The Condor Rodan Knife from Condor tool and knife is
a pretty mean looking monster of a knife. Its
simplicity is its greatest feature. There is nothing
subtle about it, it promises to work hard, and it
delivers on its promise.
If you are looking for a work knife or rough use knife the
Condor Rodan might be the knife you've been looking for.
The rodan is similar in appearance to the Becker BKT-2 knife,
now sold through Ka-bar, but is 60-70% less
expensive. If you're dead set on getting that becker,
then go for it, its a great knife, but if you want to save
some dough, and are not willing to sacrifice much, this is a
pretty good alternative.
The Rodan knife - Condor Tools and
Knives
Condor knife and Tool can trace its roots back to Solingen,
Germany. It was originally a manufacturing facility owned by
Gebr. Weyersburg, the worlds largest sword and knife maker at the
time. The plant, located in Santa Ana, El Salvador was sold to
local investors in the 80's, and retained the equipment and
employees.
The blade of the Condor Rodan is made from 1075 carbon
steel, it comes with a good sharp edge on it, nicely polished
out, and is a full tang blade. With a little work on the
edge it can be made sharper. Obviously, as with all
carbon steel blades, care should be taken to not let it be
exposed to moisture for any prolonged period, as it will rust
easily. The blade comes with a powder coated black epoxy
finish, to help offset the rust factor, but still should be
rubbed down with a light coat of oil after being used.
The tang stamp reads "Condor" on one side and "El Salvador" on
the other side..
The handle is made from polypropylene and has a lanyard /
lashing hole at the back. The molded handle does not
have any screws, rivets, or bolts apparent. Condor uses
the term "Indestructible" to describe the handle.
The sheath for the Condor Rodan is a hand stitched black
leather holster, and the quality is excellent.
The leather is like something you would find in a really
expensive pair of boots, and has to be felt to be
appreciated. The sheath is made to hold the
knife snugly, there is no strap, or fastener to hold it
in place, and it works very well. You can hold the
sheath upsidedown with the knife in it, and it will not come
out. Keep in mind, you can buy the Condor Rodan for
under $25, a real value, you wont find much more knife in that
price range.
