CONDOR TOOL & KNIFE’S NEW MOUNTAIN PASS SERIES OFFERS A COMPLETE DEEP-WOODS LINEUP

The Mountain Pass line features the design excellence of Jason Breedon

Over the years Condor Tool and Knife has expanded its lineup by working with new designers and 2021 was no exception. This past year brought Jason Breeden into the fold. You may know Jason from his folder designs with Spyderco and Kizlyar, or his work with TOPS Knives.

The Mountain Pass line consists of three smaller stainless steel knives, the big carbon steel Camp Knife and the carbon steel machete and axe

The Mountain Pass line consists of three smaller stainless steel knives, the big carbon steel Camp Knife and the carbon steel machete and axe.

Well, he didn’t just dip his toes into working with Condor; he jumped right in with a whole line of knives and tools called the Mountain Pass Series. In this case “Pass” stands for Plain and Simple Survival. As the name indicates, this is a set of tools designed for outdoor use, so let’s take a look at what Jason had in mind.

6-TOOL SERIES

The Mountain Pass Series consists of a half dozen tools. I say “tools” because it’s a lineup of four knives, a machete, and an axe. The three smaller knives are made from stainless steel, while the largest knife, the machete, and the axe are carbon steel. So, I’m going to tackle these as two groups.

440C STAINLESS BLADES

The stainless blades consist of the Mountain Pass Carry Knife and Mountain Pass Surveyor Knife. The third is the Mountaineer Trail Knife, which isn’t technically part of the Mountain Pass Series, but it’s related and is Jason’s other design with Condor in this opening salvo, so I’ll include it here.

The Mountaineer is not technically part of the Mountain Pass line and differs slightly with its higher grind and polished finish. It has a certain Nessmuk inspiration and would make a great hunting knife.

The Mountaineer is not technically part of the Mountain Pass line and differs slightly with its higher grind and polished finish. It has a certain Nessmuk inspiration and would make a great hunting knife.

Let’s start with what these knives have in common. All three feature full-tang, 440C stainless steel blades that are 0.14 inch thick. They all have flat grinds with secondary bevels. The Mountaineer has a much higher grind than the other two, almost all the way to the spine.

The author found the Carry Knife to be a great jack-of-all-trades tool, especially when paired up with either the axe or machete, depending on terrain.

The author found the Carry Knife to be a great jack-of-all-trades tool, especially when paired up with either the axe or machete, depending on terrain.

The Carry Knife and Surveyor Knife have natural Micarta handles with red liners, and the Mountaineer has walnut scales with a paracord wrap in the middle of the scales for additional grip. All three come with quality hand-crafted, welted leather sheaths adorned with a tasteful Condor logo embossed on the front side.

Condor has always had solid leather sheaths, but the company has really upped its game in recent years. The current sheaths aren’t just sturdy; they’re cleanly done, practical, and good looking too.

“Whichever knife or set of knives you choose, know that you’ll have well-designed outdoor tools that are built for hard work.”

The unique Surveyor Knife has a primary edge and a sharpened section of the spine, as well as tough sheepsfoot tip.

The unique Surveyor Knife has a primary edge and a sharpened section of the spine, as well as tough sheepsfoot tip.

The Mountaineer has a lot of Nessmuk in its lineage with sinuous lines that flow into the handle and the deep bellied blade. It has a clip point rather than the Nessmuk’s hump back, but you’ll see the similarities nonetheless.

The Mountaineer will fill much the same role as a hunting and skinning knife that’ll do double duty around the campsite. With its 4.14-inch blade, 8.68-inch overall length and a weight a bit under 8 ounces, it’s a pleasant knife to carry all day in the field. The MSRP on the Mountaineer is $80.98.

The author gravitated to the axe and Carry Knife as his primary tools on a recent trip to the mountains.

The author gravitated to the axe and Carry Knife as his primary tools on a recent trip to the mountains.

The Carry Knife has a 3.5-inch drop-point blade and a handle that sits slightly higher than the spine of the blade. The handle is 4.37 inches long and well contoured and comfortable in the hand. My thumb drops naturally into the dip created by the handle sitting above the spine.

The pommel is squared off in a coffin shape and features a lanyard hole. The sheath is nice and compact and is set up for either vertical or horizontal carry. Carry Knife is an appropriate name for this one because it’s sized to be very easy to carry and would work great as a fixed blade EDC knife. The MSRP on the Carry Knife is $107.98.

The Mountain Pass Axe is a handy size at just under 14 inches tall with a 4.2-inch cutting edge. It is also a tough tool with its 1075 full-tang build and comfortable natural Micarta handle scales.

The Mountain Pass Axe is a handy size at just under 14 inches tall with a 4.2-inch cutting edge. It is also a tough tool with its 1075 full-tang build and comfortable natural Micarta handle scales.

The Surveyor Knife is the most unique of the bunch. Honestly, when I first saw photos of it, I assumed it was much larger than it is. It looks like a chopper, and I guess it is, just not on the scale I was thinking.

In reality, the Surveyor Knife has a 6.26-inch blade and is 10.57 inches overall. The handle is 4.3 inches long and symmetrical in nature so that it can be comfortably used either with the primary edge, or the sharpened portion on the spine of the knife.

The leatherwork on the Mountain Pass sheaths

The leatherwork on the Mountain Pass sheaths is quite well done and adds to the overall quality aesthetic of the tools. In addition, the knives have well contoured Micarta handles and share a Coffin handle pommel with lanyard hole provided.

Having both the primary edge and secondary section on the spine allows you to keep one area sharp for finer work while using the other for chopping and rougher chores. The blunt sheepsfoot tip also lends itself to rough work, even digging or light prying if need be. That’s just my opinion, though; Condor probably isn’t going to tell you to pry with a knife.

The company sells very nice pry bars under its parent company Imacasa if that’s a primary need of yours. The Surveyor Knife comes with a leather sheath set up with a dangler and carries an MSRP of $ 118.78.

1095 AND 1075 

Like the stainless knives, the high carbon tools have a few things in common. They all have the natural Micarta handles and the Camp Knife and machete have red liners. The axe does not. The Camp Knife is the only knife in the mix that uses 1095 high carbon steel.

The machete and axe are made with 1075 high carbon steel. They’re finished in the Condor Classic finish, which is used to create a hand-hammered look. The Camp Knife has a flat grind with a secondary bevel, whereas the machete and axe have convex edges. All three come with leather sheaths like the rest of the Mountain Pass line.

The Camp Knife is the jack-of-all-trades blade of the bunch. With its 7-inch blade and 12.82-inch overall length, it can chop, prep kindling, or clear lanes of fire around a tree stand or blind. The 5.8-inch handle is plenty big for even a gloved hand and allows you to choke back on it if you need a little bit of extra chopping leverage. The handle ends in that coffin shape with a lanyard hole like the Carry Knife and Surveyor Knife.

Condor’s Mountain Pass tools

Condor’s Mountain Pass tools were designed by Jason Breeden, who learned what worked and what didn’t growing up in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. His 1075 high carbon axe and 440C Carry Knife make a great combination for the woodlands of Pennsylvania.

At the same time, the blade isn’t so big that you can’t choke up on it for fine cutting work. The fact that the sharpened edge comes all the way down to meet the handle, with only a very small ricasso, helps in that regard as well. It comes with a dangler sheath, and while it’s as well made as the rest of the sheaths, it does have my one minor nitpick out of the bunch.

The retention strap on the Camp Knife is of much thinner leather than the rest of the sheath. It may end up being fine, but I have some concerns about long term durability.

Due to the sheath design though, it looks easy to replace if needed. Plus, the retention on the 7-inch blade even without the strap is quite good, at least while new. If I only could have one tool out of the Mountain Pass line when hitting the woods, it would probably be the Camp Knife. The MSRP is $113.38.

The machete is a beast of a tool in that it has the same 0.12-inch thickness as the Camp Knife but is packing a 15.57-inch blade. The 1075 high carbon steel used in it and the axe provide a tougher blade better suited to hard impacts than the 440C or 1095 steel of the smaller knives. It won’t hold an edge as well, but it is easier to sharpen.

“They’re finished in the Condor Classic finish, which is used to create a hand-hammered look.”

The big 1075 high carbon steel machete

The big 1075 high carbon steel machete has very good balance and is comfortable to use with its well-designed Micarta handle.

The handle of the machete mimics the shape of the Camp Knife but is slightly longer and taller. Like the Camp Knife, it’s quite comfortable to use. It comes with a leather sheath like the knives, which is equipped with a swiveling belt loop that lets the machete move with you as you walk, climb, or otherwise navigate the woods. The machete is really a top tier example of its class and carries an MSRP of $142.98.

Last, but not least, is the Mountain Pass Axe. This axe is built heavier than the rest of the line with a 3/16-inch-thick blade. The full-tang handle and head are one piece, and the handle portion is fitted with Micarta handle scales. A lanyard hole is once again provided in the coffin shaped butt of the haft. The axe blade itself is 5.56 inches long with a 4.28-inch cutting edge. The overall length is 13.96 inches, and it weighs in at 29.28 ounces. The leather sheath is nicely made and designed and features a swiveled belt loop like the machete. The MSRP on the axe is $175.98.

TO THE MOUNTAINS

I had the chance to take the Mountain Pass tools with me on a trip to the center portion of Pennsylvania in the Appalachian Mountains. While not as majestic as their Western cousins, the Appalachians are still a great area to get away. We passed notices posted by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) that this area was known for frequent rescues and recovery of lost or injured hikers.

The Mountain Pass knives feature natural Micarta handles with red liners over their full-tang handles.

The Mountain Pass knives feature natural Micarta handles with red liners over their full-tang handles.

The Mountaineer is a practical and comfortable hunting knife with a lot of belly to the blade. Its walnut handle has a middle wrap of paracord to enhance the grip.

The Mountaineer is a practical and comfortable hunting knife with a lot of belly to the blade. Its walnut handle has a middle wrap of paracord to enhance the grip.

While I worked with all of the tools in the line, the two I chose for most of my work were the Mountain Pass Carry Knife and the axe. The Carry Knife carries easily on the belt and didn’t get in the way of my pack straps. It was plenty of blade for everything I had to do that weekend and coupled with the axe, which I tossed in my day pack, I’m confident that I could do quite well for a hiking, camping, or hunting trip.

The Mountain Pass Camp Knife has a 7-inch blade of 1095 high carbon steel with Condor’s hand-hammered Classic finish. It is a very capable big blade. If the author couldn’t pair up one of the other knives with the axe or machete, the Camp Knife would be a great all-around choice.

The Mountain Pass Camp Knife has a 7-inch blade of 1095 high carbon steel with Condor’s hand-hammered Classic finish. It is a very capable big blade. If the author couldn’t pair up one of the other knives with the axe or machete, the Camp Knife would be a great all-around choice.

While the Carry Knife doesn’t have the belly on the Mountaineer, I find that 3.5-inch blade about perfect for field dressing deer, and it’s not so big that you couldn’t use it on smaller animals as well. If you need to split the pelvis bone on a deer or even quarter up a larger animal, the axe is well suited to that job. It’ll also work great for building improvised shelters and breaking down firewood.

For the terrain I was in, I found that combo just about perfect. I can see mixing things up with the various blades in the Mountain Pass line, though, depending on the terrain and specific purposes. The nice thing is that there are enough options in the line to fulfill most needs other than maybe fishing.

GREAT ADDITIONS

The addition of Jason Breeden to the Condor team added another perspective to a company already well known for its outdoor tools. Coming in with a full product line right out of the gate allows customers to really take a look at what Condor is offering from him. Whichever knife or set of knives you choose, know that you’ll have well-designed outdoor tools that are built for hard work.


440C STAINLESS STEEL

In this age of wonder steels, I think that 440C gets short shrift. A lot of folks seem to dismiss it or lump it in with its poorer performing relatives such as 440A and 440B, or 420HC and 420J2. 440C is the hardest of the 400 series steels and has a makeup of 0.95 – 1.20% carbon, 0.40% manganese, 17.0% chromium, 0.50% vanadium, 0.50% molybdenum.

This is more carbon and chromium than the others and allows for a Rockwell hardness of 58-60. That puts it somewhere between AUS-8 stainless and VG-10. It’s a good balance between stain resistance and edge retention.

The Surveyor Knife, the Mountaineer, and the Carry Knife

The Surveyor Knife, the Mountaineer, and the Carry Knife are all made from 440C stainless steel.

Aside from folks not really understanding what 440C is, or confusing it with other 400 series steels, it’s also hard to work. Many knifemakers don’t care for it and are dismissive of it because of that as well. But for the makers and companies that use it, it makes for a great knife.

Don’t shy away from a tool just because it isn’t the latest, greatest wonder steel. 440C has been doing a great job on knives since around 1966 when Gil Hibben started using it.


Specs

Mountain Pass Axe
Overall Length: 13.96 inches

Axe Head Dimensions: 5.56 x 4.28 inches
Blade Material: 1075 high carbon steel
Blade Finish: Condor Classic
Handle Material: Tan Micarta
Sheath: Handcrafted leather, brown
Designer: Jason Breeden
Weight: 29.28 ounces
Made in El Salvador
MSRP: $175.98


Specs

Mountain Pass Carry Knife

Blade Length: 3.52 inches
Overall Length: 7.89 inches
Blade Thickness: 0.14 inch
Material of Blade: 440C stainless steel
Blade Finish: Condor Classic
Handle Material: Tan Micarta
Sheath: Handcrafted leather, brown
Designer: Jason Breeden
Weight: 7.76 ounces
Made in El Salvador
MSRP: $107.98


SOURCE

Condor Tool and Knife Headquarters

Final Calle Libertad Poniente, Santa Ana, El Salvador
503-2484-0000
condortk@imacasa.com
CondorTK.com