Clickety-Clackers

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

rcmodel

Member in memoriam
Joined
Sep 17, 2007
Messages
59,074
Location
Eastern KS
Balisongs
Top one is a real deal Batangas brought home from the Philippines by a vet.
4 5/8” blade, native hardwood scales of some sort with copper pins, except for the steel blade pivots.
Bolsters are aluminum.


Bottom one was homemade by myself in 1983.
I sold a bunch of them at the time.
O1 steel ground & oil tempered 3 1/4” blade.
Brass handles.

Bali1.jpg

Bali2.jpg

Bali3.jpg

I never did determine which is the "proper" way the handle latch should operate in relation to the blade edge.

I do know I prefer the one I made, as you can easily unlatch it with the little finger real fast.
And you only get whacked across the knuckles with the dull edge if you screw up.

If you screw up with the real one, it makes you bleed in several places!

rc
 
I love balisongs and those are two beautiful blades to be sure.

Edited to add: I actually prefer the other lock orientation for a couple of reasons. One I find the lock easier to operate as well as the knife itself seems to react better for me. Secondly, it greatly facilitates the lock drop open which happens to be my preferred opening for small jobs like cutting boxes and what-not.
 
Last edited:
I actually prefer the other lock orientation for a couple of reasons.
Click to expand...
Which "other" one?

Like the real one on the "blade edge handle" or the homemade one on the "blade spine handle"??

rc
 
Blade edge handle. FWIW the lock attached to the blade edge is called batanga and of the lock is attached to the spine handle it is called Manila style IIRC. Point is neither is right it seems. Purely preference.
 
Good to know. Thanks!

All I know is, I don't get cut with the Manila style near as often!! :D

rc
 
O1 steel ground & oil tempered 3 1/4” blade.
Click to expand...

What does that mean RC? Did you mean "oil quenched and tempered"? I always quenched O1 in oil and then tempered in a toaster oven.
 
Did you mean "oil quenched and tempered"?
Click to expand...
Yes.

I oil quench, polish, and then draw temper by color with a torch.

Not real scientific perhaps, but it works pretty well in flat spring making, so why not blades too?

rc
 
I never heard of anyone tempering blades with a torch! lol I used to temper springs to a blue color, what color did you go to with knives?
 
Love the handmade/homemade balis !
Valkman I believe that Ted Frizzell(?) of MMHW torch tempers his blades

Dan
 
Last edited:
I used to temper springs to a blue color, what color did you go to with knives?
Click to expand...
Straw yellow (about 460 degrees) will give a very hard edge that won't chip.
But not so hard a new file will slide off of it without cutting a little.

On differentially tempered blades, I would go dark purple to blue (about 550 - 560 degrees) on the spine & tang for break resistance, and straw yellow on the edge for hardness & edge holding.

Never had one Rockwell tested.
But I never had one break or chip either.

Thats good enough for GooberMint work for me.

rc
 
Sigh. Illegal in CA.

Even though I practice martial arts (got black belt in 1987) and might be able to justify one (we do practice a fair bit of knife and stick fighting), it's not worth the potential felony prosecution (and loss of firearm rights). No nunchucks either for the same reason.
 
Knife bans based on the way it opens is just as senseless as firearms bans based of bayonet lugs, and flash hiders, and pistol grips.

Someone explain to me how sensible it is to ban switchblade knives because they open with a spring when you push a button.

Yet assisted-openers that open with a spring when you push a thumb-stud or flipper on the blade are perfectly legal.

They both snap open by spring action, no matter what you call the "button" that causes it to open under spring action.

Heck, my Benchmade Axis-Locks open faster & harder then switchblades, or AO's, or Balasongs, with just a nudge & flip of the wrest.

rc
 
Someone explain to me how sensible it is to ban switchblade knives because they open with a spring when you push a button.

Yet assisted-openers that open with a spring when you push a thumb-stud or flipper on the blade are perfectly legal.

They both snap open by spring action, no matter what you call the "button" that causes it to open under spring action.
Click to expand...

That one is easy.

Switchblades were banned before assists ever came into existence and even before thumb studs came about. As you know the switchblade law was passed in the '50s. The law has very specific terms that define what a switchblade is and the critical part is the button in the handle (or some other release mechanism in the handle). Since that foolish law depends upon a release in the handle, assists were specifically made to not require that release. Using a cam design to bias the spring driving the blade to either side of the "top", the assist is held closed until the blade itself is manually opened past the "top" of the cam and the spring completes the opening action. Since the knife is actually opened manually against bias closed there is no opening mechanism or release in the handle it can't meet the definition under the law.

That doesn't mean halfwitted/unscrupulous prosecutors and politicians haven't tried, but the fed switchblade law's specificity help defeat those attempts when the folks at Knife Rights and AKATI go to against them with the manufacturers' lawyers.
 
Last edited:
I'm betting that the B grade movies of that era did lots and lots to shape that law.... and legislatures will legislate (whether it's needed or not). No it doesn't make any sense at all.

If I absolutely had to have a new blade for some nefarious purpose... I'd just go to any grocery store that sold Old Hickory brand butcher knives - not very stylish but ready do go the moment you purchase one... The carbon steel those cheap blades come with is both flexible and very hard for a tiny amount of money. -and they're perfectly legal until you do something awful with one.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top