Pros: Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish
Cons: None
Great adventure blade
First off, Knifecenter has amazing Customer service. They called to clarify a shipping detail and make sure I knew my package would need a signature, and the girl who helped me made me feel like some kind of celebrity or something. Great job whoever you were. Now on to the blade - I have a soft spot in my heart for Condor, their blades are incredibly good value for the money. As hard use tools they have never failed me, and while I have found that other companies might have better blades, they are less durable or double or triple the cost. If you are a budget prepper or bushcraft, Skip right over Cold Steels marketing gimmicks and try out some Condor products. This Jungolo is part of the new 2017 lineup, and Condor has really gotten it's act together and improved their lineup. These new blades are far more fashion conscious, with walnut handles, black backed on oil coats (instead of crappy paint), and their sheaths (always one of the better leather sheath makers out there) are improved as well, with nifty design elements, colors, and little touches that make them both more attractive, and useful. The Jungolo itself is the kind of blade you would expect to see strapped to the hip of some Tomb Raiding adventurer, someone who doesn't need a big pack full of junk, but instead lives on the edge using their skills to keep them going. The brown leather sheath is a side opening affair, something I rarely ever like, which is a shame because it looks legit with it's brown coloring and special swivel ring belt loop. The problem is, unless you are willing to do some extensive modding (I always am) it can only ever sit vertically on your hip or slung from your pack. And the dual snap retention is annoying (I never use both.). I ended up modding my sheath by attaching paracord to it and using a heavy duty camera sling to make it so I can carry this horizontally in a more scout carry configuration. Now it's far more comfortable and doesn't slap my leg or threaten to take my pants down hanging from my belt (LOL) The blade itself has all the hallmarks of a blade company that has reached a new level in their ability to produce good blades. This has a great 90 spine for ferro rods. It has a distal taper (amazing at this price point). It has a nearly ideal weight and pob for heavy chopping. the walnut grip is strong and attractive. The baked on oil coating is the BEST black coating I've ever had on a blade like this. I won't be stripping it. I tried using this for chopping logs, splitting wood and yes, even martial arts, and it scores high marks in all areas. The ergonomics leave a tiny bit to be desired however, as the handle feels like it should have some kind of finger protection built in, some kind of choil and or ramp or even a true finger guard, because your hand naturally rides up on the grip toward the blade, and heaven forbid you ever need to thrust or slip, you could get a bad cut to your hand. I was able to remedy this with a Paracord Lanyard that I can slip my hand into to keep my hand from sliding down the blade, but to be honest, I don't like having to trust paracord like that. Overall, despite that, the blade performed superbly, chopping and splitting quite well. till I find something better, this is my primary bushcraft blade now. Hope this review helps.
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