Tool & Knife Kephart Knife 4 1/2 Inch W/Leather Sheath - 1075 High-Carbon Steel Blade - Ergonomic Walnut Handle for Precise Control - Ideal for Survival, Camping, and Outdoor Adventures

Great knife for the price. Finding a sturdy knife that doesn't break your wallet can be difficult, but this knife does just that. It's blade is high carbon, so it will retain its edge well and it has a walnut handle. There arent many knifes that have real wood handles anymore. This one is nice. I don't think you have to worry about it cracking under 'normal' conditions. The only real caveat to this knife is one of its pros: the high carbon steel. It rusts pretty easily. Just take care of it like you would any other tool (because it is a tool). Oil it after every use and if it does rust, a pencil eraser will remove most of it. Others have said that the blade doesn't come 'razor' sharp. Because of the high-carbon steel, the blade will never be razor sharp. If you want something that's razor sharp, get a box cutter or something. This thing was made to endure some tough stuff (batonning, carving, cutting real wood, striking flint, etc.) that would break anything that was razor sharp (high carbon steel is relatively soft compared to low carbon steel. It retains a reasonably sharp edge very well and doesn't break easily. However, low carbon steel will give you your 'razor' sharp edge, but it's also brittle and will break if strained). All in all, it's a good bushcraft knife. It comes with a pretty nice leather sheath that I assume also fits a few of condor's other fixed blades. If you're willing to take care of it, then this is a great buy. Plus, it's hard to beat the pricetag.

So after receiving my Bushlore I will say that the knife is well made and balanced. The sheath is beautiful. The handle will need some touching up and a good oiling before I bring it into the field but is also very nice, warm feeling and just feels good in the hand. I mainly wanted to comment on sharpness of the blade. It is "sharp" - as in what a new kitchen knife would be. Sharp enough to do those things you want to do but in order to rely on this in the field i'm going to have to put an edge on it myself. Since i've seen varying comments in this regard, I thought this was an important note. Since the steel is hard (it's not 1095 but it's definitely more work to put an edge on this then on a 440) I was hoping for a sharper blade out of the box. Maybe just put it to a fine stone or strop before going into the field. Either way, it is far superior to anything i've owned/tried in this price range so no stars removed and again exceeds expectations for the price. But this is going to need a little more work now, to make it more durable for real world use. That being said I enjoy sharpening blades and for 40 dollars this is the best knife I have ever handled in the sub 100.00 category. Throw in a free, very nice leather sheath and I can tell you right now i'll be ordering another one as a backup. A great beginner knife for sure, and with some TLC and a little time invested it looks like this can easily become my main carry. If it turns out it will indeed take a long lasting edge after putting in some work on the blade this will definitely replace my main carry knife for in the field here in the Rocky Mountains. This knife really does put to shame any other in this price range with similar attributes.

Purchased through Amazon for $30.35 with free shipping. The Condor Bushlore knife is a rough copy of one that Ray Mears had custom made by a smith in Sweden. The pattern seems to be ubiquitous in ‘bush craft’ knives made by other companies. I purchased this knife to replace a Helle ‘Symphoni’ which was a pretty darn good woods knife, but just not thick enough for my taste. My wife had been eyeballing the Helle because of its curly birch handle anyway, so I saw my chance and she happily approved the purchase. The blade length is 4 5/16” with a thickness of 1/8”. It has a Rockwell Hardness of 56-58, a blasted satin finish and an overall length of 9 5/16”. One side of the blade is stamped “El Salvador” and the other with the company name. Both stampings are modest in size. The grind resembles the much vaunted ‘Scandi’ or Scandinavian type and runs about 3/8” wide. The grind goes nearly all the way from the tip to the handle where it leaves a ricasso of about 3/16”. It has a drop point profile that very nearly resembles a spear point so the point is at the center of the blade. The knife has a full tang, which is a must for me. The very dense and dark colored wood used for the scales is simply described as, “hardwood” in the catalogue. The scales are attached with two 3/16” brass pins and the handle has a brass lined lanyard hole 1/4” from the end. The sheath was a disappointment though, but not because of any defect. I was a little let down that there was absolutely no reason to make a new one, which I often do when I acquire a knife. The leather on the sheath is heavy and the welt is thick enough to more than accommodate the blade and protect the stitching, which is tight and runs between 4 and 5 stitches per inch. The coffee colored leather is riveted top and bottom with good quality, silver colored rivets, not the cheap ones with the hole in the back. The sheath is stamped with a Condor logo about the size of a thumbprint and holds the knife in a solid grip by friction. This last feature is important to me because I prefer not to have a retaining strap on what I call my “handy” knives. I like being able to simply reach for it and pull it out. For that reason I prefer to have a sheath that is form fitted, tight, and deep enough to hold at least the lower third of the handle, that ensures the knife won’t fall out on its own, the Bushlore’s sheath goes up the handle about half way. The Condor Bushlore knife is made of 1075 carbon steel, which seems to be a standard offering in the Condor line and came out of the box, literally, shaving sharp. That’s no real feat nowadays since I’ve seen $8.00 Pakistani “survival” knives do the same. This one though, unlike the Pakistani and Chinese offerings, held an edge. After carving out a spoon, a figure four trapping trigger, half a dozen fuzz sticks and batoning several pieces of 3” ash the edge was still sharp enough to do more. It only took a few strokes on an Arkansas fine stone to return it to shaving sharp. The edge, after examination with a 20X magnifying lens, appeared to take the use and abuse without bending, chipping, or cracking. All in all, I’ve got to say that I’m very pleased with this knife. It’s a solid tool and I’d be comfortable with it anywhere. While this knife is a straightforward affair without any fancy embellishments, I’d gladly take it, over some other knives that I’ve owned and used that cost four and five times as much. As far as the company is concerned, there are posts in forums elsewhere, describing its location, history &c. An item of great interest to me with any company I do business with is consumer relations and from my experience, CTK is very responsive. For example, I had a concern about their Claw Shovel that I purchased and was contacted within hours, via an email from Condor’s National Sales Manager, Richard Jones, who requested my shipping address so they could ship me a replacement. The improvements that Condor has made over the years to this specific knife are in direct response to concerns expressed by the “Bushcrafting community” ( boy I hate that word ‘community’ but it’s so useful), such as fit and finish of the scales. More impressive to me though, they changed both the grind of the blade and its thickness, in response to customer input. Just a final note, this company is not going to stay in the bush-leagues, if you’ll pardon the pun. I suspect that as word travels, they will gain a well-deserved reputation for quality products, then prices will go up with demand, just like a lot of other companies have done. I intend to keep them on my buy-from list and avoid the price hikes.

This is just a good tool for outdoors and bush craft. The 1075 steel isn't some super elite steel you pull out and brag to your friends about and then you’re afraid to do anything with because you’re afraid to chip a $400 blade. The fact is it will cut just as good as the $400 steel with the same grind. And if you break, or chip or wave the blade, it doesn't really hurt. You will have to sharpen it more often, but it’s an easy field sharpen which is probably better anyway. The blade shape is 100 % one of the best shapes and the handle is comfortable and durable. The sheath is ok, nothing bad, not special, it does its job. Over all its a really good knife with not much to complain about.

UPDATE Used the knife over Memorial Day Weekend and was really satisfied with the performance. I carved wooden toggles, made feather sticks, used it to baton kindling, cut rope and many other tasks. Washed it up and then used it for food prep cutting potatoes and onions. After all that it still sliced tomatoes and raw chicken with little effort and still had a great edge. After touching it up on leather it was back to shaving sharp. The knife is more than worth the price. Gotta say I really like this knife. It would be very hard to find a better knife at this price. The form and function of this knife is spot on. Blade- Was not hair popping sharp on arrival but it would shave. The blade is blued to help prevent rust and should help if you are in the field for a prolonged time without any type of oil. A few minutes on the work sharp field sharpener and the knife is scary sharp. Handle- The hardwood handle slabs feel great in the hand. Holding the knife just feels right. The color of these handles can vary but I am very pleased with mine. They look much better in person than in pictures. Sheath- The sheath is worth the price of the knife. It is of the same if not better quality as most custom sheaths I have seen. Some people say their knife fit loose in the sheath. That isn't the case with the one I received. Function- Man this thing really cuts!!! Feather sticks are a breeze with this knife. I didn't think it would feather as well as my mora knives but I was WAY wrong. Slices very well also. Some people my complain about the blade thickness saying it bends and you can't pry with it.... it's a knife not a pry bar!!! This thing cuts better than many of my more expensive knives. I would definitely recommend this knife to friends and family.

TL;DR Condor's quality control has improved, the knife came ready out of box and, and is a great all around blade for the common man who's watching their pack weight in the deep woods while hunting but need a dependable blade that can both prepare game and split wood if needed. Long part: I don't need to go too into detail about this knife, but I will say that Condor has really improved the quality of products they put out. For a while Condor was known amongst us almost as a project company, you'd by a solidly built tool but need to sharpen (sometimes even grind) it yourself really. My Kephart has been a constant companion (along with my old butcher knife and my Mora Classic) for many years now, but out of box I needed to do some sanding to make the Kephart's tip symmetrical and heavily sharpen it. Great steel and was a great little blade after some work. Mora's are almost always perfect out of box. I stayed far away from the old Bushlore, but the newer design as others have said the is not only better but in my opinion should be an industry standard for blades at this price point. Mine came with almost perfect symmetrical geometry (the cutting grind was perfect, the tip grind was a hair higher on one side but the tip is perfectly straight), was effortlessly able to take hair off my arm, and a perfect 90 degree spine for a ferro rod OR shaving bark. Keep it up Condor. As far as the design, the philosophy of use behind this knife is for Bushcraft and camp tasks, though would be perfectly functional for hunting (which I plan on doing a lot). Blades of this size should be complemented with an axe or hatchet if possible, but if needed this blade can baton wood (split wood by hammering it with a piece of wood). I love my Mora and my rummage sale picked butcher knife, but when hunting in the backcountry you want to keep your pack weight under 30 (or 25) lbs, your rifle or bow included. With a partial tang blade like a Mora or a thin blade like my butcher knife, you'll want to bring an axe or saw as well for processing wood. For small game and carving a Mora is perfection, but for deer or emergency fire making I want a more durable and slightly larger blade. Which is why I think the slightly higher price you pay for the Bushlore is just as an exceptional value as a Mora is. If you don't do a lot of backcountry hunting/bushcraft, a Mora will serve you well, especially for you Ultra-Light people. The Mora Bushcraft Black is also great but more expensive than the Condor Bushlore. If you're hunting close to your vehicle or base camp, you could bring an even larger hunting knife like a Buck or a KaBar plus an axe and dedicated skinning or carving knife because weight isn't as much of a concern. The Bushlore is an all around tool for the common man and one that fits the bill for one watching their pack weight deep in the woods but needs a durable blade for both large game and bushcraft, one I will pass on to my children most likely. I've done a bit of testing in the week I've had it, feathering wood, batoning wood (a test, not a practice), and cutting food. So far it functions just as well as my Mora and will be able to withstand abuse in the field if needed. 10/10, couldn't be made better for its intended use without increasing the price. Will be coming with me from now on.

I have to say: based on some of the reviews, I (almost) half expected a a rusty piece of metal sandwiched between 2 sticks! Quite the opposite; I'm happy to say that this knife has exceeded my expectations. I did watch some YouTube video reviews, and scoured Internet forums, and thus helped manage my expectations considerably. 1st, and foremost: (for the price) This is a well made/crafted knife. 2nd, blade came decently sharp. 3rd, this knife is rustic, and harkens back to a time of wilderness exploration. Came well packaged; in a nice Condor box, blade taped in tissue, within a plastic bag with a silicone packet. Sheath, was of perfect sized leather, and well crafted. I cannot overstate this: for the price, this knife is awesome! I purchased to use, not as my primary, but rather a neck carry knife. The leather sheath is nice, (and would work for neck carry) although not ideally suited for this task. 'Tis a much better belt sheath. I'm having a custom kydex sheath made for it for that purpose/reason, and that purpose/reasoning alone. I wear XL gloves, and would say that this knife is a 3 1/2 finger handle. So far I'm very impressed! I will (and always do) edit this review after a fully test this knife. I'm looking forward to that. I'm also glad I took the risk and purchased this knife. It didn't break the bank, and so far, it fills a place of need for me perfectly!

I have several great knives to choose from when I venture out into the wilderness for some R & R. Somehow this knife always finds its way on my waist over the others. I like it's heft. This thing is a multi-use tool. Care is a breeze. If nothing else buy it for the sheath. This was my first venture into Condor knives and it definitely will not be my last. The blade is of decent thickness and comes fairly sharp right out of the box. It is a bit of a rough edge so I tuned it with the stones to enhance it a bit. At roughly 4.25" you are not likely to find yourself chopping down a redwood by any means with this classic, but don't underestimate it. I have used the Condor Nessmuk for a multitude of tasks ranging from striking a ferro to batonning wood and it works fairly well. It has seen it's fair share of bait prep work, as well as food prep. (Don't worry, I washed it in between.) Which brings me to care. Ole man Sears would get quite a chuckle out of the "Outdoorsmen" that treat their knifes like a vintage automobile and this knife requires none of that. I have spent nearly a season with this fine blade and it's looks keep on improving. A patina is put on a knife through use, not falsifying chemicals. The only thing the blade needs is a bit of oil after use to keep it from rusting. Use it and oil it and I promise it will only get better! Lastly, if nothing else, buy this for the sheath. Yes it is fitted for this particular knife. It is of a fine thick leather and made fairly well. My only complaint is that I am a lefty and the knife faces backwards if mounted on my preferred side. After a year of use, this knife just keeps getting better! Usually my knife of choice.