- Joined
- Jun 30, 2012
- Messages
- 186
Hey guys this is my first ever knife/tool review. Hopefully you guys can find something useful here and maybe offer me some advice as to how I could improve it. Also my apologies for the low quality photos, the only camera I own is about 20 years old!
Condor Pack Golok Review
Specs
Length: 17"
Blade Length: 11"
Blade Thickness: 5mm (7/32" approx) with distal taper
Weight: 1.74 lbs
Steel: 1075 Carbon Steel
Grind: Zero Convex Grind
Handle: Hardwood
Sheath: Double Retention Strap Leather Belt Sheath
Overall Impression
If someone asked me what was the ideal "survival knife" this would come pretty close to the mark, not there, but close. A compact machete that is sturdy enough to chop and process hardwood. The blade is probably too short and thick to function as a standard machete if you're clearing light brush, but the Golok is designed for environments with woodier vegetation, traditionally these would still have been tropical environments in South East Asia, but as it turns out the design lends itself to use in temperate forests and a range of other environments as well. The relatively thick, convex ground blade excels at chopping greenwood, but also performs fairly well chopping dead hardwoods. It won't outchop a good axe but the added versatility makes it more desirable in many scenarios, especially backpacking trips where weight is a factor. The Pack Golok is an extremely sturdy design, and can be batoned and abused without much risk. The 1075 steel does not hold an edge particularly well, but in return it is extremely tough, in two days of hard use in order to test the blade for this review I did not do any damage at all to the edge. Considering the exceptionally low price (at the time of writing it's listed at $46.95 on knifecenter.com) this is certainly one of the best value "large survival knives" on the market.
Chopping some deadwood...
Design
For size comparison, top to bottom: Tramontina 18" machete, Condor Pack Golok, Kabar Large Heavy Bowie, Kabar USMC Fighting Knife, Condor Bushlore and a BK14.
...and here's a top down comparison with a Kabar Large Heavy Bowie (1/4" thick)...
I have covered some of this already, but the design lends itself to chopping woody plants, especially greenwood but it does pretty well on deadwood too. The handle is a nice hardwood which at first I found too smooth as it would move in my hand and as a gripped tighter it would create hotspots, however, as my technique improved I found that this problem went away. The edge is quite thick, although no where near as much as the bigger Golok machete. A combination of this and the steel choice means that this blade is not the best slicer. The most effective way to slice with this blade that I have found is to grip the blade above the thinner, tapered section and tuck the handle under your arm to take the weight off.
Balance and Feel
The blade is very well balanced due to the distal taper is feels deceptively light and maneuverable in the hand. The balance point is about 2" in front of the handle, which gives it a light feel, however the weight is not shifted forward enough for this to be an effective snap-cutter or standard chopper like and axe or a khukri. I have recently been informed that the proper way to chop with a tool like this is to use a draw-cut, effectively slashing the wood at the point of contact by drawing the blade towards the pommel. Using this technique vastly improves the chopping power of this tool and I would guess many others. In this short test I used a different chopping technique to make three cuts into a tree trunk, each cut is made by three swings of the blade, the one at the top uses a draw-cut as just describe, the one in the middle uses a snap-cut, and at the bottom I simply swung the blade directly into the wood, the results speak for themselves...
Fit and Finish
Outstanding for the price. Probably better than what you would expect on a knife double the price. The handles are beautifully finished and flush with the tang. The finish on the blade, as well as the polished convex section are very aesthetically pleasing and the factory grind is quite good. The only imperfection I have noticed is the ends of the handles are slightly uneven where they meet the blade, but this has no effect on utility and is hardly a consideration for a "user" tool.
Steel
Whilst the 1075 steel is not bad, it does seem quite soft. It is difficult to put an edge on, and it tends not to hold an edge particularly well. The difficulty in getting this tool sharp is also due to the thick geometry but the steel is a factor. Overall I'd say the steel is acceptable, and one certainly can't complain about it's toughness, but it's probably my least favorite thing about the Pack Golok and Condor knives in general.
Sheath
This is another bonus, an extremely high quality leather sheath that rides perfectly on the belt. The leather is thick and sturdy and the double retention straps hold the blade in place well. Frankly it's incredible how Condor manage to make such high quality sheaths for such cheap tools, it should be a lesson to many other manufacturers out there.
In use
Chopping and splitting are no problem for the Condor Pack Golok...
Blades of this length make good draw knives for bark stripping...
Building shelters is no problem, this one was left unfinished...
Not recommended! But the Golok's shape makes it a useful makeshift shovel if you really need one.
After two days in the field without sharpening the edge could just cut paper, which is not too bad actually.
Conclusions
My conclusion from my testing is pretty straightforward, you probably won't find a better large survival knife for the money (except maybe another Condor), or even close to this price-point. Whilst it is not perfect it is a very durable and effective tool that will serve you well in a wide range of environments. It is recommended to pair this with a smaller knife for finer cutting work and possibly a saw if you need to cut through larger logs. My current system covers all my bases...
Condor Pack Golok Review
Specs
Length: 17"
Blade Length: 11"
Blade Thickness: 5mm (7/32" approx) with distal taper
Weight: 1.74 lbs
Steel: 1075 Carbon Steel
Grind: Zero Convex Grind
Handle: Hardwood
Sheath: Double Retention Strap Leather Belt Sheath
Overall Impression
If someone asked me what was the ideal "survival knife" this would come pretty close to the mark, not there, but close. A compact machete that is sturdy enough to chop and process hardwood. The blade is probably too short and thick to function as a standard machete if you're clearing light brush, but the Golok is designed for environments with woodier vegetation, traditionally these would still have been tropical environments in South East Asia, but as it turns out the design lends itself to use in temperate forests and a range of other environments as well. The relatively thick, convex ground blade excels at chopping greenwood, but also performs fairly well chopping dead hardwoods. It won't outchop a good axe but the added versatility makes it more desirable in many scenarios, especially backpacking trips where weight is a factor. The Pack Golok is an extremely sturdy design, and can be batoned and abused without much risk. The 1075 steel does not hold an edge particularly well, but in return it is extremely tough, in two days of hard use in order to test the blade for this review I did not do any damage at all to the edge. Considering the exceptionally low price (at the time of writing it's listed at $46.95 on knifecenter.com) this is certainly one of the best value "large survival knives" on the market.
Chopping some deadwood...
Design
For size comparison, top to bottom: Tramontina 18" machete, Condor Pack Golok, Kabar Large Heavy Bowie, Kabar USMC Fighting Knife, Condor Bushlore and a BK14.
...and here's a top down comparison with a Kabar Large Heavy Bowie (1/4" thick)...
I have covered some of this already, but the design lends itself to chopping woody plants, especially greenwood but it does pretty well on deadwood too. The handle is a nice hardwood which at first I found too smooth as it would move in my hand and as a gripped tighter it would create hotspots, however, as my technique improved I found that this problem went away. The edge is quite thick, although no where near as much as the bigger Golok machete. A combination of this and the steel choice means that this blade is not the best slicer. The most effective way to slice with this blade that I have found is to grip the blade above the thinner, tapered section and tuck the handle under your arm to take the weight off.
Balance and Feel
The blade is very well balanced due to the distal taper is feels deceptively light and maneuverable in the hand. The balance point is about 2" in front of the handle, which gives it a light feel, however the weight is not shifted forward enough for this to be an effective snap-cutter or standard chopper like and axe or a khukri. I have recently been informed that the proper way to chop with a tool like this is to use a draw-cut, effectively slashing the wood at the point of contact by drawing the blade towards the pommel. Using this technique vastly improves the chopping power of this tool and I would guess many others. In this short test I used a different chopping technique to make three cuts into a tree trunk, each cut is made by three swings of the blade, the one at the top uses a draw-cut as just describe, the one in the middle uses a snap-cut, and at the bottom I simply swung the blade directly into the wood, the results speak for themselves...
Fit and Finish
Outstanding for the price. Probably better than what you would expect on a knife double the price. The handles are beautifully finished and flush with the tang. The finish on the blade, as well as the polished convex section are very aesthetically pleasing and the factory grind is quite good. The only imperfection I have noticed is the ends of the handles are slightly uneven where they meet the blade, but this has no effect on utility and is hardly a consideration for a "user" tool.
Steel
Whilst the 1075 steel is not bad, it does seem quite soft. It is difficult to put an edge on, and it tends not to hold an edge particularly well. The difficulty in getting this tool sharp is also due to the thick geometry but the steel is a factor. Overall I'd say the steel is acceptable, and one certainly can't complain about it's toughness, but it's probably my least favorite thing about the Pack Golok and Condor knives in general.
Sheath
This is another bonus, an extremely high quality leather sheath that rides perfectly on the belt. The leather is thick and sturdy and the double retention straps hold the blade in place well. Frankly it's incredible how Condor manage to make such high quality sheaths for such cheap tools, it should be a lesson to many other manufacturers out there.
In use
Chopping and splitting are no problem for the Condor Pack Golok...
Blades of this length make good draw knives for bark stripping...
Building shelters is no problem, this one was left unfinished...
Not recommended! But the Golok's shape makes it a useful makeshift shovel if you really need one.
After two days in the field without sharpening the edge could just cut paper, which is not too bad actually.
Conclusions
My conclusion from my testing is pretty straightforward, you probably won't find a better large survival knife for the money (except maybe another Condor), or even close to this price-point. Whilst it is not perfect it is a very durable and effective tool that will serve you well in a wide range of environments. It is recommended to pair this with a smaller knife for finer cutting work and possibly a saw if you need to cut through larger logs. My current system covers all my bases...
