Name: Condor Tool & Knife CTK500-20.8HC Tactana Sword 20.8" 1075 Carbon Steel Blade, Micarta Handles, Leather Sheath
Brand: Condor Tool & Knife
SKU: CN500208HC
Price: 250.75 USD
Availability: OutOfStock
Rating: 4.364 (11 reviews)

Samuel
Texas

Apr 15, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Wishing really hard for zombies!

Straight out of the box....the box died, then went to work on 2 sheets of 3/4 inch 4'/8' plywood.....plywood died had too rake up the remains, lost some the coating but the blade was just like out of box, could of sliced a tomato but didn't have one....finger started to drip Ragu though wonder how that happened. Overall i feel like a viking on xmas morning, those German trained el salvadorians weaponsmiths are making condor a name not to be messed with. 5mm of 1075 hardened 50 to 55 Rc, similar to cold steel standards nothing is perfect but good basic materials(for hopefull zombie slaying) but 1/3 of the price if you can find it instock! First clue to its greatness!!!!! P.S. scabbard has adjustable paralike cord for hanging off belt

John
Idaho

Oct 12, 2014

Pros: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Weight, Sheath/Scabbard

Condor needs to make more swords!

Condor is becoming my favorite blade manufacturer, next to Morakniv. This thing has a thick, heavy, perfectly straight blade with a convex edge. Readily sliced up the box it came in with gentle strokes. Very stiff blade, I cannot flex it with my hands. The tang is a full 1/4" thick. Heavier than most swords this size, but the extra weight in the tang balances it out sweetly. You can easily wield it one-handed, but the two-handed grip feels very natural. The pictures don't do justice to how long the hilt (and overall length) actually is. I have average size man hands, there's room for three of 'em. I was worried about the grip being too slick, however there's a very nice texture. Also, the grip is oval shaped, rather than square as it appears in the pictures. The guard is thick, solid metal, I'm not sure if it's steel or aluminum, but it does the job. The sheath is well done with thick leather and heavy stitching , though I wish it were rigid. At this price, I can't complain. There's no belt loop, just cord wrapped around it with a synthetic disk. I believe its meant to be thrust between your belt and pants, the disk preventing it from slipping out. 1075 is the perfect steel for anything with a blade over 8". It's what Albion uses for swords that cost upwards of $3000. The only improvement I can think of would be to differentially temper the blade, but that would drive the price way up. I just hope Condor comes out with some European style swords. A Viking sword would be a good start!

John S.
Pittsburgh

Jun 12, 2016

Pros: Blade Material, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Materials, Sheath/Scabbard, Finish, Usable

Cons: None

Great Blade!

Great quality for the price. Well constructed,excellent materials, Sharp!, great fit, feel and look, and I'll say it again.. Sharp! Very pleased with this purchase, and the once again great service and quick shipment from KnifeCenter!

Mike P
Goose Creek, SC

Feb 25, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Condor Rocks!

Great finish, takes an amazing edge, and solid! Another great quality Condor sheath of thick leather, I just got a Cold Steel Two Handed machete sheath to fit it all into and have a cross body sling, although it will mainly be strapped to a pack. A bit more heft, but that is what I wanted-not making a Kill Bill sequel here!

Lui
Toronto, Canada

Nov 12, 2014

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

ninja's unite

Let me just point out that this was purely a man toy purchase as I don't do martial arts and have no real world use for this other than acting immature in front of a mirror, that being said I'm impressed with the sword, this is not a 30 inch plus samurai katana , this is modeled after the smaller swords used by the ninja , using a measuring tape won't do it justice as it looks and feels much longer than the description. The handle is indeed oval shape like previously mentioned by a reviewer, I like the handle but I would of preferred a wood version of this sword both for esthetic reasons and pricing. The sheath is where I'm disappointed, it's perfectly usable and screams of condor quality when it comes to sheath materials and overall build but I can't stand leather dyed black... y hide the beauty and expense of natural leader by making it black???(this is purely personal taste ). Before I end the review I must WARN the readers that this is not a mall katana toy, it might be in the same price point but at the end of the day this is indeed a sword quality piece and should be treated accordingly , if used recklessly it might cause great harm to the user or bystanders . Now all I want is for Joe Flowers to design a 30 inch plus version ( with wood handles and undyed veggi tanned leather sheath plz plz plz)

Andrew D
CT, USA

May 12, 2015

Pros: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Weight

best sheaths in the business

I have a regular katana and the big difference between the two is where the weight is. A regular katana has most of the weight towards the front which adds power to the swing. The CTK Tactana has a lot of weight on the handle, specifically from the tsuba (hand guard) which is at least as thick as the blade and without any large holes in it. The lack of blade weight is kinda odd to me and I can't see the advantage of a heavy handle. The tsuba is glued to the handle and I see no way of removing it. I think Condor should add a nice design to the tsuba (like you see on most swords) and this will help with the weight. I'm not nearly a sword expert, so I can't say that the weight is an issue, just an observation. I did, however, almost cut the free standing and empty box (that it came in) completely in half. People have mentioned that the sheath is flimsy. I disagree. If you hold by either end with the sword removed and the flat side facing down, it will not even bend. You have to apply pressure to it to do so. I mean this is a Condor freaking leather sheath. IT IS GOOD....and so is the rest of this sword. Beautiful.

Larry
Graham, Tx.

Aug 05, 2015

Pros: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Finish, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Sheath/Scabbard

Beefy little sword

Good ol' Condor quality. Very sharp right out of the box. Just the right size for chopping brush and weeds here in Texas. The sheath is heavy duty like most Condor leather work. The handle is substantial and feels natural in the hand(s). I don't see the balance issue that others have mentioned. This is a serious tool, not a collector's item. The only reason not to give it a 5 star is that the sheath is not a very snug fit.

Jim
Syracuse, NY

Jul 15, 2013

Pros: Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Finish

Cons: Weight, Blade Sharpness

Condor Tool & Knife Tactana Sword

I love Condor products so I couldn't wait to get my hands on a Tactana. I have a few other swords but not a really good beater and that is what I was looking for. From the first touch I liked it a lot and was happy with the balance point being only 2" in front of the guard making it a very fast easy handling sword. As I moved it around it became very clear that it was quite heavy. I weighed it because I couldn't believe it was that much heavier than my other swords but found that it was almost twice their weight. (almost 3 lbs). So I haven't really done anything with it yet as part of me wants to go start beating stuff with it, and I'm sure it will be incredible at that but another part would like it a bit lighter and therefore a little better as a sword like object. I may take a little meat off the blade to both refine the edge and lighten it some but that would take the away any value it has. I'll update when I've done more with it.

Levite
Exile

Nov 26, 2013

Pros: Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard

Cons: None

Better than expected

For a "Japanese" (Asian) style sword this is the best deal around IMHO. The blade was reviewed by others as having a hollow grind and being 1.5" wide all the way to the tip...this has CHANGED. The width of the blade near the tip is less than one inch....the blade by the "hibaki" ( brass reinforcement by the guard) is a tad under 1.5" This blade is similar in width to a late "Edo period" sword and on the narrow side for that....or about right for a well used Gunto / Wakizashi It is FAST and well balanced for ME....blade cuts free standing sisal twine with no work on it yet, but it will get some sharpening on the water stone, as it needs it a bit. Comes with a CONVEX factory edge...1070/1075 used for the blade ( when properly heat treated) is better than most Chinese ( "samurai") swords in production today for the money. You could spend about 200 more and get a "Ronin" sword ( an SBG special) but they are only slightly longer and have maybe a 1/4" more width at the area before the tip.

Jason S
Minneapolis, MN

Jun 21, 2016

Pros: Blade Material, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Sheath/Scabbard

Cons: Finish

Great Sword, Poor Finish

Being the owner of other Condor knives I thought I'd give the Tactana a try. The design, materials used, and scabbard are all very well done. The leather work is flawless, the fit of the micarta on the handle is great, the balance is superb, and the sword came sharp enough to do the job. The issue that I have with it though it the finish. Quality control at Condor appears to be lacking as I had to recently exchange a Garuda knife due to a flaw in the metal of the blade, and my Tactana came flawed as well. There is what appears to be a finger print or the remanent of an air bubble in the finish of hand guard of the sword as well as a small section of powder coating is missing from the back of the blade. I understand that these are cosmetic defects that do not effect the usefulness of the sword, but still flaws none the less and I'm surprised that Condor allowed their product to arrive to their customers in such condition. I am torn about whether to exchange it for a different one or just keep it and deal with it myself.

Jackque Lin Y
Brooklyn, Ny

Dec 04, 2016

Pros: Handle Material

Cons: None

amazing