Special grind on Condor Pack Golok; Correct?

[TM712]

Hello all; just wanted to first say what a wealth of information this forum has been with helping me to purchase my first machete; thank you. I settled on the Condor Pack Golok as it will best fit my needs. Now for the question at hand: I ordered it on-line from a brick and mortar business, and chose to pay extra for a special grind that would be performed by the shop that would thin and refine the factory edge. I thought this would be a good idea, as most of the reviews I read stated that it needed it, and I have no idea how to do it myself. After receiving the golok, I was a little surprised with how non-uniform the special grind was from side A to side B.

My question for you is, is this how it's supposed to look? It very well may have been done perfectly, as I have no idea what it's supposed to look like when done well. It just struck me as something that didn't look right. Please see the pictures below.

On side A the grind is about half a inch at the base, uniformly tapering towards the end. This side looks great. The other side however, doesn't look anything like that. It's a much shallower grind, uneven, doesn't taper well, and looks....off.

Is this how it should look? Does it matter? Am I being ridiculous? Thanks!

 

[EricV]

I would say it was pretty amateurishly done, but it'll probably work just fine. Its a machete after all, probably the most abused cutting tool around after the axe.

 

[Shotgun]

I see what they were trying to do and that kind of edge would be nice. But no, it doesn't look right. They should be even. However, being a condor, I wonder how even the primary grind was starting out. That MAY account for why the edge grind is uneven. There was just more metal to take off on one side.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

It's because of the primary grind being more heavily done on one side vs. the other. The angle of the edge is consistent, but the visual bevel width is different from one side to the other because the primary grind was not done as deeply on one side.

 

[22-rimfire]

It's because of the primary grind being more heavily done on one side vs. the other. The angle of the edge is consistent, but the visual bevel width is different from one side to the other because the primary grind was not done as deeply on one side.

Yep. I would guess that it should cut just fine however if it is sharp. I like mine and my dominant choice for a short machete. The El Salvador gets the nod for a more general purpose machete and since I got it is probably my favorite that I own.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Condor does most of their manufacturing by hand-operated machine process, so a certain degree of variability is normal. They are effectively hand-made tools despite being mass-produced.

 

[TM712]

Thank you all for the input and explanation. The primary grind being off makes complete sense to me. I had falsely assumed that each condor knife would be more uniform, not knowing that it's more of a manual manufacturing process then I suspected. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

It'll be taking a pretty good beating, so as long as it functions as designed, I'm good to go.

 

[hauntedchild]

I ordered mine through Baronyx with the special grade and while it doesnt look at all like that I will say you made a good choice as far as which tool. Ive had mine going on 2 years and it is my favorite large knife. Not to start a debate but for the size and weight it chops better than most I've put it up against. And it's versatility is second to none, it's not a super steel it's not custom made and it doesn't carry a fancy name or makers mark but I would put it against any large knife you bring for its intended use. And yes it's marketed as a large knife not machete not hatchet and it's not a pry bar with an edge but a large survival knife.