Condor Crotalus Fixed Blade Knife

This is everything I've come to expect from a Condor knife. It's perfectly functional, but not perfectly made. The edge isn't perfectly centered and the grinds aren't perfectly straight. The edge was utility sharp except the very tip, which was dull. The point on my sample isn't as acute as shown in the product photos. The handle is flawlessly executed, as is the sheath. Retention is perfect and there's no rattling. The kydex is thinner than I'm used to. The grommets holding the sheath halves together are all perfectly set. The nylon back appears serviceable but I removed it immediately as it was unneeded for my use.

If perfection matters to you, Condor probably isn't your brand. This knife was hand ground, by a human being. It wasn't CNC machined. The sheath also appears to have been hand formed. $65ish for a handmade knife is an absolute steal!

This knife compares favorably to a BK2. it's nearly as thick but the flat grind and distal taper make it far more nimble. It performs well.

This is another great utility knife from Condor. With a wide blade being just over 3/16 thick and 5.5 inches long, this is a nearly optimal size for camping tasks. The blade is a full flat grind up to the substantial bevel which is convex, making this a tougher edge for tougher tasks. The blade is also distal tapered, but not so much as making the point weak. Done in Condors excellent 1075 steel, this is overall a great knife for camping.

The edge on mine wasn't particularly sharp and there were definite grinding marks on the edge bevel. This also meant when I attempted to sharpen the knife there were visible micro groves in the edge. I looked as if this knife missed getting the final edge polishing. This was quickly remedied by a few minutes on a polishing wheel on my bench grinder. Now the edge bevel is nice and smooth and the sharpened edge no longer has the micro grooves (making for a more keen edge).

Mine came with all even grinds and bevels. And the Micarta is well done too. Overall no complaints. The sheath is decent. I probably would have preferred one of their leather sheaths, but I get that they were going for a more "tactical" feel on this. Regardless, the sheath is well done with thick nylon for the MOLLE compatible parts. The Kydex is alright, a bit thin, and mine wasn't quite formed well enough at the throat to keep my knife secured enough for my liking. This was easily remedied with a heat gun and a little more pinching in at the throat. Now it feel nice and secure in the sheath. I plan on buting a MOLLE compatible utility pouch to affix to the sheath to allow for carrying a small sharpening stone and fire starter (just to name a few).