Pinoy Steel.
The best handforged Filipino blades right to your door.
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36 cm Brazilian Kingwood Buyod.
Before I tell you about this knife, I would just like to point out that it is not for sale. It is one of two (a matching pair) that were custom ordered several months ago by a very patient customer. He provided me with his own book matched scales and told me exactly what he was looking for. I finally unwrapped this knife last night, and today, it got an hour-long Pinoy Steel spa treatment. I think the results are absolutely stunning. Don’t worry, I asked for his permission before sharing these pictures, so if you have a custom in mind that you’d rather not tell the world about, I’ve got you covered!
This bali measures in at 36 cm overall and has a buyod blade with a long swedge and central ridge. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
The figuring on these scales is incredible, and after being painstakingly taken up to 1500 grit, they look even better than before.
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Russian wootz steel razor.
This balisong is special enough to warrant its own post. The blade is hand ground Russian wootz steel, also known as bulat, that was forged by Ivan Kirpichev. This steel is expensive and involves a great deal of labor and skill to produce. It is extremely difficult to source outside Russia. Many believe the current bulat steel is on par with the old wootz steels (e.g., on Persian knives) that were historically used on weapons. They are legendary for their incredible performance. I am proud to be able to offer what I believe to be the first balisong made anywhere to feature this amazing steel.
This 18.75 cm balisong has a hollow ground razor blade that would absolutely be usable for daily shaving if so desired. Since the blade has been etched using phosphoric acid, it will require resharpening and honing to get it where it needs to be, but it would make an amazing razor, utility or defensive blade depending on your needs. We decided to go with a straight razor profile because of the high cost of the steel: we wanted to preserve as much of it as possible. The makers also managed to preserve Mr Kirpichev’s maker’s mark on the ricasso.
After etching the steel, I noticed a lighter band near the ricasso which was most likely caused by differential heat treating. I decided to keep the band and polish the ricasso to show the contrast between the etched blade and clean wootz steel. I went with a phosphate finish to provide corrosion resistance and also because phosphoric acid does not pit the blade like other etchants would. This will preserve the blade’s ability to slice cleanly.
The bolsters, liners and latch are stainless steel. I asked the makers to use select kamagong with lovely, subtle figuring on this balisong as I felt it would suit the classic beauty of wootz steel best. Seven of the eight bolsters are double pinned, and one is triple pinned since the makers drilled one of the holes slightly off center. Nice and light at 3 oz and flippable straight from the makers. SOLD.
“The unique combination of properties such as hardness, wear resistance and resilience is attributed both to the manufacturing technology and elevated carbon content, and not to “micro-elements”. The steel has high mechanical properties for the production of swords, combat and hunting knives. Each finished blade has stunning eye appeal – a very specific pattern formed during smelting and forging, and not due to the hammering of a few types of steel together as in the case of “pattern-welded Damascus”. Unlike this Damascus, Bulat restores its pattern and qualitative characteristics even after being re-melted.” - Oleg Krymlin. Bladeforums.com.
For more information on Ivan Kirpichev and bulat steel:
http://www.okknives.com/2.html
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Ivory micarta hatchet.
This beautiful hatchet measures in at 9 5/8”. It is 3/16” thick, and made from cryogenically treated 440 steel with a suitable hardness of 56-58 HRC. It was modified from an existing blank and painstakingly mirror polished by Ronald Stowe, a US Air Force Vet from California who served at Clark Air Base from ‘67-‘69. The last stage of polishing was done entirely by hand, and it shows.
The guard and butt cap are gorgeous nickel silver, and the scales are ivory micarta. The inspiration for this blade came from the Buck 110. Mr Stowe has etched his mark on the blade. He was kind enough to provide me with a similar hatchet with desert ironwood slabs that I absolutely love. This hatchet weighs in at 17.1 oz. Mr Stowe will be including a perfectly fitted oiled leather sheath with your purchase.
Mr Stowe has generously offered to donate all proceeds from this sale toward helping a friend of his in the Philippines. As many of you know, life in the Philippines is extremely difficult for the majority of people. Ronald is a great guy, outstanding craftsman and a good friend, so I am proud to be able to offer his work here at Pinoy Steel and to be able to give back to the people of the Philippines.
Feel free to contact Ronald Stowe at ronstowe@pacbell.net if you have any questions about this item.
$165 including shipping; $175 outside the continental United States.
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Himalayan ram horn.
Almost caught up with my orders, so here’s a few more items for you! These beautiful balisongs were made by two of the best makers around. Each features beautiful (and rare) Himalayan ram horn. This material was legally sourced from a dealer in the US. Once these are gone, I may not be offering balisongs with these scales again.
From top to bottom:
1. Exactly 29 cm long (a true bente nueve). Carbon spring steel kris blade with some tiny forging marks on the ricasso. Two extra thick tang pins. Double pinned stainless bolsters. Stainless liners and a thin custom-grade stainless latch. Very nice Himalayan ram horn scales which are translucent near the bolsters. Truly a beautiful piece. 5.5 oz. SOLD.
2. Another true bente nueve (29 cm). Nicely ground carbon steel buyod (traditional fighting) blade with two extra thick tang pins. One tiny pit on the blade. Double pinned brass bolsters, stainless liners and a thin custom-grade latch. This was my personal carry piece for about three weeks, so it is ready to flip. I thought long and hard about offering this one for sale; believe me, I would be glad to keep both of these for my own collection! There is some minor vertical and horizontal blade play. Not enough to bother me, but it can easily be fixed with a bench vise (by peening the pins). 6 oz. SOLD.
3. 19 cm long balicomb with a stainless steel comb. Each and every tooth on this comb was carefully and painstakingly sawed into a stainless steel bar. Beautiful kamagong (Philippines ebony) scales. The bottom bolsters (near the latch) are double pinned, and the comb has two tang pins (rarely seen on a balicomb). Virtually ready to flip! These combs are actually great for combing your hair as well as a lot of fun! 3.9 oz. $95.
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Let’s start July off right.
I’m still getting caught up on orders that came in while I was out of town, but here are four to tide you over until I really get posting! The top two feature classic jigged horse bone inserts, and the bottom two feature imported stag from Canada and Europe. Here at Pinoy Steel, we only use ethically and legally sourced imported stag. We don’t want to put money in the hands of those who are contributing to the loss of the Philippines’ deer, all species of which are nearing extinction.
From top to bottom:
1. 28 cm long balisong with a well-ground, hand forged carbon steel tari (cockfighting) blade. Brass bolsters and latch with stainless liners to keep the weight down. This is an absolutely classic piece: one tang pin and single pinned bolsters. Great all around knife and perfect for any collection, whether you own dozens or are looking to buy your first Filipino handmade. I wish my first balisong was this nice! Please note there is a very small forge mark on the blade. 5.75 oz. SOLD.
2. 28 cm balisong with a carbon steel rambo blade with a cap lifter (bottle opener) on the spine. Perfect carry piece for summer nights! I really like the deep jigging on the horse bone inserts on this piece. Brass bolsters and latch with stainless liners. The handles are slightly thicker than usual. Please note there is some very minor spotting on the blade from storage in the Philippines. You’d have to look carefully to see the spots, but I want to point them out. 6.25 oz. $99.
3. 18.5 cm long with an absolutely razor sharp carbon steel labaha (hollowground straight razor-style) blade. This would make a great pocket knife! Some jigging on two of the Canadian mule stag inserts. The first FHM balisongs featured jigged stag inserts—this modern version has a stainless latch, bolsters and liners. One of the inserts has two copper pins, and the others have three for stability. Two naturally occurring fissures in one of the inserts. 3.9 oz. $129.
4. 18.75 cm balisong with a truly razor sharp carbon steel labaha blade. Beautiful little knife. Stainless bolsters, liners and latch with European red stag on the handles. Lovely color on the stag on this piece—I’d be happy to keep this one. Tiny forge mark on the blade. 4 oz. $129.
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Malay Jungle Parangs.
The first and third parangs are sold.
These parangs were hand forged and ground from carbon spring steel. The upper portion of the blades have a raw, forge scale finish with an anti-rust treatment.
This style of parang is commonly found on Borneo and is proven through hundreds of years of usage in the Bornean jungle. They have thin blades with working edges, and the steel has been kept soft for increased toughness. This means they are easy to sharpen, but will not hold an edge as long as harder steels. The blades are virtually impossible to crack—even if you hit something hard, the most you’ll get is a rolled edge that you can hammer out.
These blades will last you a lifetime as long as you keep them oiled. All three feature molded plastic handles that feel like hard black rubber. They also come with stitched and riveted polyurethane sheaths. All three weigh in at approximately 7 oz (8 oz with the sheaths). These are not available outside Malaysia (aside from here at Pinoy Steel). I have two more in a larger size I will be offering shortly.
Please note prices on these are higher than for comparably-sized Filipino blades because Malaysia is just more expensive. The cost of living in cities is virtually on par with the cost of living in the US! As always, all prices include shipping.
1. This first parang measures in at approximately 14”. It has a champagne-colored ring and a black and gray scabbard. The loop on the sheath can be rotated 360 degrees so you can snap the button open and closed two different ways. $69.
2. This parang also measures in at slightly over 14”. It has a champagne-colored ring and a gray PU sheath. I was practicing Pekiti-Tirsia style cuts with this parang and I managed to launch the blade across the room (!). It has a minor ding at the end of the blade and an even smaller one in the edge, as well as one in the spine. I reattached it using JB Weld, an extremely strong steel epoxy. $65.
3. This third parang has a gray ring and a nice all black polyurethane sheath. $69.
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Back with more balisongs!
Four very nice balisongs for you today! It’s good to be home and I have some great stuff to show you.
From top to bottom:
1. 29.75 cm long. Hand forged, 3/16” thick bearing steel tari (cockfighting-style) blade. This is one big, mean, overbuilt balisong. Double pinned brass bolsters, brass liners and a thick, file worked, custom-grade brass latch. Beautiful black and very dark brown kamagong scales that I personally refinished to 1500 grit. Two tiny checks in the grain that are barely noticeable. Please forgive the lint in the last picture. I wiped the knives down with mineral oil before the pictures. A very solid 9 oz. $199.
2. 28.5 cm long. Carbon spring steel bayonet blade. Very nicely ground. Double tang pins (as with almost all of my new offerings) and double pinned stainless bolsters. Stainless liners and thin custom-grade latch. The scales are beautiful redwood burl that I have refinished to 1500 grit, entirely by hand. This really made the incredible figuring pop! Great knife all around and one I’d be happy to keep! 5.25 oz. SOLD.
3. 29 cm long (a real bente nueve). Beautifully ground and polished carbon steel kris blade with two extra thick tang pins. Single pinned stainless bolsters, stainless liners and a stainless latch. Nice dark kamagong scales with nice figuring. This bali did not require refinishing! 5 oz. SOLD.
4. 23.5 cm balisong with very slim, thin handles and a thin, slim blade. The blade is in the rambo style and was ground from hand forged carbon spring steel. One tang pin, brass bolsters, stainless liners and a brass latch. The scales are narra and have some buffing compound trapped in the grain (black flecks). I did clean these scales up and sand them up to 1000 grit. Great lightweight bali that would be excellent for discreet carry. Not from the best makers around, but a nice knife and it’s being offered at a great price! Just under 2 oz. SOLD.
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Badjao Pandai.
Two craftsmen from the Badjao (spelled Bajau in Malaysia) tribe in the Northeast corner of Malaysian Borneo with parangs they forged and carved themselves in the forge directly to the right of this picture. They work under one of their homes. The Bajau have long lived on the sea and land in the Southern Philippines and Northern Borneo. They are considered native to both regions and the waters between them. Sadly, they have been forced out of the Sulu region in the Philippines due to strife and poverty, but they are thriving in Sabah. Great men and outstanding craftsmen! I will be offering a small (but excellent quality) selection of their blades in a few months.
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Deep in the heart of Batangas…
A new tanto profile we’ll be offering shortly.
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Never leave home without your kris.
Traditionally, in much of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, men would never dare to venture outside without a keris. It was an integral part of any outfit as well as being a defensive tool. I have three lovely kris balisongs today, as well as a bayonet for good measure. From top to bottom:
1. 29 cm FHM with a carbon steel bayonet blade with a very thin, almost sharpened swedge. Nice, sharp tip. Two extra thick tang pins for durability. Double pinned stainless bolsters. Stainless liners and latch. The inserts are beautiful Indonesian golden amboyna burl and classic smooth horse bone. Great knife that will serve you well. 6 oz. Please note there is a small forging flaw on the tang under one of the bolsters (see the picture below). 6 oz. $139.
2. This balisong measures in at just under 29 cm long. Carbon steel kris blade with two extra thick tang pins. Stainless bolsters (double pinned), liners and latch. The wood on the handles is beautiful, dark wenge with very interesting, subtle grain (it resembles kamagong, but if you look closely, you can tell its not). I personally hand sanded this wood up to 1500 grit. Tiny forging flaw on the ricasso. 5 oz. SOLD.
3. This one measures in at just under 29 cm also. Hand forged carbon spring steel kris blade. Double carbon steel tang pins and bolsters pins. Stainless bolsters, liners and latch. The scales on this knife are lovely African wenge with bold figuring and grain. Some natural checking (lines) running lengthwise along the wood (not cracks). I personally sanded the wenge all the way up to 1500 grit. Small forging flaws on the tang. 5 oz. $149.
4. Just under 29 cm. Carbon steel kris blade with double tang pins. Double pinned stainless bolsters. The latch and liners are stainless too. The scales are snow white Dupont Corian that I hand sanded at 1000 grit to get them just right. There is a miniscule black spot on one of the inserts that I believe is a metal shaving that got trapped in the Corian. Extremely minor, but I have to point it out. 5.5 oz. SOLD.
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Some people think Filipino balisongs don’t make good flippers. This goes to show you can flip the heck out of one if you want to! Thanks Rick!
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Beautiful bente nueves.
Some great knives tonight: all of them are very special in their own way!
1. 33 cm long. This balisong is much thicker, wider and fills up your hands more than any standard bente nueve. A lot of work goes into making these balisongs. Thick, wide bearing steel (52100) tari blade that is razor sharp. Please note there is a groove on the ricasso from the bearing this blade was forged from. This serves as ‘proof’ that the blade is bearing steel, which is harder than carbon spring steel and also takes a much keener edge and holds it forever too. The downside is brittleness—bearing steel can crack if dropped or if it hits something hard.
This knife also has extra thick brass bolsters and oversized tang pin and pivot pins. Stainless liners and a thick brass latch. The scales are thick, carefully selected jet black kamagong that swells outward in the middle to fill up your palm. This is one big, mean knife, ideal for a collector or for someone who doesn’t mind the extra weight. Truly a beast of a balisong. 11 oz. Great deal at $219.
2. 29 cm balisong with a nicely ground carbon steel buyod blade. Two extra thick tang pins and double pinned stainless bolsters. Stainless liners and thin custom grade latch too. The scales are stunning redwood burl. This stuff has to be seen to be believed: it looks like it’s on fire. Truly amazing stuff. I may just have to keep this one (or one of the other few I’ve had made in redwood burl and will be listing over the next few weeks). 5.5 oz. SOLD.
3. 29 cm balisong with a carbon steel buyod blade with two extra thick tang pins. Double pinned stainless bolsters (longer than usual), liners and latch. Sambar stag surrounded by nice, brown African bubinga with some red streaks. Beautifully made and the stag swells outward slightly so it feels good in your hand while helping you maintain a grip on the knife. 5.5 oz. $145.
4. This 29 cm balisong has a very nicely ground bayonet blade (carbon spring steel) with two extra thick tang pins. The bolsters, liners and latch are stainless steel. The bolsters on this knife are extra long, which to me looks very nice indeed. They are double pinned for security. The inserts are American caribou, which is now exceedingly rare in the US outside of Alaska. I bought the antler sections from a hunter who had the antlers in his possession for over twenty years. Not much of this stuff left, and it has lovely caramel brown hues. 6 oz. SOLD.
5. 16 cm long rambo balisong with brass bolsters, stainless liners and a brass latch. White acrylic scales. This knife is being given away to a buyer who purchased two or more balisongs/combs/trainers!
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African Wenge, American Stag and Philippines Ebony.
These four beautiful balisongs were all made by the best makers in the Philippines and they are great representations of just how skilled Pinoy craftsmen can be. I’d be proud to own any of these knives.
1. 29 cm long with an old school style carbon steel buyod blade with two extra thick tang pins. Double pinned stainless bolsters, liners and latch and Central African wenge and American mule stag inserts. While this particular batch of wenge looked like kamagong, the fine grain and figuring are very different up close. The mule stag used on this knife came directly from the US (mule deer aren’t found anywhere else). Truly a beautiful buyod! 5.5 oz. SOLD.
2. 28.5 cm kamagong buyod. Nicely ground carbon steel blade. Double pinned stainless bolsters. Stainless liners and latch. There is some minor pitting on the swedge on this knife. I buffed off a few tiny bits of surface rust that for some reason only appeared on the swedge, but there is still a little pitting visible if you look carefully. 5.5 oz. SOLD.
3. 23 cm long balisong with a hollowground carbon steel tari blade. Like the two knives listed yesterday, this one has brass bolsters, stainless liners and a brass latch with stunning kamagong scales. Beautiful figuring, color and chatoyancy. Very light at just over 3 oz. SOLD.
4. 23 cm FHM balisong with a carbon steel buyod blade. This one’s definitely well ground. Brass bolsters, stainless liners and a brass latch. Really lovely kamagong inserts. I’m surprised these slim kamagong balis aren’t more popular. They are very well made, feel great in hand and would be excellent carry knives. 3.75 oz. $95.
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Bone krises and kamagong rambos.
These four balisongs are perfect carry knives. At right around 5” closed, they are easy to slip into a pocket (where legal) and still give you lots of usable blade length. They are also nice and light. Aside from the practical side of things, all four look great!
1. 23 cm long (around 9”) with a hand forged carbon spring steel kris blade. The blade is nicely ground and has two extra thick tang pins. The bolsters, liners and latch are stainless steel, which is the most durable choice for an FHM balisong. The scales are beautiful smooth horse bone with lots of lovely caramel and natural bone grain. 4.5 oz. SOLD.
2. This second kris also measures in at right around 23 cm. Carbon steel kris blade with two extra thick tang pins. Instead of stainless bolsters, this one has double pinned brass bolsters. The liners are stainless steel and the latch is brass. There are some darker areas and fissures (naturally occurring) on the horse bone scales near the bolsters on both sides of this knife, so this knife is discounted. 4.25 oz. SOLD.
3 and 4. These two 23 cm kamagong rambos are slimmer than normal, making them great carry knives. All four of these knives were made by the best makers currently producing balisongs in the Philippines. The blades are in the rambo pattern (holes drilled through them and a sawback portion on the spine) and are made of classic carbon spring steel. Brass bolsters and latch with stainless liners to keep the weight down. Where these knives really shine is the kamagong on them: it is some of the best I’ve ever seen and it has incredible natural figuring and even some chatoyancy (rarely seen in kamagong). Great for those of you who prefer a slimmer knife. 3.75 oz. $95 each, or $170 for both.
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Kamagong and Zebrawood.
Philippines ebony (kamagong) and Central African Zebrawood are both truly beautiful types of wood. These expertly and painstakingly crafted balisongs are for those who appreciate hard work and tradition—nobody makes balisongs like these ones anymore! All four were made by the best makers currently producing balisongs in the Philippines today.
From top to bottom:
1. 33 cm (13”) carbon steel kris blade. The grind of this kris is reminiscent of the first kris balisongs ever made in Batangas. Expertly ground. Nice, sharp tip designed for penetration. Two extra thick tang pins and upgraded pivot pins. Stainless bolsters, liners and latch. The scales are of course classic kamagong. The wood is almost black with some subtle figuring. If you ask me, you can never go wrong with stainless and kamagong. Great knife! 6.25 oz. SOLD.
(The knife in the picture above is most likely from the 1940s and features Filipino stag bolsters and karabaw horn scales. It appears when balisongs first appeared on classic FHMs, there was some experimentation taking place: I have seen two balisongs from this period with stag bolsters)
2. A true bente nueve (29 cm long) with a carbon steel tari (cockfighting) blade. Taris are attached to the feet of roosters in the Philippines to make the sport of cockfighting a little more interesting. Nicely ground with two extra thick tang pins, upgraded pivot pins and double pinned bolsters. The liners and latch are also stainless. The wood is beautifully figured zebrawood. Again, this is a combination that is becoming a classic here at Pinoy Steel and one I’d be proud to own! Please note the tip on this knife is not quite as well ground as it could have been, but it can of course be reground if desired. 5.25 oz. Discounted at $139.
3. 29 cm carbon steel tari balisong with stainless bolsters, liners and latch. Each bolster is double pinned with carbon steel pins for extra security. The tang pins are thicker than usual for durability and the same goes for the pivot pins. The blade is nicely ground and very sharp and the scales are Central African zebrawood. This particular batch of zebrawood had some interesting chatoyancy. Great knife! 5 oz. $145. $10 off if you’re taking both taris.
4. 26 cm FHM balisong with a beautifully ground and polished carbon steel buyod blade. Just one tang pin on this one. Stainless bolsters, liners and perhaps the nicest latch I’ve ever seen on an FHM! Very nicely polished and ground and a seriously thick piece of stainless steel. The scales are jigged kamagong. Jigged kamagong is beautiful and provides for excellent grip, but since all FHM balisongs are buffed on a wheel as a finishing touch, there is some green buffing compound trapped between the grooves. I have removed much of the compound, but there’s still a little bit trapped in there that can of course be removed if desired. Beautiful knife at a very special size. 5.25 oz. SOLD.
