I’ve carried a few Condor knives for over a year but the line has been around for years. Condor’s history dates back to the late 1700’s in Solingen, Germany. Originally a manufacturer of household tools, swords, military knives and agricultural tools they grew and expanded into overseas operations. In 1964 a move to El Salvador brought their presence to the world market.
The Condor axes have been a part of the business since I opened the Trestle Pine Knives store. The quality is excellent and the prices competitive. Over the last few days I’ve expanded the knife choices in the store.
Why Condor
In the beginning, I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the Condor knives. They weren’t particularly flashy. Their blade steels lean toward the mundane but practical. I’ve been captivated with the premium blade steels and 1095 or 440C just didn’t trip my trigger. Their axes were well made and the pricing was good so I decided the knives deserved a second look.
I sampled a couple of the knives and they quickly grew on me. As I said, they aren’t flashy but the workmanship is solid. The blades aren’t always honed to a razors edge but that’s easily remedied. Quality of their leather sheaths is excellent. It’s a nice heavy leather sheath that is way more then I would expect to come with a sub $100 knife.
There are a lot more choices then the three knives below. I just wanted to give folks unfamiliar with Condor an idea what was available. They have bigger knives and more expensive knives. The following models are a sample.
Condor Nessmuk
The Nessmuk was the brainchild of George W. Sears, aka Nessmuk. Born in 1821 Sears dedicated his life to living in the woods and was the ultimate outdoorsman. In his book Woodcraft, Sears talks about the equipment he carried in the early days of ‘ultralight camping’. If you haven’t read the book, read it. He was so far ahead of his time in many ways. Sears had the Nessmuk knife built to his specs and it became a favorite of woodsmen that continues to this day. You’ll see the influence in a number of today’s ‘modern’ bushcraft knives.
The Nessmuk fits my hand to a ‘t’. A slightly oversized walnut handle results in the ultimate in control and leverage. The upswept 4 1/8″ blade lends itself to skinning or any number of tasks around camp. Its a well built, heavy duty utility tool that comes in at $59.95. I really like the design and if I spent more time in the woods, this would be at the top of my list.
Condor Okavango Hunting Knife
The Condor Okavango is the second knife that got my attention. It’s 3.5″ 440C blade is a great choice for a hunting knife. Plenty of length and a lot of backbone for heavy field dressing. The jimping provides excellent control.
I’ve never been a fan of oversized hunting knives and the Okavango checks all the boxes. Plenty of length at 3.5″ and a comfortable handle makes for the perfect hunter. It also comes with a leather sheath and the price is just under $70.
Condor Terrasaur Hunting Knife
The Condor Terrasaur is the ultimate in bargain hunting knives. For $46 your getting a 4.25″ 1095 blade. The handle and sheath is polypropylene. I can’t think of another knife in this price range that comes close. If you have a young outdoorsman in need of a good quality blade, this is it.
Condor Popularity
Condor has been doing well in the marketplace. My personal success with the Condors is presenting the line in person at gun and knife shows. The Condors are definitely one of those knives that sell when the customer gets to handle them. At the price point, a lot of consumers are skeptical of what they’re going to get for their money. Once they get to handle the knife, it becomes apparent the value is there.
They may not have the razzle dazzle of a Bark River or a Fallkniven. When you consider you can buy and lose 3 of the Condors and have money left to buy one more, the competition starts to look pretty expensive.
For anyone on a budget or just unwilling to spend a couple $100 on a hunting knife, Condor is a great alternative. If you have a new hunter just starting out the Condor’s are the perfect knife. We all know that if you spend a lot of time in the woods, it’s not impossible to misplace a knife. Sometimes, it’s nice to have a backup in the glove box or your pack. With the prices of everything going through the roof, it’s nice to know there are options. The Condor is a great option to consider.
