knife that much but as I said originally it is very sturdy and I have no problem with the quality at all.

It goes with me whenever I am out in the country even if it is not used every outing.
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I brought it back up,cause I was looking for more reviews about the pro and cons of the Condor Rodan knife.I own one since a short period of time.
and i also own(ed) the RC-6 the Becker-2.and other blades.

but this Rodan blade surprised me in a positive way(not only because of the price).and given the fact that i saw some not so positive views on this knife,I though I should share my idea of this knife.

and it is good :thumbup:
I like the handle also.the round form ,fills my hand in a comfortable way .
and I dont have large hands.
 
Survival/bushcraft/camping. The taper to the point can make battoning a bit wierd sometimes-not a whole lot of surface area on the spine there... but all general camp tasks from battoning to skinning brook trout to dicing veggies for dinner to bolting for one-stick fires, to whittling spoons when bored. The Convex grind that came on mine is extremely sharp, so I have been trying to maintain it. It has become flatter as I sharpen, which I'm not complaining about, it's effective that way.
 
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