Description
D2 blade, rose wood scales, polished steel bolsters, and a snap-closed leather pouch. A balisong built to be carried rather than displayed.
Right for: someone who wants one good flipper and does not want to think about rust. D2 holds an edge a long time and shrugs off humidity that would freckle a carbon blade. It is not stainless, but it is close enough that ordinary pocket carry does not worry it.
| Overall length | 9.1 inches |
| Blade length | 4.4 inches |
| Handle length | 4.7 inches |
| Steel | D2 tool steel |
| Handle | – D2 Steel with Rose wood |
What D2 asks of you
D2 is a high-carbide tool steel. The same carbides that let it hold an edge through a long job make it slower to sharpen than a simple carbon steel. On a worn stone you will feel it resist. Use a diamond or ceramic stone, keep the angle steady, and finish with a few light passes rather than trying to force a burr. Done that way it comes back to shaving sharp without much argument. Done impatiently it will frustrate you.
How the rose wood ages
Rose wood starts a warm red brown and darkens with handling as oil from your hands works into the grain. After a year the scales usually read browner and deeper than the day they arrived, with the figure a little more visible. That is the wood doing what it should. It does not need feeding often, but if the scales ever look chalky, a little mineral oil worked into the grain and wiped back restores them. Keep it out of a dishwasher and out of standing water; wood and a soaked pivot are a bad combination.
Balance and feel
At 9.1 inches open with a 4.4 inch blade, the handles are marginally longer than the blade. That puts the balance just behind the pivots and makes the knife feel settled rather than blade-heavy. Wood inserts also warm up fast in the hand, which matters more than people expect in cold weather. The steel bolsters add enough mass at the ends to keep the swing deliberate. If you want something that whips around quickly, look at a lighter skeletonized frame instead.
Common questions
Will D2 rust? Rarely, and only if you leave it wet. A wipe-down is enough.
Is the pouch full grain? It is leather, hand stitched, and sized to this knife closed.
Does the wood need sealing? No. Handling it is the maintenance.
If you are still choosing a steel, Damascus versus D2 versus 440C lays out the trade-offs plainly, and how balisongs are put together explains what is happening inside the handles. For the same steel with bone instead of wood, see the bone and brass drop point balisong.
Model: BMK-736
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