June 2008 Knife World Page 1

by Bob CampbellSometimes the history

of a tool or implement is asinteresting as the toolitself. Such is the casewith the Condor knives.Condor Tool and Knife’sparent company, Imacasaof Costa Rica, has such ahistory. Just last week Ilearned that the greatBritish-American e�ortthat produced the NorthAmerican P-51 Mustang�ghter plane (Americanproduced, English RollsRoyce Merlin powered)also had a German compo-nent in the form of an

engineer who leftMesserschmitt in the1930s to come to America.Likewise, this SouthAmerican knife companywas founded by a Germansword manufacturer. I hadno idea, and the researchwas very interesting.

Gebr. WeyersbergCompany was founded inSolingen, Germany. Asyou all know, Solingensteel is respected theworld over – everythingfrom steel �atware to mil-itary knives have beenmanufactured in Solingen.In 1963, the company

built a production facilityin Santa Ana, El Salvador.Many of the employeeswere trained in Germanyon the new state of the artmachinery and a numberare still at work thereafter forty years or more.Today the company worksthree shifts, shippingknives and tools world

wide. For the most part,

Imacasa has sold tools andknives to American hard-ware stores on the low bid.But a few years ago, thecompany introduced aninteresting and distinctiveline of knives. Respectedcutlery and tool designerArlan D. Lothe is respon-

sible for the design anddevelopment of theCondor line. The tools andknives are well made ofgood material, and theyo�er a distinctive stylethat is geometricallysound while o�ering visu-al appeal. Knife geometryappears simple – present

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Exotic Hardwoods (12 different species)Popular and Current Cutlery Related Books

Square Wheel Grinders, Baldor Buffers, Heat Treating Ovens,Cone LOC, Drum Sanders, Abrasive Belts, Soldering Supplies, Pakkawood (Extensive selection), Extensive Micarta selection,

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Eye of the Condor

The Multi Knife is a distinctive knife with many good features. It is well madeand very sharp.

Page 2 Knife World June 2008

the edge to the materialthat must be cut, whileallowing a good grasp onthe handle. A machete oraxe requires slightly dif-ferent wrist and handangles. Mr. Lothe seems tobe a master of geometry.Designing a distinctiveknife while maintainingreal utility is no meanfeat.

Let’s look at some of thecommon attributes of theCondor line and the pecu-liarities of each. ThePoszegrip is simply a spe-cially formulatedSantoprene grip, a properformulation with enoughsoftness to act as a cush-ion. The color of the grip isimpregnated in the handleto allow a distinctive lookand to aid in locating theblade if it is laid aside inthe �eld. The Santoprenealso has rubber inserts toaid in feel and eliminateharsh rebound. All Condorknives feature a full tangconstruction with the han-dle molded over the tang.

The most interestingCondor of all is the MultiKnife. Mr. Lothe sought todesign a distinctive, evenunique knife with manygood qualities. The Multipre�x means multiple use.The Multi Knife features acurved nine inch blade. A3-3/4 inch edge on theraised drop point is suit-able for use as a light axe.The curved inside radiusbehind that edge featuresa 2-1/2 inch cutting sur-face. This surface workswell in cutting rope andvegetation. Be careful

Continued from page 1

.

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Be cautious when drawing the Multi Knife. a bit of�nesse is required to draw the knife at an angle andclar the retaining strap.

with this edge! When �rstdrawing the Multi Knifefrom the sheath, I cut thesafety strap about half intwo. You must be aware ofthe diverse cutting abilityof this knife.

The blade is craftedfrom 420 stainless steel.Most of the Condor knivesare �nished in a blackoxide �nish that is partic-ularly well suited to out-doors work. The blade ishardened to 53 Rc. This isneither too hard nor toosoft for outdoors use. A

distinctive hole in theblade creates a stylized“eye of the condor.” A say-ing in El Salvador is that‘If one travels through lifeunder the eye of the con-dor they will be safe,sound and victorious inbattle.’ It works for me!

The Multi Knife fea-tures a full guard.Considering the hard usea good knife is sometimesput to, the full guard is anexcellent idea. I have usedthe Multi Knife in variouschores and in cutting veg-

etation. The knife workswell and seems to hold theedge for long hours evenwith hard use.

The Condor tool thatsurprised and impressedmy son the most is theCondor Combat Axe. Thisaxe takes some gettingused to, in fact it remindsme of one of the legendaryVietnam Tomahawks. Thehead of the axe features arugged piercing point andrazor sharp edge. This isan axe to be conjuredwith. The �rst thingMatthew noticed was thatthere is no separate han-dle forced into the axehead – the head and thehandle are all one piece.This neatly solves theproblems of recutting thehandle or soaking it inwater to be certain of aproper �t. The CondorCombat Axe is certainlyup to camp chores andjoins that small group ofcombat axes that haveseen service with ourRangers and British spe-cial services for well over

two hundred years. Thehandles are an unusualcombination seldom seenon modern knives, butwith a proud tradition.These are oil tannedleather handles. It wouldbe a simple matter toreplace the handle withthe wood of your choice,but the leather handlesseem perfectly suitable.

There is also a longknife that Lothe calls theCombat Machete. Think ofa Roman short sword, butlighter and quicker, andmade of modern materi-als. This is a well propor-tioned knife with athoughtfully designedleather sheath that allowsa great deal of adjust-ment. The swing swivel onthe Combat Machete’ssheath is far simpler thanthose often found onKydex sheaths and thereis simply nothing to gowrong with this swivel.The sheath swivel allowsfor a cross draw or fordrawing the knife againstthe leg when driving or

climbing. Overall, a greatidea for the outdoorsman.

The Multi Knife is agood camp knife, no ques-tion about that. TheCombat Axe is interestingbut admittedly a special-ized tool with appealmostly to collectors of suchimplements or those goingin harm’s way. And despitenot having a traditionalmachete’s look, theCombat Machete will dothe same job and is a musthave for those who aretrekking along remotestretches, especiallywhere vegetation is heavyor when you may have tomake a hasty shelter.

I �nd the Condor Tooland Knife products goodexamples of the breed,well executed of goodmaterial from outstandingdesigns. I predict they will�nd a place in manyhomes and camps.

For more information,contact: Condor Tool &Knife at 407-876-0886 orby visiting their website atwww.condortk.com.

June 2008 Knife World Page 3

The Condor Knife and Tool Combat Axe is a welldesigned axe with full tang construction. There is noneed to worry about the handle cracking or failing toproperly seat in the axe head.

The leather sheaths of the Condor tools are welldesigned. This swivel allows a wide range of adjust-ment and comfort when wearing the axe or machete.

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Accepting consignments for our August Handmade Catalog AuctionKnives already consigned for that auction includes: R. W. Loveless, Randall(Leschorn), Jess Horn, Ron Lake (2), Buster Warenski, James B. Lile (2), Lloyd Hale (3),Bill Bagwell (2), Steve Johnson (3), Jim Ence, George Herron, Ralph Bone, ClydeFische r, Harvey Draper, Clay Gault, Red Watson (2), Ruana, Rod Chappel (2), CorbetSigman, Fred Carter and others. Call now to add your knives to this important auction.Selected Preview at the Blade Show!