I used to chop down a dead iron wood tree every day, then chop it into pieces small enough to fit in the fire place. All with an axe, it took me hours😂. Broke every axe handle until I bought a hickory handle. I agree, never thought wood can be hard as stone
Thanks Gabe, I've been waiting for this review since I spotted you carrying it a few vids back. I think it has become a must have item. It seems like it would fit my needs nicely.
Condor makes a good product for sure, and no matter what sort of vegetation you work with, Condor has some sort of blade to deal with it, different blade shapes, thicknesses, lengths, etc.
I got mine from the Australian Military in 1975 and have used it actively since then. I have chopped wood and dispatched animals as and when necessary. It rarely needs a sharpen, I like to keep it razor sharp. And it will take the head off a 2 metre Kangaroo or a 6 metre python with one blow. When you in the bush and make camp this is the tool to take. If I had to rely on it to protect myself from a crock or a razorback and I only had this I would be comfortable. I take it belt mounted whenever I'm in the bush. In all the time I have had the machete it has never rusted and I have never taken special care of it other than to keep it sharp. The Condor looks to be an accurate copy that I would be happy to use. Plus it you have ever tried to open a coconut you know just how good this tool is.
I use ironwood a lot and I'd never dream of going at it with anything less than a medium weight axe, and even then I prefer a chainsaw. It's definitely not the territory of any machete or even a chopper like the skrama. Ironwood has some really interesting properties, great timber. Not the best idea to take a machete to it, from the machetes point of view at least haha
You live in paradise my friend. Need a new neighbor? I really like the looks of that knife. Like you said, it's a classic design. I've got an Eco Parang and a Bushcraft Parang so I don't really need it, but that's never stopped me before!
It's not that bad, if you have the right machete. 1) this is thick but only a 12 inch machete, 2) that's iron wood which is way tougher than most wood, 3) looking at some of the smaller stuff being cut, I'm not sure there was all that much strength put behind the blade. I cut down a maple about a foot thick at age 13 with a $5 flea market garbage machete. Took maybe 20 minutes.
Svord also did a version of this knife. The reason this machete is shorter and chunkier is that the Australian outback is very tough and a thin jungle machete would not cope. The weight on the downward swing makes it able to take down even redgum branches. If you think Ironwood is hard - you should see redwood.
The only reason why it's like this is because that's how it was designed in England in Birmingham, nothing to do with the Australian bush. I find it funny that it isn't called the condor Martindale machete.
Good review, Gabe. You used it for a wide range of tasks, which is exactly what it is meant for. This design has been sold by Martindale, a British company, as a Golok for a long time, and was standard issue for British, Australian and other Commonwealth troops for jungle conditions. Not surprisingly, it's been a pretty popular tool throughout the British Commonwealth, including much of the Caribbean, and has even spilled over in use to non-Commonwealth countries, including parts of Central and South America. You're right about the similarity of the blade shape to a Parang, and arguably the terms can be used interchangeably, but my view is that a Golok has much less pronounced curvature of the blade than a Parang does. Both Goloks and Parangs are machetes, but are traditionally shorter and thicker than Latin machetes, which are designed primarily to clear soft vegetation.
I like the Condor the best! Like the gentleman said the longer the knife the harder it is to swing! Your hands and arms will get very tired in the jungle using the longer blade! The longer one would be fine for using around the property though! You picked the wrong kind of wood to use for a demo! Isn't that the kind of wood they use for the bows of wooden boats because of its toughness? Makes good firewood though! You have much determination! I would have given up ! Haha ! Love the video!
These machetes are useless in a jungle environment, that's why most British soldiers who were deployed in a jungle environment soon ditched it for a locally made parang.
Same as the Martindale but double the price, I have a Martindale, it's razor sharp, unbreakable and I would highly recommend it, it does need some some work but it's worth it.
Just bought my Martindale golok no.2 new, for £8.50 or $7 here in Thailand Nov 2022. Common here, a beater as they are inexpensive. £30 to £45 when shipped back to u.k. doh!
4 years later...chop, chop, chop! That Allocasuarina luehmannii (buloke or bull-oak) is a species of ironwood tree native to Australia and its wood is the hardest commercially available as measured by the Janka Hardness Scale. I cut 150 mature Buloke a few years back...made mince meat out of my chains.
Maybe Condor does not use higher hardness on the steel is so that the blade don't chip when chopping, as well as to be easily sharpened in the field. Really enjoyed the review. Thank you!
another machete on my list of things i need in my life, did an alright job on the iron wood, Australia has some of the hardest trees in the world, not something that we are proud of, just makes camping more difficult, do you know how the Australian ironwood trees made it all the way to Hawaii?
Leigh Fletcher Even eucalypts can be incredibly hard if they have grown in poor conditions.. where I live at least a boys axe is more valuable than a large knife like this.
Nice review, is the same shape than Martindale Golok, I guess is a copyright issue no to use the name, that kind of tool was used by England army by many years, the Regiment (SAS) copy Parang and Golok sty¡le from south pacific since 50's.
hello, wonderful review, everything is correct. We have almost no condor products, but there is a similar large knife "kizlyar supreme bushmate convex". the main characteristics are about the same as those of the condor. The main differences between the convex grind and the aus 8 on the blade. In the appropriate conditions, a very good tool and assistant.
Nice review friend, that ironwood is nuts! That machete is not a parang copy, it’s actually a golok, which is similar but different, that straight back is the giveaway, it’s based loosely on the martindale no2 golok, which is used by the British army, I know the Aussie’s also used one very similar. The condor has better steel that the martindale, the thickness of the blade is designed to chop through brush right at ground level, not just chop a trail through soft stuff, clear a site to set up an army base. That and the fact that the trooper is carrying a pack, a rifle etc etc, they don’t really want to be dragging a great big long machete as well. The sheath looks nice, be interested to see what you did with it and if you still use it.
Nice looking Machete and review. Just came by random to your video and since I was paddling few days ago for the first time this year after the ice start breaking up and free some open water, I found this weather contrast with your vid rather interestingly funny.. then I got caught with your review and watched it all.. and subscribe..bit curious to see if I can find out some of the tools I use in boreal forests here get the jungle approval :) take care, greetings from Sweden. wondering especially about the Skrama on iron wood ;)
I've watched this and some of your other videos enough times that I finally got smart enough to subscribe. Just too stinking' bad you can't ship chances of that Invasive Ironwood stateside for CHEAP! Tried to do a little with Desert Ironwood in AZ, which isn't cheap even being close. Our Mesquite in Texas is hard enough... need a carbide tipped powered saw to do much! Or a Caterpillar!
Whats the best machete for heavy use and small jobs also would this be ideal or is they mucb better can spend upto 140 pounds British that is imma be living in a forest or something currently homeless
Good review thank's. In costa rica an the Philippians that is a every day carry do all fix all knife. I have one just like that it was an old cane knife from Honduras. they say that is a machete! any thing longer is a sword. smaller thicker better in jungle easier to swing won't wear you out as quick as a longer sword will.Be for you try to argue with the fact go there live there like I did see if the people don't point an laugh at you when you pull out your 20"or 30"machete/sword...
do you have video where you done modification on handle of this machete ??? And that was hilarious when you trying to chap that big log of iron tree !!!))))))
great vid bro .. ginger tea for the ginger man , had to say it . i m not gingerist or anything just incase the keyboard worriers think i am i got brothers and neices who are ginger black white and mexican , and indian . yep , my mom got around in her youth 14 of us with different dads lol ... god bless .. Lee
And an another great machete review . this machete and the jungolo are on my list . would great to see you testing a crkt chanceinhell 12" . aloha from frosty germany .
I've never heard of an ironwood tree in Australia. It's probably some sort of acacia like "blackwood" which is used in furniture. Yes it's bloody hard and the sawdust is lethal.
G'day. For your next video, maybe try to dig a cave with a tea spoon! ;D haha thanks for the review, but Ironwood logs? Chopping firewood? That is not what a machete or parang is made for.. You need an axe mate! ;)
I literally just purchased this to add it to my knife collection 😂 but now that I’m seeing it in action it’s going to be ridiculous to hold on my hand when I get in the mail
Nice review, I have a Condor Pack Golok good little machete, do you think this is very different? is it worth taking it, the Australian Army I mean? You live in a Paradise, how is the pandemic there? Here we live like rats, freedom ended....
That tree is my life buying cutting tools. I watch a review of an axe or knife just blitzing through wood in the states or Europe. Then when I buy it and use it on a tree here (in Australia we call that "a tree") and it basically does sweet fuck all to the wood. Everything here is hard as a coffin nail, it's friggin annoying.
Also my dad has an Australian army. Machete from the 40's which is mint and the entire reason I live machetes. It pre-dates this one and looks more like a bolo. I wish I could find one to buy. The Condor Bolo was the closest I could find but it's nowhere near as good unfortunately. Might give this badboy a try anyway..
I really like Condor products. Looks like a beast.
I once tried to cut down an ironwood tree with an axe. That didn't go so well lol. It has a very appropriate name.
LOL yep
I used to chop down a dead iron wood tree every day, then chop it into pieces small enough to fit in the fire place. All with an axe, it took me hours😂.
Broke every axe handle until I bought a hickory handle.
I agree, never thought wood can be hard as stone
Thanks Gabe, I've been waiting for this review since I spotted you carrying it a few vids back. I think it has become a must have item. It seems like it would fit my needs nicely.
Condor makes a good product for sure, and no matter what sort of vegetation you work with, Condor has some sort of blade to deal with it, different blade shapes, thicknesses, lengths, etc.
I love how your knife vids are more than just a review.
Thank you sir
I got mine from the Australian Military in 1975 and have used it actively since then. I have chopped wood and dispatched animals as and when necessary. It rarely needs a sharpen, I like to keep it razor sharp. And it will take the head off a 2 metre Kangaroo or a 6 metre python with one blow. When you in the bush and make camp this is the tool to take. If I had to rely on it to protect myself from a crock or a razorback and I only had this I would be comfortable. I take it belt mounted whenever I'm in the bush. In all the time I have had the machete it has never rusted and I have never taken special care of it other than to keep it sharp. The Condor looks to be an accurate copy that I would be happy to use. Plus it you have ever tried to open a coconut you know just how good this tool is.
The Australian machete looks like it would do great with hardwoods here on the mainland. I like the Martindale design, and I assume it's a fair price.
Good honest assessment, Gabe, thanks for the video and sharing that experience. Yikes, that ironwood twist!!
Me like em big knife. Large cool factor when you pull that out of your pocket. Thank you for the test and review, Gabe
You are imho one of the best knife reviewers. Love your videos.
I use ironwood a lot and I'd never dream of going at it with anything less than a medium weight axe, and even then I prefer a chainsaw. It's definitely not the territory of any machete or even a chopper like the skrama. Ironwood has some really interesting properties, great timber. Not the best idea to take a machete to it, from the machetes point of view at least haha
Great review Gabe! I have been eyeing that knife for a while now wondering how it performed. Thanks for answering all my questions!
You live in paradise my friend. Need a new neighbor? I really like the looks of that knife. Like you said, it's a classic design. I've got an Eco Parang and a Bushcraft Parang so I don't really need it, but that's never stopped me before!
What I learned from this is don’t try and cut a giant tree with a machete.
It's not that bad, if you have the right machete.
1) this is thick but only a 12 inch machete, 2) that's iron wood which is way tougher than most wood, 3) looking at some of the smaller stuff being cut, I'm not sure there was all that much strength put behind the blade.
I cut down a maple about a foot thick at age 13 with a $5 flea market garbage machete. Took maybe 20 minutes.
@@kathrynck never dealt with iron wood but yeah wood type definitely makes a big difference.
Great review ! That ironwood is no joke. Thanks for sharing !
mahalo brah
Svord also did a version of this knife. The reason this machete is shorter and chunkier is that the Australian outback is very tough and a thin jungle machete would not cope. The weight on the downward swing makes it able to take down even redgum branches. If you think Ironwood is hard - you should see redwood.
The only reason why it's like this is because that's how it was designed in England in Birmingham, nothing to do with the Australian bush. I find it funny that it isn't called the condor Martindale machete.
Good review, Gabe. You used it for a wide range of tasks, which is exactly what it is meant for. This design has been sold by Martindale, a British company, as a Golok for a long time, and was standard issue for British, Australian and other Commonwealth troops for jungle conditions. Not surprisingly, it's been a pretty popular tool throughout the British Commonwealth, including much of the Caribbean, and has even spilled over in use to non-Commonwealth countries, including parts of Central and South America. You're right about the similarity of the blade shape to a Parang, and arguably the terms can be used interchangeably, but my view is that a Golok has much less pronounced curvature of the blade than a Parang does. Both Goloks and Parangs are machetes, but are traditionally shorter and thicker than Latin machetes, which are designed primarily to clear soft vegetation.
looks like a tracker to me
I like the Condor the best! Like the gentleman said the longer the knife the harder it is to swing! Your hands and arms will get very tired in the jungle using the longer blade! The longer one would be fine for using around the property though! You picked the wrong kind of wood to use for a demo! Isn't that the kind of wood they use for the bows of wooden boats because of its toughness? Makes good firewood though! You have much determination! I would have given up ! Haha ! Love the video!
These machetes are useless in a jungle environment, that's why most British soldiers who were deployed in a jungle environment soon ditched it for a locally made parang.
Same as the Martindale but double the price, I have a Martindale, it's razor sharp, unbreakable and I would highly recommend it, it does need some some work but it's worth it.
Just bought my Martindale golok no.2 new, for £8.50 or $7 here in Thailand Nov 2022. Common here, a beater as they are inexpensive. £30 to £45 when shipped back to u.k. doh!
Oooohhhh man i have been looking at this machete for so long. I love goloks and parangs
4 years later...chop, chop, chop! That Allocasuarina luehmannii (buloke or bull-oak) is a species of ironwood tree native to Australia and its wood is the hardest commercially available as measured by the Janka Hardness Scale. I cut 150 mature Buloke a few years back...made mince meat out of my chains.
Maybe Condor does not use higher hardness on the steel is so that the blade don't chip when chopping, as well as to be easily sharpened in the field. Really enjoyed the review. Thank you!
another machete on my list of things i need in my life, did an alright job on the iron wood, Australia has some of the hardest trees in the world, not something that we are proud of, just makes camping more difficult, do you know how the Australian ironwood trees made it all the way to Hawaii?
Leigh Fletcher Even eucalypts can be incredibly hard if they have grown in poor conditions.. where I live at least a boys axe is more valuable than a large knife like this.
ok, we usually use axes and saws, the wood is too hard to use a knife or a machete
Mackenzie brought ironwood to hawaii for ship building. mahalo for watching
Makes great bow wood
Ya ,when I see our brothers in the northern hemisphere bush-crafting pine , yew and cedar I cry salty tears of ozy hardwood jealousy.
Nice review, is the same shape than Martindale Golok, I guess is a copyright issue no to use the name, that kind of tool was used by England army by many years, the Regiment (SAS) copy Parang and Golok sty¡le from south pacific since 50's.
Bushcraft & Survival CR William Chaverri in ww2 they were made under license in New Zealand by Svord. Australian Army used them and probably still do.
@@scottb.0185 carried one in vietnam war mainley cutting bamboo very good cutting through jungle we used secatuer
hello, wonderful review, everything is correct. We have almost no condor products, but there is a similar large knife "kizlyar supreme bushmate convex". the main characteristics are about the same as those of the condor. The main differences between the convex grind and the aus 8 on the blade. In the appropriate conditions, a very good tool and assistant.
Nice knife machete slicing and dicing with great scenery can’t go wrong with that My wood is no joke /run forest run 🏃 🤗😂🤣✌️
It's made in El Salvador ,right?
yep
Nice review friend, that ironwood is nuts!
That machete is not a parang copy, it’s actually a golok, which is similar but different, that straight back is the giveaway, it’s based loosely on the martindale no2 golok, which is used by the British army, I know the Aussie’s also used one very similar.
The condor has better steel that the martindale, the thickness of the blade is designed to chop through brush right at ground level, not just chop a trail through soft stuff, clear a site to set up an army base. That and the fact that the trooper is carrying a pack, a rifle etc etc, they don’t really want to be dragging a great big long machete as well.
The sheath looks nice, be interested to see what you did with it and if you still use it.
Nice looking Machete and review. Just came by random to your video and since I was paddling few days ago for the first time this year after the ice start breaking up and free some open water, I found this weather contrast with your vid rather interestingly funny.. then I got caught with your review and watched it all.. and subscribe..bit curious to see if I can find out some of the tools I use in boreal forests here get the jungle approval :) take care, greetings from Sweden. wondering especially about the Skrama on iron wood ;)
mahalo
Skrama is on my list
welcome to the jungle
OMG!! I have to see that! :) great news..
Good honest review.
I have one and it works great. I don't think Condor makes a bad blade that I know of.
I've watched this and some of your other videos enough times that I finally got smart enough to subscribe. Just too stinking' bad you can't ship chances of that Invasive Ironwood stateside for CHEAP! Tried to do a little with Desert Ironwood in AZ, which isn't cheap even being close. Our Mesquite in Texas is hard enough... need a carbide tipped powered saw to do much! Or a Caterpillar!
holy shit...ironwood IS iron....nice review, dude:) subbed
It is heat treated soft so it won't break. It is touched up in the field with a mill bastard file.
all machetes are heat treated soft
Whats the best machete for heavy use and small jobs also would this be ideal or is they mucb better can spend upto 140 pounds British that is imma be living in a forest or something currently homeless
A mate is helping me grab a tent today until i can get a machete to build my own shelter etc
Want a Condor for my older Brother more for a bugout or army kit. This or a ktact kukri?
Looks awesome.
Iron wood’s tough ! ......😀
Good vid. 👍
It’s like breaking tarmac with a tennis racket 🎾 🔪
Good review thank's. In costa rica an the Philippians that is a every day carry do all fix all knife.
I have one just like that it was an old cane knife from Honduras. they say that is a machete!
any thing longer is a sword. smaller thicker better in jungle easier to swing won't wear you out
as quick as a longer sword will.Be for you try to argue with the fact go there live there like I did
see if the people don't point an laugh at you when you pull out your 20"or 30"machete/sword...
They only laugh at you til you chop off their hand or arm , with your 20" or 30" machete. lol only kidding
I use a 28" Martindale machete to cut down Johnson grass in Tennessee.
Good review and demo brother!
shoooots brah
do you have video where you done modification on handle of this machete ???
And that was hilarious when you trying to chap that big log of iron tree !!!))))))
To me they run their blades a little to soft. good video as always mate
Aussie army knife is called a “Golok”, it’s a traditional knife from Indonesian Archipelagos.
Tops Power Eagle Bolo is where it’s at if you want a fierce chopper.
great vid bro .. ginger tea for the ginger man , had to say it . i m not gingerist or anything just incase the keyboard worriers think i am i got brothers and neices who are ginger black white and mexican , and indian . yep , my mom got around in her youth 14 of us with different dads lol ... god bless .. Lee
that design of machete is a golok, usually used in the British army, it originated from the Indonesian archipelago
And an another great machete review . this machete and the jungolo are on my list . would great to see you testing a crkt chanceinhell 12" . aloha from frosty germany .
I've never heard of an ironwood tree in Australia. It's probably some sort of acacia like "blackwood" which is used in furniture. Yes it's bloody hard and the sawdust is lethal.
He means Iron Bark ....
@@thevelointhevale1132 Oh rightio. That's a type of eucalypt.
G'day. For your next video, maybe try to dig a cave with a tea spoon! ;D haha thanks for the review, but Ironwood logs? Chopping firewood? That is not what a machete or parang is made for.. You need an axe mate! ;)
Ironwood, the name says it all! Iron + Wood As an aside, if this is a knife to you, what is a machete? A knife to me is 4-6 inches.
I literally just purchased this to add it to my knife collection 😂 but now that I’m seeing it in action it’s going to be ridiculous to hold on my hand when I get in the mail
great review
mahalo
Nice review, I have a Condor Pack Golok good little machete, do you think this is very different? is it worth taking it, the Australian Army I mean? You live in a Paradise, how is the pandemic there? Here we live like rats, freedom ended....
What is your go to machete ?
Tramontina 18"
Decent review
Austria’s iron wood wow 😮
We call it iron bark and it will give a good axe a hard time.
That’s one tough wood Australian steel wood
its all over the Big Island
isn't that a Golock ? Martindale makes a similar Golock style machete
That ironwood should be used as fenceposts.
It is. Farms all over Australia have hardwood fences. They last decades.
The Aussie knows when to use smaller wood and larger wood . I hope you don't catch a cold making smaller wood.
Every time he says iron wood. Take a shot
I think, thatmachete did a better work than the jungbolo
I killed the sheath in a year
I’d say that’s more a bolo than a machete.
That tree is my life buying cutting tools. I watch a review of an axe or knife just blitzing through wood in the states or Europe. Then when I buy it and use it on a tree here (in Australia we call that "a tree") and it basically does sweet fuck all to the wood. Everything here is hard as a coffin nail, it's friggin annoying.
Also my dad has an Australian army. Machete from the 40's which is mint and the entire reason I live machetes. It pre-dates this one and looks more like a bolo. I wish I could find one to buy. The Condor Bolo was the closest I could find but it's nowhere near as good unfortunately. Might give this badboy a try anyway..
It chops and splits wood I bring it camping
That’s all those Ausi’s make are big knives.
John Schoenfeld rubbish
two weeks later.... whack! whack! whack! whack! whack! whack! whack!... 👀
Lmmfao machetes are not to be used for chopping hardwood or even batoning large diameter pieces of wood lmmfao
this knife fails at being a survival blade
TRY CHOPPING AT A ANGLE NOT 90 DEGREE`S. YOU ARE WASTING ENERGY.
Who chops like this nincompoop?? Oh, nobody - thanks.
Is this Condor Machete actually used by the Australian Army?