Description
Before you look at the pattern on this one, look at how it closes. The BMK-876 is an eight-inch engraved balisong with etched laminate scales in brass surrounds, and the closed profile is where the hours went. Forged and fitted in our Memphis shop, sold as a collector’s and hobbyist’s knife.
Judge this one closed first
The photographs for this listing include the knife folded, and that is the frame worth studying. On a balisong, the closed position is where hand fitting either shows or hides. Both handles should land parallel, sit against the spine and edge channels without one standing proud of the other, and arrive at their stop at the same instant. Ours are filed to that stop by hand after assembly, which is exactly why the pin heads are peened a little differently on each side. Machine-built knives have identical pins and a looser stop. We take the opposite trade.
| Overall length | 8 inches |
| Blade length | 3.5 inches |
| Handle length | 4.5 inches |
| Steel | 1095 + 15N20 Damascus, 352 layers |
| Hardness | 58–60 HRC, oil tempered |
| Weight | 7.23 oz |
| Handle | Brass And Damascus Handle |
Mass where it counts
7.23 ounces is a lot for an 8-inch knife, and nearly all of it is brass and steel in the handles rather than in the 3.5-inch blade. In practice the knife wants to keep going once you start it turning. That is pleasant for slow, controlled work and unforgiving if you lose your grip mid-rotation, so this is not the knife to learn an unfamiliar aerial on. Get the move clean on a set of unsharpened practice knives first and bring it here afterwards.
Two surfaces, two routines
The Damascus scales are etched and the brass around them is not, so the handle needs two different kinds of attention. Steel wants a thin film of oil and nothing abrasive. Brass wants nothing at all unless the way it dulls bothers you. Do the steel, leave the brass, and after a month or two the knife looks correct rather than showroom-fresh, which on a hand-forged piece is the better outcome.
The steel, honestly described
1095 and 15N20 are forge welded into a single stack, drawn out, folded to the layer count on the spec table above and then etched so the acid bites the two alloys unevenly and the figure appears. The performance you get from that comes from the 1095 and from the oil quench, not the layering. What the layering gives you is a blade that looks like nothing else, on a knife whose purpose is largely to be handled and admired.
Who it suits
Someone with a year or two of flipping behind them who wants a piece with real bench work in it, or a collector building a shelf of traditional Filipino patterns. It is not an everyday carry knife and we do not present it as one. It arrives boxed and protected, made start to finish in Tennessee, and backed by a lifetime warranty. Please confirm your local laws on balisong ownership before you order, because they vary a great deal.
Model: BMK-876
Benjamin M. (verified owner) –
“I’m a knife enthusiast, and this store is a goldmine. The knife I received is stunning, and the attention to detail is remarkable.”
Ethan W. (verified owner) –
“This store has a fantastic selection of knives. The one I purchased is exquisite in both design and functionality. Highly recommended!”
Emma P. (verified owner) –
“I received my order promptly, and I couldn’t be happier. The knife is beautifully made, and it’s a functional piece of art.”
Oliver H. (verified owner) –
“I’ve been collecting knives for years, and this store offers some of the finest pieces. The knife I purchased is a testament to the maker’s skill.”
Mia R. (verified owner) –
“The knife I got is a masterpiece. The design is elegant, and the blade is incredibly sharp. It’s now my favorite in my growing collection.”