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Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality
Cons: Sheath/Scabbard, Blade Sharpness
Mine's a winner!
I'll be honest: the mixed reviews had me really going back and forth on this one. Glad I bought it anyway, as mine has demonstrated solid edge retention. It merits noting that while this is indeed made by Condor in El Salvador, it does carry ESEE's no questions asked warranty, so my advice is to buy one, test it to whatever degree you need to be satisfied it will be trustworthy and if it passes, give it a quick sharpening and enjoy. If it fails, you'll easily be able to swap it for a good one. That concern out of the way, we can now talk about the knife's other qualities: I'm of the school of thought that a good machete should be nimble, able to mow through brush, tall grass, and light limb chopping with very little effort exerted and that's exactly what this blade delivers in spades. If you're looking for a monster tank chopper to completely eliminate your need to pack a hatchet/axe, this isn't gonna do it for you. I will mention that I was concerned the stock thickness was thin enough that the blade could flex under hard use, but the progressive nature of the grind prevents that. It's thinner than most machetes on the market, but it's still rock solid. The spine is nicely finished in my opinion. Comfortable in all grips, but sharp enough for bark-scraping purposes. It should be noted that it does not have a 90 degree spine for striking a ferro rod, which I consider a plus. Ferro rods come with strikers for a reason; Using your knife (an inferior tool) is just silly. In the nit-picking department: the grind on mine isn't totally even. It's enough that it's noticeable, but not enough that it in any way affects sharpening or cutting. The factory edge was an acceptable working edge, but a couple dozen strokes on the fine stones of a Spyderco Sharpmaker turned it into a slicing terror (gotta love simple carbon steels for sharpenability!). I love the handle: Micarta is my jam to begin with and the handle is VERY beefy, but nicely rounded (with an overall ovoid shape, so it doesn't twist in your hand in use). People with small hands may struggle, but it's perfect for my hands (I'm generally between a Large and Extra-Large glove size, for reference). The pommel-end isn't finished as nicely as it could be (it's more a series of straight grinds than a consistent curve), but that's an area your hand is never on so it doesn't matter. The lanyard hole is placed well and I definitely recommend the use of a paracord lanyard with any machete. The only thing I can really find fault with is the sheath, which seems like it was designed for something longer. Because of this, the blade won't sit securely at the bottom of the handle, and once the handle goes in, the whole thing twists a bit because it is not wide enough. Not a big deal, but it is slightly annoying that it rides with an outward cant on your belt because of this. The "retention" loop with snap is a joke. It is far, far too long and the entirely blade easily comes out/goes in whether it is undone or not. I'm flirting with the idea of shortening it so I can have some positive retention from this sheath, but I'm more inclined to just get a custom sheath instead. The factory sheath is serviceable - the nylon is thick and durable so it's not going to fall apart on you, it just fits the knife very very poorly, so it's really only held in by gravity. My personal activities don't involve me inverting myself, but if yours do this could be a deal-breaker with this sheath. All in all, it's my dream machete made real. A refined bolo that keeps the weight light and the performance high. If that sounds like your kind of thing, I very much recommend the Darien.
