CondorTool & Knife Terrasaur Bushcraft Knife - 1095 High Carbon Steel - Fixed Blade Knives with Scandi Edge - High Impact Polypropylene Sheath - 3mmThick - 4.2in Blade - 7.1oz

This knife isn't exactly a looker, and "fit and finish" was certainly not top of mind in concept or production. The handle is over-molded polypropylene (think Barbie doll plastic in sturdier form) and the mold seams are apparent in feel and sight. It's also made with a simple coated 1095 steel blade that will rust easily if not properly cared for, and that steel snobs would probably pass on 9 times out of 10. That would be their loss though, because in the month or two I've owned this it has become a favorite and my go-to when I'm heading out into the woods. For reference, I also own a heavily modded Becker BK2 in 1095 cro van, a Benchmade 200 Puukko in CPM-3V, a Gerber Ultimate Survival Knife in 7cr17mov (my first real knife purchase and honestly one I never really liked), a CRKT Minimalist Bowie neck knife in 5cr15mov, and a smattering of more budget-oriented folders in D2 or 9cr18mov steel.Out of the box the Terrasaur came reasonably sharp and ready to work. It wasn't shaving arm hair, but when put to wood, the true scandi grind bit in as nicely as I wanted. Bushcrafting tasks like carving and notch work were a breeze, and it made great feather sticks. It isn't built for things like batoning, but will split small pieces of wood in that use if you really need it to. The over-molded plastic handle is actually surprisingly comfortable. It's a pretty neutral form that is comfortable in multiple grip styles, and I didn't have any problems with hot spots.As for the steel itself, say what you will about 1095, but it is at least reliable, unbreakable, and easy to sharpen. You will have to keep it dry and oiled, as it is not stainless. Water on the uncoated blade portion for even 20 minutes or so will start to leave the beginnings of some rust stains, but care for it properly and it won't be an issue. No need to baby it. Edge retention is not great and I do find I have to sharpen it about every other time I go out. That said, I have yet to experience any problems with the edge chipping or rolling, so sharpening is really just a simple touch-up job that takes a few minutes on a stone or even just a quick hone-and-strop. I even had great results getting it back to sharp quickly and easily in the woods on a work sharp field sharpener (highly recommend). A word on sharpening though: being that this is a true scandi grind, if you want to keep that factory edge, the only real way to go about it is to sharpen it on a stone only, laying it on the primary bevel and using only forward cutting motions. You can of course add your own micro bevel or convex it if you want. Initially I sharpened to a micro bevel, which I then turned into a full on secondary v edge on my Apex Edge Pro. After using this for a while, the v edge just felt like it had a lot of drag and like it got hung up in carving, so I decided to reprofile again. This time I put a secondary convex on it with my Work Sharp Ken Onion edition, and that scandi-vex grind is MINT. Now it just glides and swims through wood when carving. The feel is really smooth with no drag. Phenomenal. That's when I really fell in love with this knife.The sheath should be mentioned here too. Like the scandi grind on the blade itself, the sheath seems to take a lot of inspiration from Scandinavian sheath design. It's simple plastic with weep holes punched in the bottom to let out water. It is a deep carry style, with only a couple inches of the handle exposed to grab. I found it hard to get a hold of it to draw, but took a few minutes to attach a snake knot lanyard and solved that problem right away. The belt loop can be shifted to one side or the other for fully ambidextrous carry, and it requires no tools to do so. It's held in place by plastic notches and grooves that work effectively. It's very Mora-like overall, for those who have experience with that brand. The two knocks on the sheath are that the belt loop itself is rather small and won't really accommodate the average leather belt easily. I wore it on a thinner cloth belt on my hiking shorts and that worked fine. For use with larger belts I'll probably have to make a rudimentary dangler. The other knock is retention of the knife itself. It's acceptable, but doesn't make me feel too confident in it. It has its own plastic notches inside, and the knife will give an affirming click when properly put in place, but the hold is not as tight as I'd like. I fear that with use, the plastic notches will wear down and it will no longer adequately retain when the sheath is inverted. For now it's just something to think about and watch long-term. Considering the price, it's still not even a deal-breaker for me to have to buy a new secondary market sheath down the line.In summation, despite some minor flaws and fit and finish concessions, this may be the best value buy in the knife world. I don't believe I've mentioned that it's full tang to this point, but it's extremely rare to find a true full tang knife in any kind of quality steel for this price point. I bought it for $45, which is insane value when all the upsides are considered. If you're just getting into bushcraft and need a budget friendly knife to learn on, this is perfect. If you've never owned a scandi grind knife and want a wallet-friendly introduction to figure out your preferences, this is perfect. Even if you're an avid and experienced bushcrafter, you will probably find a lot to love about this knife. Just buy it. Chances are you will fall in love with it like I did.

This knife is tough and stays sharp through heavy use. I tested mine right out of the box. It shaved hair off my arm, and cut paper to start as a baseline. Then I split a 12” 2X2 lengthwise hammering the tip through the wood down the length at multiple points, splitting it into kindling easily. I split a 2” x2 knotted hardwood branch in half that I batoned at the base of the main trunk with the knife and hammer first. I hammered the tip an 1- 1 1/2” inch deep vertically and pried back and forth to stress the tip. I did this all for about 15 minutes. Finally I tried to shave hair off my arm…..it still did! I couldn’t believe it. It still looked brand new. The only thing I don’t like is the knife goes deep into the sheath making it difficult to pull it out of the sheath. Only about 1/3 is exposed to grab. It’s stays secure for sure. I tested the knife for firesteel use. It didn’t work well so I took a file to it to square of the spine and make it sharp. The file easily took material off compared to other knives I have done this to. Once squared of it worked for a bit then began to dull. I tried a softer firesteel and same thing. The top isn’t heat treated I guess so it dulls easily. I have never ran into that on a knife? I compared it to my Buck Selkirk and mora garberg and I did not have the same issues. So, you will have to touch up the spine here and there if you are using a firesteel but it isn’t to bad. Other than that, you can’t beat it for a no frills workhorse bushcraft/camp knife.

I have no complaints about the blade itself. Sturdy full tang at a good price.The handle is the weak point in this knife for me. It is hard plastic, no compliance at all. It has good texture molded into it, but I prefer a more sure and tacky material, that has just a little give to it. Also it really has no finger guard function molded into it, so your index finger isn't really prevented from rolling forward during a mishap. But if you don't care about/prefer those aspects of this knifes design you may love it.Also, I like that this is made in Central America. I don't run into very many things that I can buy to support commerce/capitalism/decent living conditions there. Much prefer to do that vs pumping more money into communist China.