Here is what came in the box, minus the velcro straps:
I noticed two things immediately after opening the box. First is how heavy the knife is. It has a great heft to it. Second was how incredibly comfortable it was in my hand. The knife was pretty sharp right out of the box.
Here is a size comparison (ESEE 6 on top, Condor Bushlore on the bottom):
I used some old branches to see how the knife would do, and it did very well. It was able to dig in when I wanted it to and it would be a find featherstick maker in my opinion. I did some light chopping with it even though this is far from a chopper and it did ok despite it's size limitations. The spine is ground to a ninety degree angle, and while I didn't use it to throw sparks, considering how sharp the edge of the spine is I can't imagine it won't throw tons. I do have one negative to throw in. The knife sits way down in the sheath, and it can be hard to withdraw from the sheath because of it.
Overall it's a small gripe for a knife I felt did everything else pretty darn good. I see this knife being a great truck/get home bag knife, based on it's abilities and the fact being stainless steel you don't have to worry about it rusting sitting in your truck or car. This is also a knife that I think would be a great gift for someone just starting out in preparedness. It's not going to break the bank, and with a ferro rod it would be a great start for someone. I paid $62 on Amazon, but I have seen it as low as $55. So if you want one be patient. For the price, I think it's pretty hard to beat.
I noticed two things immediately after opening the box. First is how heavy the knife is. It has a great heft to it. Second was how incredibly comfortable it was in my hand. The knife was pretty sharp right out of the box.
Here is a size comparison (ESEE 6 on top, Condor Bushlore on the bottom):
I used some old branches to see how the knife would do, and it did very well. It was able to dig in when I wanted it to and it would be a find featherstick maker in my opinion. I did some light chopping with it even though this is far from a chopper and it did ok despite it's size limitations. The spine is ground to a ninety degree angle, and while I didn't use it to throw sparks, considering how sharp the edge of the spine is I can't imagine it won't throw tons. I do have one negative to throw in. The knife sits way down in the sheath, and it can be hard to withdraw from the sheath because of it.
Overall it's a small gripe for a knife I felt did everything else pretty darn good. I see this knife being a great truck/get home bag knife, based on it's abilities and the fact being stainless steel you don't have to worry about it rusting sitting in your truck or car. This is also a knife that I think would be a great gift for someone just starting out in preparedness. It's not going to break the bank, and with a ferro rod it would be a great start for someone. I paid $62 on Amazon, but I have seen it as low as $55. So if you want one be patient. For the price, I think it's pretty hard to beat.