High Carbon Steel Filipino Balisongs Butterfly Brass with Rose Wood Inserts Black Mamba Knives World Class Knives | BMK-563

Description

Dark hardwood inserts, brass caps, and a long upswept blade with a bright satin finish. Nine inches open, and plainer than most of what sits beside it.

This one is for: a buyer who wants a traditional Filipino balisong without ornament. There is no engraving on it, no pattern in the steel, and no contrast material in the handle. What you get instead is a clean, quiet knife that does not announce itself, which is exactly what some people are looking for and exactly what disappoints everyone else.

The blade profile

The edge sweeps upward to a fine point well above the spine line. That upswept shape puts the belly where a drawing cut wants it and gives you a long continuous curve rather than a straight section and a tip. It slices well. It is poor at anything requiring a stiff point, and the tip is thin enough that it will bend before it breaks if you lever with it.

Brass and wood together

The brass caps will darken with handling, going from bright yellow to a warmer gold and eventually browning at the spots your fingers return to. The wood is dark, close grained and near uniform in color, with the figure only showing in good light. Dense woods like this one hold up well in a handle because they move very little with humidity and they polish rather than fray under a pocket. Where they need care is the seam against the brass, which is the one place water can sit and work its way in. Never submerge it, and never shut it away while it is still wet.

Keeping the blade clean

The blade is bare, uncoated steel with a satin finish, so it wants to be dry. Wipe it after handling, particularly if your hands are damp or you have cut anything acidic, and put a thin protective coat on the steel if the knife is going away for a while. If a spot does appear, it will lift with a rust eraser or the mildest abrasive that will do the job. Do not attack it with coarse paper, because the satin finish is easy to scar and hard to match again. The pivots want a single drop of oil and nothing more.

What people ask

Is a plain blade a downgrade? No. Ornament and cutting ability are unrelated. It is a preference and a price difference.

Does the wood need oiling? Rarely. Handling keeps it fed. Oil it if it ever looks chalky.

How does it balance? Very slightly handle-heavy, thanks to the brass at the ends.

Hand-forged versus factory made is worth reading if you want to know what the price buys, and which oil to use on a knife settles the maintenance question. For the fully dressed opposite of this knife, see the engraved Damascus balisong with camel bone.

Model: BMK-423