The Condor German Aviator Machete is a 21" chopping tool with a 16" black traction-coated 1075 high carbon steel blade, a walnut handle, and a steel guard and pommel. Its broad, sweeping blade and S-shaped guard give it the look of a short sword, a nod to the survival machetes carried by WWII aircrew. It comes boxed with a black belt sheath.
Short and Sweet
- Condor German Aviator Machete (model CTK1822-16HC)
- 21" (53.34 cm) overall with a 16" (40.64 cm) blade
- 1075 high carbon steel, about 3/16" thick, black traction coating
- Full flat grind with secondary bevel
- Walnut handle over a tapered full tang
- Steel S-guard and pommel
- Black belt sheath
- Made in El Salvador
- Condition: New, boxed
A Tribute to the Pilots of World War II
Condor built this machete to honor the aviators who died in World War II and one encounter in particular. On December 20, 1943, German fighter pilot Franz Stigler closed in on a badly damaged American B-17 flown by Lt. Charlie Brown. Through the holes in the bomber's fuselage, Stigler could see wounded crewmen being cared for and chose not to fire. He considered shooting them no different from shooting a man in a parachute, so he escorted the crippled bomber past German defenses toward the North Sea, and the crew made it home to England. Decades later, Brown tracked Stigler down, and the two men became close friends for the rest of their lives.
Built in El Salvador with Solingen Roots
Condor traces its roots to 1787, when the Weyersberg brothers founded a sword and tool company in Solingen, Germany. In 1964, that tradition helped launch IMACASA in El Salvador, now one of the world's largest machete makers, and Condor Tool & Knife was created there in 2004. The German Aviator's blade is 1075 high carbon steel, about 3/16" thick, with a full flat grind and a secondary bevel for a durable chopping edge. A black traction coating protects it from rust. The walnut handle is riveted over a full tang that tapers to keep your hand from slipping, and the steel S-guard and pommel lock your grip in place.
Saplings, Brush, and Firewood
At nearly twice the thickness of a typical field machete, the German Aviator works more like a long hatchet than a grass cutter. It's best for woody growth: cutting saplings, clearing thick brush along fence lines and trails, limbing downed trees, and splitting kindling at camp. The forward-swept blade puts its weight toward the tip, which adds force to every swing. If you mostly cut tall grass or soft vines, a thinner machete will feel lighter. For mixed brush and wood, this one has the mass to get through it.