Tag Archives | Condor Knife and Tool

Condor Tool & Knife CLOUDBURST AXE

By Matt on January 29, 2016 in Knives, Survival

Condor Tool & Knife has built a line of axes and hatchets that are known for offering an excellent value. They have taken steps to grow and improve that line over the last several years. The latest addition, as of SHOT Show 2016, is their CLOUDBURST AXE.

The CLOUDBURST is fairly unique configuration in the axe market. It combines a classic American axe head shape with a somewhat Scandinavian Forest axe size. It is smaller than a typical American boys axe but larger than a hatchet. The result is an axe that packs well when lashed to a pack but can be used for processing larger firewood.

It comes with a leather sheath and a leather guard which is a very functional and classy touch. The 0-1060 carbon steel, phantom beveled, head weighs in at 1.5 pounds and has been designed to split the difference between chopping performance and splitting performance. The 23″ haft is American Hickory.

You can learn more about the CLOUDBURST at Condor Tool & Knife.

Condor 14" and 18" El Salvador Machete in Carbon Steel

By Matt on May 20, 2010 in Knives, Reviews, Survival

Condor Knife and Tool is Imacasa’s premium line that is made for the US market. Most machetes come with no sheath, a rough handle that requires some fitting, and an unsharpened edge. Condor machetes come with a leather sheath or have one available for purchase, fitted handles, and an amazing polished convex edge. They are the Cadillac of machetes.

My favorite machete in the Condor line is the El Salvador. It is a great all around machete largely due to its shape and thickness. It has a nearly straight spine with a slight upsweep, plenty of belly on the cutting edge, a great handle, and it is thick enough to the harder woods that are found in the northern USA while still remaining somewhat light and flexible. This is an exceedingly tough machete. Last year, Condor introduced the El Salvador machete in carbon steel, which made a tough machete even tougher (previously it was available in their excellent 420HC steel, which is the perfect stainless steel for a machete). I purchased a carbon steel version immediately and have loved it ever since.

This year they introduced a 14″ version which I love even more. For most of what I do when I am hiking or camping, I do not need the 18″ version. A shorter, handier machete packs lighter and is more than sufficient for fire prep, shelter building, and other tasks. The 14″ version has a bit more upsweep at the spine which gives it a very “weight forward” feel in the hand. This also really helps its chopping performance. However, the extra upsweep does preclude the use of the excellent plastic GI sheaths that I prefer. I may ground just a little of the point off the machete off so that it will work with my sheaths.

MacheteSpecialists.com is my preferred machete source and they are the only source of the 14″ version. You may also want to watch for an upcoming version of the El Salvador machete with a carbon steel blade and a micarta handle. If you are looking for a machete that is versatile, reasonably priced, and ready to use right out of the box, then check out the Condor El Salvador Machete.

MacheteSpecialists.com Review

By Matt on May 2, 2010 in Knives, Reviews, Survival, Tactical Gear

Machetes just might be the perfect survival knife. They are inexpensive yet exceedingly tough. They can be used for everything from clearing a trail, to fire starting, to game cleaning, to shelter construction. You simply can not beat the utility of a good machete. Once you are used to using a machete in the woods, it will be hard to carry anything else (especially an expensive “survival” knife).

Until recently, finding a good machete in the USA could be a bit of a challenge. Many of the best brands and designs were available only in South America where the machete is a far more pervasive tool. There was a serious void in the US market for brands like Imacasa and Tramontina.

The good folks at Machete Specialists have filled that void! Now you can purchase some amazing machetes from all over the world. They offer a 30 Day Guarantee and even have videos on proper machete use that were made by machete designer and knife writer Joe Flowers. Machete Specialists are THE definitive source for machetes on the web.

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