Condor Tool & Knife, Rodan Camp Knife, 5-1/4in Blade, Polypropylene Handle with Sheath

My title line says all you need to know about this knife. The Condor Rodan is, indeed, a poor man's Becker BK2, and that aint bad folks. For around $30-35, you can get the Condor Rodan, a/k/a the poor man's BK2 if you want one. That's a great deal for the money, and I will let you in on a little secret too---the leather sheath that comes with the Rodan is MUCH BETTER than what you get with the BK2.Like the BK2, the Condor Rodan is a robust, tough, beast of a knife designed for heavy duty camping, hiking and other hard-nosed tasks that you would dare not perform with another knife. The blade is thick, but NOT as thick as the Becker BK2. I believe this is 1075 crovan steel which is not quite as good as the BK2 1095 steel, but that's why I call it the poor man's Becker BK2 because while it is inferior in terms of the steel and the handle, the knife is built very similar to and functions almost exactly like the BK2. In other words, there are very few tasks that the BK2 can do that the Condor Rodan cannot do, and that is what is most important here, because some people are looking to save a few bucks, and you can save about $35-40 with the Condor Rodan as opposed to the Becker BK2.In short, if I could only have one of these knives, yes, it would be the Becker BK2 which I MUST CONFESS that I LOVE, but if I didn't have the money, I would go for the Condor Rodan, and I would feel pretty darn comfortable in doing so. This knife will take care of you.The only things that I can think that the Becker BK2 could do that this knife can't would be hammering chores and prying tasks which the Becker BK2 is clearly better because it is a slightly thicker blade and heavier knife. I would prefer the BK2 to the Rodan in terms of chopping because I like the BK2 handle better for chopping, but the Rodan can do that for you as well. If you needed to cut some metal or steel, the BK2 would probably be better as well, but that's about it as far as tasks that the Rodan would not be as good at when compared to the BK2. I must say that I very much prefer the Becker BK2 handle to the Condor Rodan's handle, but the polypropylene handle on the Rodan is tough and appropriate for this knife. I can work with it, and I wouldn't complain a bit in a survival situation, but I just prefer the Becker handle as it is more comfortable in my hand.There might be some people out there who claim that the BK2 is a better batoning knife and it probably is, but the Rodan will perform that task competently as well. All in all, the Condor Rodan is a terrific alternative to the BK2 in terms of getting a similar knife for a much cheaper price. So, why the 4-star review instead of 5 stars? Well, the way I figure it is that I rated the Becker BK2 5 STARS as it is probably the best survival knife that money can buy, but while the Condor Rodan is not as good as the BK2, I feel comfortable calling it the poor man's Becker BK2 because while it is inferior in terms of craftsmanship and quality materials, it is only slightly inferior as in one (1) star inferior. Thus, 4/5 STARS from the SkillMaster for this beast!

I was looking for a solid, rugged, hard use field/hiking/camping knife, so I did some research (as I frequently do) and that's how I discovered Condor. Very similar blade profile to the fan-boy favorite Becker BK2, very similar alloys (1095 with the Becker, 1075 with the Condor, slight edge to the Becker in laboratory tests I suppose (?) but in real world use no noticeable difference), AND the Condor is slightly thinner (3/16ths compared to 1/4) which to me is a huge plus as a too thick blade is nothing if not an inefficient slicing tool. Sure I can't swap out the handle slabs for some high dollar fancy wood. So? This is a using knife, not some display piece.And the kicker; the Condor is less than half the price of the Ka-Bar!SOLD.So far (after only about a week of HARD testing in the woods behind my place) I love this knife. Only two points I have had any issues with, one, I liked the stoutness of the blade as obviously it is within the intended use of this knife to baton and chop, yet at only 5¼" it is quite limited in the size of logs it can be used on. Of course it is short enough to be legally carried in Texas so it's also a plus. Two, when I use a knife my hand is all over the whole thing, blade included (except the edge, obviously), I frequently choke up on the blade for control and leverage in finer work. There is a natural finger 'groove' at the base of the blade, however the front of the handle its rather sharp and poke-y. I found it an annoying design flaw. However two or three minutes with a file and no more problem.All in all, an excellent knife at unbelievable price. I couldn't be happier with the purchase.UPDATE:Okay, after having done actual time with this knife I am changing my rating from five to three stars. Why? Because the knife spends all it's time in the box of blades that just don't get used. Don't get me wrong, build quality, materials, fit and finish are all good. Great even. But the design just doesn't work for me. And not just this knife, but the whole 5" long ¼" thick sharpened 'pry-bar' that everyone seems to think is the 'one knife to rule them all' survival knife par excellence concept just doesn't work for me. Too thick for detail carving, food prep or game processing, too short for chopping or batoning, and honestly, if you're buying a knife to use as a pry-bar, uhm, just buy a pry-bar, they are WAY cheaper. When I am camping or backpacking I have a small knife with me (usually a Mora), a small forest axe (Hults Bruks made Husqvarna) and a multi-tool (usually my Leatherman PST), so this knife would serve no role. It can't carve like the Mora, certainly can't process firewood like the axe, doesn't have near the functionality of the Leatherman. The claim that it can replace them all can only be made by someone who never actually spends any real time in the great outdoors using the items they pontificate about as though they were experts on the interwebs.Honestly, I think in ten to fifteen years folks will look back at these thick little "survival knives" the way we look at the 10" long, hollow-handled, saw-back, Rambo style "survival knives" of the '80s and '90s. They are gimmicky and don't really work well for anything, no matter how good the materials and craftsmanship are that go into them.I tried to jump on the bandwagon, I really did. But these knives just don't work for me.So I'm giving it three stars because it is a quality made item, just not really all that functional.

I gave this knife 3 stars because it is a specialty item that I bought as an alternative to carrying an ax when space or weight demand. The blade is a thick beast that runs through an oversized polypropylene pommel, making the handle better for absorbing shock than carving or feather sticks. It generally cuts well and will slice through most materials, even in the kitchen, but it is better designed to chop, so the 1075 steel will lose its bite and create a "hotspot" between the forefinger and thumb when trying to carve after the hard chop and baton. If you have trouble sharpening the edge, try a little more obtuse angle, and that should get it back to working order. The spine does not throw sparks on the ferro rod, but the choil works perfectly for this purpose, lending more credibility to its specialty. Conclusion, the Condor designed the Rodan as a lighter, hard use alternative to back up your general use knife.

only 4 stars cause i had to re do the bevel.....it was not razor sharp out of the box, i don't realy mind that i sharpend it then it cut hair like my Bushlore from the same company, so my complaint is this, Condor please make that bevel 3/4 of an inche instead of just a 1/4, it makes the angle of the edge so pronouced that it is a pain to baton it true a log, the same for the Varan and the Kumunga ( i bought all 3 together.....) , i will have to do the same to the Varan and the Kumunga other than that these are descent knives for the price they sell them that is why i bought the 3 at the same time, it don't even cost whit tax the price of an high end knife, you get 3 ! and look up the steel they use 1075 spring steel check out the industrial us of it, it is solid stuff. even tho these small issues i still recomend these once they are sharp, even after battoning it true a log it still cut hair.

well made. a little thicker than i like but would work with woodcraft skills nicely. they got half the blade shaving sharp....took me 5 minutes with a crock stick to hone the other half of the blade

I was a little skeptical about the quality of this knife but i'm very impressed with it.The blade is a solid, full tang and has the qualities that you would only expect from a high-end product.It came sharp and ready to use right out of the box. The handle fits my large hand perfectly and feels indestructible.The knife comes with a well made solid leather sheath that would easily sell for $30- $40 on its own.I would recommend this knife to anyone thinking of buying a KaBar Becker as it is very similar and you could buy 3 of these for the cost of 1 Ka-Bar.I will be buying a few more knives from Condor very soon and one more of the Rodan as a gift for my dad.Cheers

Blade coating is very low quality; minor use will wear away the coating in no time. I found that after very light use, a small crack developed on the edge of the knife. This is likely due to poor quality steel or heat treatment.Overall, for around $50, it's a decent knife.

ich hab lange gesucht und mich für das Condor Rodan entschieden.die Lieferung war schnell, die originale Produktverpackung ein Karton, das Messer bzw. die Klinge in Plastikfolie gesteckt, also wenig Müll.die Klinge ist sauber und scharf geschliffen, der Griff des Messers ist für große Hände gemacht.der Griff liegt sehr gut in meinen Händen, ich musste aber Pressgrate entfernen, darum nur 4 Sterne.ich habe das Messer erst zu Hause getestet, schnitzen, hacken und schneiden sehr gut.ein Aussentest steht Ende September an, insgesamt ein sehr gutes und schönes MesserPreis/Leistung top