High Carbon Steel Filipino Balisongs Butterfly Brass with Bone Inserts Black Mamba Knives World Class Knives | BMK-430

Description

Brass bolsters and bone inserts on a long, plain, upswept blade with no ornament anywhere on it. The oldest looking knife in the Filipino range.

Intended for: the buyer who wants the traditional article rather than a modern reading of it. Brass and bone is what these knives were made from before anyone thought to put a machined scale on one.

An old pairing, and why it lasted

Brass and bone survived as a combination because both materials were available, both machine easily with hand tools, and neither one punishes the other. Brass is soft enough that it takes the shock of a dropped knife by deforming slightly instead of transmitting the blow into the insert. Bone is light, so a brass framed handle does not become a club. The look that comes out of that engineering, warm metal against pale material, is an accident that turned into a tradition.

Balance with a brass frame

Brass is roughly twice the density of the steel bolsters on the other models in this line, and you feel it. The handles carry more of the total weight than usual, which pulls the balance point back toward your hand. The practical effect is a knife that hangs slightly handle heavy when closed and turns with less effort than the blade heavy models. Some flippers find that easier. Others find it vague, because a handle heavy knife gives you less feedback about where the blade is.

Reasons to choose something else

Brass tarnishes, permanently and continuously, and no coating on this knife prevents it. The blade is a non stainless steel with a satin flat, which means it is on you to keep moisture off it. And a smooth bone insert with brass either side is a slippery handle when your palms are damp, which is not what you want when you are learning aerials over a hard floor.

The maintenance this one needs

Two jobs, neither urgent. Keep the blade dry and lightly oiled, since a satin surface shows the first spot of corrosion clearly and cleans up easily at that stage. Then decide about the brass: polish it every few months if you want it bright, or leave it and enjoy the way it goes gold, then bronze, then brown. Choosing an oil matters more here than the frequency does.

Before you commit

Will the brass turn my hand green? Only if you sweat heavily onto tarnished brass and leave it. A wipe prevents it.

How old is this design? The history of the balisong traces it back through Batangas.

Is there a version with wooden scales? The brass and horn model is the closest sibling in feel.

Model: BMK-430