[mtnbkr]

I think I picked up a real Fillipin Balisong at the local antique shop yesterday. It's crudely made, but has features and embelishments not found in "Charming China Cheapies". The bolsters are separate pieces from the handles, the blade is made from carbon steel, there are embelishments in the latch and blade tang, the rivets holding the handle together are copper, and the handles are made out of individual pieces of brass. The wood in the handles has tool marks were it might've been carved by hand, especially the grooves.

The best part? I paid $5 for it. There was another one there as well. It was larger, had jigged horn handles, and was designed in a similar way. However, a bolster was loose and the blade design was odd. I may pick it up anyway since it was the same price.

The design features are very similar to knives found here: http://www.balisong.com/

Some pics:
http://mysite.verizon.net/allencb/side.jpg

http://mysite.verizon.net/allencb/open.jpg

http://mysite.verizon.net/allencb/edge.jpg

http://mysite.verizon.net/allencb/latch.jpg

Chris

[El Tejon]

"She may leave home without her comb, without her makeup, but she will not leave home without her balisong." P.I. proverb and advice to young men.

What a deal! If anything, good one to practice with. Congrats on your score. :)

[mtnbkr]

Thanks!

I showed it to a coworker who spend several years over there and married a Fillipino girl (he's retired Air Force). He said it looked just like the ones he saw over there.

BTW, he wants the other one. I guess I'll be stopping by the antique store again. :)

Chris

[Soap]

Dang I'm jealous. :( You sure they don't have any more laying around?

[mtnbkr]

I'll keep an eye out. I caught these by chance. I was looking for old cameras, while supposedly shopping for a new nightstand. I didn't find a nightstand, nor did I find any hidden photographic jewels.

Chris

[MICHAEL T]

I found on like the one in picture at flea market about 20 years ago. Blade on mine is about 3 1/2 in. paid 5 bucks for it. Still have it. Their fun to collect but they don't swing like my orginal LA made Balisong .Since it was made in 1980 would it be a antique now.

[mtnbkr]

This one isn't a "swinger" either, nor am I a "balisong person". This is the first one i've owned in over 15 years. Had it been a CCC, I would've kept on trucking at any price. It has "character" and that's why I bought it. It's going into the safe with the other knives (and guns :D ).

Chris

[hso]

Nice!

You can easily double that type of money if you run across any more.

[JohnBT]

The knife in the pic looks very much like the one my father brought back in 1945. By the age of ten I was getting pretty good with it - until he came home early one day and caught me practicing.

I think I'll ask him on Friday if I'm old enough now to mess with it.

John