Pinoy Steel.
The best handforged Filipino blades right to your door.
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Bowies.
These 27.5 cm, 6 oz aluminum and kamagong buyod (bowie) FHM balisongs are thick and solid and fill your hand up really well without being too heavy. They have nice, thick aluminum latches. These balisongs are solid carry knives and aren’t as pretty as my usual offerings—they are pretty much all about function, although the kamagong on them is definitely beautiful.
The bolsters on aluminum balisongs get scratched up pretty quickly (metal polish will get the fine scratches out), but in my opinion, they are the best knives to carry because of their light weight and how smooth these balisongs get once broken in. These knives allow you to carry a full sized balisong with very robust handles that feel amazing in your hands and a 3/16” thick carbon steel blade without weighing you down too much.
Please note the tips on these bowies aren’t as sharp and pointed as they could be (they’re still very much pointed, about 7/10), but that would be a quick fix for someone with access to a grinder or bench stones. These blades are very thick all the way to the tips. I’m discounting these knives because of the extra work that would be involved if you wanted them perfectly pointed.
$95 for either one or $180 for both!
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David Buyod.
ALL SOLD!
Some more great FHM balisongs in aluminum and kamagong with buyod (bowie) blades. These are all great knives that are thicker and more robust than the usual FHMs, but are still lightweight because of the aluminum bolsters. Great carry knives that are very popular with the locals in Batangas. The latches are extra thick too. A knife with these dimensions in brass or stainless would be much, much heavier. You get a nice, thick knife without too much weight with these bad boys.
From top to bottom:
1. 27 cm with lighter kamagong inserts. The point on this knife is excellent (but not a needle point because of the thick 3/16” blade). Great knife! 6 oz. SOLD.
2. 27 cm with darker kamagong inserts. Also has an excellent point—I posted two of these last week that had rounded off points. Blades these thick are very hard to point perfectly. 5.5 oz. SOLD.
3. 23 cm buyod. Great knife and nicely done! 5 oz. SOLD.
4. 23 cm buyod. This knife has a small forging mark on the tang, so I’m taking $5 off. SOLD.
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Indian damascus bente nueves.
These balisong blades were painstakingly ground from billets of the best damascus steel made in Rajasthan, India today. The damascus you see here is some of the best made in Asia today.
The damascus steel has over 200 layers and was forged from 1085 carbon steel and 15N20. It was ground to shape by hand using stock removal, which was extremely labor intensive and challenging for the makers. Then the blades were hardened to get the most out of the carbon steel used in their manufacture.
I went with a phosphate finish to bring out the pattern on this damascus for a number of reasons:
1. Filipino watered steel was never finished with strong industrial acids. The phosphate finish you see here is much more subtle and natural and does not etch the steel.
2. It also gives the carbon steel a degree of corrosion resistance.
3. Another advantage to using a phosphate finish is it can be restored at home quickly and easily. You don’t have to worry about scratching the etching off on these knives. They were meant to be flipped and used.
4. To stain a blade with harsher chemicals such as ferric chloride or hydrochloric acid would eat into the blade, and if one wished to restain their blade, they would have to unpin the balisong since the chemicals would eat into the brass and steel pins and liners and damage the inserts if they made contact with them.
The 28 cm kris balisong on top features premium pre-ban sambar stag inserts. Sambar stag are the largest deer on the planet and their antlers are now illegal to export from India. Sambar stag, to me, is the best stag around. This is truly an outstanding piece and there is no other balisong like this one anywhere else. Brass bolsters and steel liners. The first set of bolsters are longer than usual and were double pinned for extra durability. 6.5 oz. SOLD. ($239)
The 28 cm dibuyod (bowie) balisong below it has stainless bolsters, steel liners and Filipino karabaw inserts. There are two very fine hairline cracks in the inserts that are natural and found in virtually all Filipino karabaw horn. Occasionally wiping the horn inserts down with a damp cloth would keep it from contracting/cracking in dryer climates.
The karabaw is the national animal of the Philippines, and for most of the 20th century, karabaw horn was the most common material on Batangas FHM balisongs. You will never see a balisong with full-length karabaw inserts on the racks of stores in the Philippines nowadays. I have several that date back to the 1940s that have survived, even though abused, with only minor chips in the horn. One nice thing about karabaw horn is it can be used to stop bleeding and still provides excellent grip, even when highly polished and wet (or God forbid, bloody)! 5.5 oz. SOLD. ($209)
The 19 cm buyod below it also has stainless bolsters and steel liners with Filipino karabaw inserts. It was forged from the same billet as my personal carry knife (the kris with mammoth ivory inserts I posted a few days ago). The karabaw horn also has one or two hairline cracks. This is a beautiful little balisong that is still very solid and usable. 4.5 oz. $189.
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Sambar stag and horse bone.
The week’s just flown by—here are some lovely balis for your midweek viewing pleasure!
The FHM balisong on top is outstanding. It is right at 29 cm (a real bente nueve) with a razor sharp carbon steel buyod (bowie) blade. No forge marks or pitting. Brass bolsters, stainless liners and a nice, thick stainless latch. The inserts are top grade Indian sambar stag. There are two horizontal marks near the center pins in two of the inserts, but they are barely visible because of the stag’s natural color. The marks were made by the makers so they could get the pins lined up evenly. Pinning bone and stag just right is never easy. 6.75 oz. SOLD.
The balisong in the middle is 23 cm long and has nice, thick, deeply jigged horse bone inserts. The inserts swell toward the middle which make them fill up your hand nicely—that and the unique jigging are what sold me on this knife. Carbon steel labaha (hollowground razor) blade. The bolsters and liners are stainless and the latch is aluminum, which is the smoothest to latch and unlatch. I purchased this knife for my own personal collection, but I am putting it on offer. It has been flipped a little, but it still needs breaking in. Approximately 5 oz. $89.
The last knife is 23 cm long and was made by the best makers, but it had some rust on the blade from fingerprints that were left on it. I cleaned the rust off, but I managed to put some surface pits into the blade while using a small grinding wheel. I attempted to remove the pitting using 100 grit sandpaper, but it is slow going sanding a hard carbon steel blade by hand.
Beautiful knife in a unique combination—stainless bolsters, liners and latch with jigged horse bone inserts. This knife is up for sale provisionally. If it doesn’t sell, I’m going to have the makers grind and polish the blade, and it will be relisted at $95. Great deal for someone who doesn’t mind the surface scratches and pitting or is willing to put in a little work to get it looking perfect! Approximately 5 oz. $85.
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Bubinga, wenge and kamagong.
Here are four lovely knives for your viewing pleasure:
1. 32 cm long (like the one from yesterday), Beautiful African bubinga scales. Double tang pins (extra thick) and double pinned bolsters. Carbon steel tari (hollowground cockfighting style) blade. Stainless bolsters with brass liners and a brass latch. 7 oz. $139, or $129 if you’re taking both of the 32 cm taris.
2. 29 cm kris with bubinga inserts. Again, double tang pins and double pinned bolsters. No brass on this one: stainless bolsters, liners and latch. Carbon steel blade. The scales are African bubinga (it’s getting harder to find redder bubinga nowadays) with some chatoyancy. 5.5 oz. SOLD.
3. 29 cm buyod (bowie). Nice, long swedge and a slim carbon steel blade. Brass bolsters, stainless liners and thick brass latch. Very nice African wenge scales with incredible figuring. I’m tempted to keep this one! 5.25 oz. SOLD.
4. Not made by the best makers, but still a good, solid knife (just a little less refined around the edges). 28.5 cm. Brass bolsters, liners and latch. Dark kamagong scales. Hollowground carbon steel labaha (straight razor) blade. 6 oz. $95.
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Camel bone bente nueve.
This beautiful knife was a custom order for a very patient buyer (thank you!) that was built with 25% wider than normal handles and a correspondingly wider blade. The inserts are smooth, butterscotch-colored Indian camel bone. The 29 cm kamagong tari next to it is shown for scale. The extra width and 7.5 oz weight really feel good!
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New balisongs.
Three new balisongs up on the site! The first one is taken and was refinished for a buyer: it is a 33 cm kris with kamagong scales and stainless bolsters.
1. Right under it is a 15.6 cm balisong with a tari (cockfighting blade) grind, brass bolsters and white acrylic scales. It only weighs 1.3 oz. Great pocket carry knife! $35, or free with any order over $199.
2. This 33.5 cm balisong has a carbon steel rambo blade with a nice belly. There is a tiny pit on the blade and a few pinhead sized ones too. Stainless bolsters, liners and file worked latch. The Top bolsters are pinned twice for extra durability. Two extra thick tang pins strengthen lockup in both the open and closed positions.
The inserts are beautiful Central American cocobolo. The figuring on this wood is amazing and runs lengthwise. I personally cleaned up and hand finished the wood to 2000 grit. 6.3 oz. Discounted because of the pit. $169.
3. This 23.5 cm balisong is extremely slim and has jigged narra inserts. Hand forged carbon steel buyod blade. Some minor pitting on the ricasso. This is a great, lightweight carry piece, and a bargain. Not from the usual guys, so this knife is a little rougher around the edges, and the narra has a small chip and two small holes in it. 2 oz. $55.
All of these items are now available at http://PinoySteel.com
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29 cm Carbon Fiber Balisong.
This 29 cm balisong was built extra slim at around 0.75” wide at its widest point. It features an expertly ground carbon spring steel buyod blade with two extra thick tang pins. The swedge is long and deep. This is the first FHM balisong to ever feature aerospace-grade carbon fiber inserts.
The carbon fiber is held in place with copper pins, which contrast beautifully with the black and gray of the carbon. One of the inserts is pinned twice in the same spot (sometimes the makers don’t align the pins quite right the first time around: this is an issue with all handmade knives). The bolsters, liners and beveled custom grade latch are all 300-series stainless steel. Each of the bolsters is pinned twice for durability.
3.9 oz. SOLD.
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Morado, Mun Ebony, Kamagong and Bubinga.
Balisongs 3 and 4 are still available: balisongs 1 and 2 and the balicomb are sold.
We have wood from three continents on five very well made pieces to start the week off with! All five were made by the best balisong makers in Batangas. They are all very well ground and put together. Several hours of my own labor went into getting these knives looking their best. I think you’ll agree that these are the nicest Filipino balisongs you’re going to find anywhere!
From top to bottom:
1. This balisong is 28.8 cm long. It features a buyod grind with a nice, deep, thin swedge. This is really an outstanding grind, and I can say the grind on this knife can hold its own with the best knives anywhere. This is a beautiful piece all around.
The blade is hand forged carbon spring steel (5000-series). There is a nice amount of belly on the blade. Two extra thick tang pins improve lockup and durability. The ‘wings’ (guard ground onto the end of the blade) prevent your hand from sliding onto the blade under heavy use. This baby is absolutely razor sharp.
Unfortunately, there is some very light pitting on the blade from storage in the Philippines. I have buffed and hand polished the blade, but the pits remain, so this beauty is discounted.
The inserts are beautiful morado, or Brazilian Rosewood, that I carefully hand finished to 2000 grit. There is lovely chatoyancy, lengthwise figuring and color in this wood. It has been treated with mineral oil to bring out the best in the wood.
The bolsters, liners and latch are stainless steel. The top bolsters are double pinned for increased durability. The latch is also beautifully fileworked by the maker, and is nicely beveled for comfort.
There is also some minor spotting around the pivots.
This is a beauty: unfortunately, it wasn’t stored as well as it should have been before I picked it up from the makers. 6 oz. Discounted at $165.
2. This beautiful balisong is exactly 29 cm long. It features a hollowground tari (cockfighting blade) grind with a long swedge. The swedge is very thin: this is not a knife I’d stab into a coin, but it will stab softer materials just fine. The carbon spring steel blade is absolutely razor sharp.
There are two pits on this knife’s blade: one is tiny and the other is barely noticeable, but I’d still like to point them out. Two extra thick tang pins for strong lockup.
This knife again features incredible Brazilian rosewood inserts. I hand finished the wood to 2000 grit, and it looks truly incredible. It is lighter than it appears in the pics.
The bolsters, liners and latch are all stainless steel. Each of the bolsters is double pinned for durability.
This, again, is a very, very nice grind.
This is an absolutely beautiful knife for the tari lover: this is perhaps my favorite profile of all, and the swedge on this one is incredible. 5 oz. SOLD.
3. This extra slim balisong packs a big punch for such a slender package: it measures in at 28.8 cm. It features a buyod blade with a short, slim swedge. The blade is hand forged carbon steel that has been truly beautifully hand ground, and it features two extra thick tang pins for extra durability.
The inserts on this knife are Laos mun ebony. There is incredible figuring and chatoyancy in this wood, and even a tiny eye that looks incredible. I hand finished the wood all the way up to 2000 grit before applying several coats of mineral oil. This wood is truly stunning. It is lighter than it appears in the pictures.
The bolsters, liners and latch are stainless steel, and each bolster is pinned twice for longevity.
This is a beautiful piece. It is slim and lightweight, but absolutely solid. The grind is truly beautiful too, and can stand with knives that cost four times as much. There is one tiny pit on the blade that is barely noticeable, but here I am pointing it out anyway. :) 4.5 oz. $165.
4. This bente nueve is nice and simple. It measures in at exactly 29 cm (a true bente nueve). The blade is in the popular bayonet grind, which is convex ground rather than hollowground like the labaha (straight razor grind). One tang pin (like most Filipino balisongs) and each of the stainless bolsters is only pinned once. The liners and latch are also 300-series stainless steel.
The inserts are beautiful, almost pitch black Philippines ebony (kamagong). I hand finished this wood to 2000 grit and really brought out the black beauty inherent in this wood. It is smooth as glass. Nobody else puts this much into the wood on Filipino balisongs (or even most foreign-made balisongs, for that matter)!
5 oz. $125.
5. This comb was previously posted on pinoysteel.tumblr.com, but I decided to refinish it now that I know how to really get the wood looking its best. It is only 18.8 cm long. The wood is beautiful African bubinga that I hand finished to 2000 grit. The comb is 300-series stainless and each tooth was sawed into a stainless steel bar by hand.
This batch of bubinga is a darker reddish brown than most and it looks great! There is even some faint chatoyancy in the wood.
The bolsters, liners and latch are all 300-series stainless steel, just like the comb.
This is one of the first combs I’ve ever refinished the wood on, and it truly takes the combs to the next level. 4.7 oz. SOLD.
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Making Lemonade.
Not for sale.
This beautiful balisong was made by one of the best makers around. He made a mistake when grinding this blade and decided to get creative. I love it when that happens because this craftsman turns out some incredible grinds when he lets loose. This knife featured a buyod-style grind with a deep swedge. Somehow, the swedge ended up having nicely done rambo serrations and a wild eagle-style feature on the spine.
I’m definitely keeping this one!
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32 cm Antique Ivory Micarta Buyod.
This balisong is sold.
This balisong is truly something special. It was expertly crafted by one of the best makers in Batangas: the swedge on the blade is a work of art. It is long and deep and perfectly executed. It measures in at a whopping 32 cm (12.6”) open, and weighs a solid 8.1 oz.
The antique ivory micarta scales were purchased from a specialist dealer in the UK. Sourcing antique micarta scales is not simple on this side of the world. They are darker than they appear in the picture, and they have contrast that looks like natural ivory grain. I hand finished the micarta to 2000 grit before hand polishing and buffing the entire knife: almost three hours of finishing time went into getting this bente nueve looking right.
The grind is a work of art: almost perfect, which is extremely difficult to pull off by hand. My most prized balisong was made by this truly gifted craftsman.
We have some antique ivory sculptures at home that we were gifted when I was a child: on my screen, the color looks much like it. In reality, the scales on this knife are darker (like much older ivory).
The blade is 15 cm long with a 14.6 cm edge. The swedge is 9.5 cm long.
There is a small forge mark and some very minor pitting on the ricasso that I buffed clean. The bolsters are solid stainless steel, as are the liners. Each of the top bolsters is pinned twice for extra durability. The two extra thick tang pins on the blade aid lockup.
The grain in the micarta truly looks organic.
The latch is stainless steel and nicely beveled with subtle fileworking. This is a piece I’m very tempted to keep!
SOLD.
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Customer’s vid of a bali from right here @ Pinoy Steel! Thanks Doc!
