Condor Rodan
The Condor Rodan isn’t likely to win any beauty contests, but it’s also not likely to let you down just when you need it most. Made from high-quality steel and provided with a very durable polycarbonate handle, this knife should keep performing well for many years and hold up to most bushcraft tasks easily. It has a very practical design, comes with a sheath and sells at a price point that’s hard to beat.
Specs
The Condor Rodan is made out of 1075 carbon steel, a great choice for bushcraft applications. This steel sharpens nicely, holds an edge very well and, provided you don’t let it completely dull, it’ll be easy enough to restore that edge, whether you’re doing it in the field with a whetstone or doing it at home with a more sophisticated sharpening system. It’s rated at 58-60 hardness on the Rockwell scale.
The total length of this knife is 10.5 inches. The blade measures in at 5 ¼ inch long, leaving plenty of length for the handle, increasing the agility of the knife and ensuring that it is suitable for fine work. The blade is treated with an epoxy black powder coating, reducing glare and making it look a bit tactical. The blade is 3/16 of an inch thick, which means plenty of heft for tough work. The blade has a drop point design and is a bit wider than average for a bushcraft knife. This may make it a little bit awkward for cleaning small game, but the extra width of the knife has some durability advantages, to be certain.
The Rodan comes with a leather belt sheath. As is the case with most everything Condor, the sheath is no-frills in its design, sturdy and made for work rather than for appearances. If you like a basic look but you want to make certain that basic doesn’t mean that you’re compromising on quality, the Rodan meets that goal very well, right down to the sheath.
The Rodan has a hidden tang, which gives plenty of durability to the knife. The polypropylene handle itself is extremely sturdy. While some users may prefer a wood handle or something made out of a more advanced material, such as micarta, polypropylene is a great choice if you want something economical without compromising on quality.
What Is the Rodan Good For?
The Rodan is a knife that’s built for work. The blade is sturdy, holds an edge and should stand up to very tough usage, though it is a bit on the small side for chopping. For bushcraft purposes, this knife, combined with a good axe, machete or tomahawk should provide you with all of the basic tools that you need to make it out in the wilderness.
The Rodan has many standout features to it, but one of the most impressive is really the price point. If you’re new to bushcraft or if you’re getting somebody interested in it, the Rodan is an excellent choice for a first knife. The knife is not at all a compromise, despite its low price. It is an entirely serviceable, reliable and durable knife that is designed to hold up to rugged conditions. If you’re looking for something that doesn’t run into the hundred-dollar range and that you don’t have to feel guilty about abusing, the Condor is definitely a knife you should look at.
This knife is also excellent as a backup. Because of the low price point, anyone should be able to afford to have one of these knives available wherever they go, whether it’s stored in your car, in the junk drawer in your home or your toolbox. It’s also great for a backup. If you’re headed deep in the woods and want to make sure you always have a sharp blade on hand—which is certainly the best route to go in all cases—having this knife stashed in a backpack or hanging on your belt alongside another knife you use as your mainstay is a great option.
Condor
Condor Tool and Knife is an El Salvador-based company with connections to the Gerb Weysberg Company from Solingen, Germany. They manufacture machetes, shovels and a variety of other tools, all of which have a reputation for being durable and practical and coming at a great price point, and the Rodan keeps with that tradition quite well.
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Here’s what people are saying about the Condor Rodan
Good steel, great handle, perfect sheath, excellent price.
The blade holds a great working edge, and it can be made sharp enough to shave with it. It does hold the edge just as well as the other, more expensive carbon steel blades.
