Advice for Benchmade on new Bali Songs

Gollnick

Gollnick

Musical Director
Joined
Mar 22, 1999
Messages
29,258
Yes, fans, our favorite manufacturer, Benchmade, is redesigning our favorite knives, the Bali Song line, as we speak. What advice would you like to give them?

I will pass your suggestions on.

Me? I'd like to see a latch that doesn't fall all the way into the handle and bang the blade. Why can't there be some sort of stop?
If you can't do that, how about insetting a hard rubber material into the latch so that the blade hits that instead of the blade?

Your suggestions? Blade profile? Handle pattern? New features? Anything?

Chuck
 
Maybe a latch that is removable. The latch pivot pin could be a phillips, torx or hex screw.

Actually, I really liked the older Balisongs. I hope the newer ones are just as good.

Bernie


[This message has been edited by Bernie (edited 01 August 1999).]
 
Ooooooo baby, I just poured myself a nice cold pint of Guinness when I noticed this thread. Timing IS everything! Lets see...
~ The pin thing is a given. Maybe a new "quick replace" design.
~ How about a re-enforced area where the stop pin on the blade meets the handles.
~ A latch made of a harder material.
~ I like nice thick skeleton handles, with weight! In case they want to know
wink.gif

~ Skip the first set of holes (nearest the blade pins)on skeleton handle models. This is usually where the handles break for me. They are to closely aligned with the tang clearance slot on the back of the handles. Seems like a weak point.... IMHO.

Thats about it for me.....for now anyway.

------------------
Clay G.
www.balisongxtreme.com

 
It's such a long waited news for these one and half years. But no more limited version with a blade ground by custom knife makers?

Back to the topic, how about these...

- Removable soft plate like brass for where the stop pin on the blade meets the handles.
The pin seems to bite the plate even if any harder.
- A lightweight version like G-10 handles.Though my preference goes to stainless skeletonized handles, I'm sure I'd have these kinds also.
- Adjustable blade pins that connect the blade and the handles. After accumulated about 100hours use (yes, playing I mean) the play between blade and handles gets obvious, and another 100hours will give more play so the latch will miss the handle when opened/closed. Then it'll be quite pleasant if I only have to turn the pin screw to tighten the handles to the blade, instead removing the pins, hammer the handles, insert new pins, mushruum them, and file the surface.
- And the revival of krisblade version. A spear point is good, Imada is good, tanto I love it, but I miss the krisblade balisong!!

------------------
\(^o^)/ Mizutani Satoshi \(^o^)/
 
Isn't the main reason for Butterfly knives becoming too loose the pins that attach the handles onto the blade? Why doesn't Benchmade make these thicker and more like regular pivot constructions on their folders, so that we can tighten them if they get to loose. I wouldn't mind the extra weight if it will keep the knive quiet and smooth. In fact, if BM goes with this kind of pivot construction, they can accommodate bronze washers to make the action even better. That is really the only thing I can think of, short of making the thing completely capable of take-down cleaning and making different, or perhaps making more specific use oriented parts available by themselves (like blades for training, with no edge; different steel grades for different applications; different blade finishes and even different handles to make the knife able to change as you wish)

------------------

Robert Joseph Ansbro

If it can be written, or thought, it can be filmed.
-Stanley Kubrick, 1928-1999
 
I don't know if there would be a market to make this feasible, but I would like to see balisongs with 5" blades. I had a Taylor/Seto years ago with a blade that long, one of my favorite knives ever.

Zog
 
Screw construction, composite handles, and modern steel.

YeK

------------------
It is not a matter of whether or not you are paranoid, it is a matter of whether or not you are paranoid enough.

AKTI # A000348
 
I'd also like to see longer blade lenghts available. As for the other comments, I'll second them...

Erik
 
I don't know how feasable it would be but I would like a classy version similar to the one below.


<nobr><img src="http://www.switchblades.it/images/lame/4/butt/7.jpg" width=217 height=59 alt="Satin Finished"><img src="http://www.switchblades.it/images/manici/4/butt/20.jpg" width=283 height=59 alt="Briar Wood"></nobr>

What blade lengths were you guys thinking of? Yekim, your post makes it sound like your saying screw all the good stuff even though your punction is correct
smile.gif
You'll have to email me on how you got your name.

------------------
"A knifeless man is a lifeless man"
-Nordic proverb

[This message has been edited by David Williams (edited 03 August 1999).]
 
The pin in the tang that the handles stop against should be of much thicker diameter, like 5/16". This would strengthen it and provide much greater contact area for the handles, so peening down of the contact areas and loosening of the lockup over time would be enormously reduced.

Heavier and adjustable pivots would be nice.

I'll second the motion for a latch that is removable and also one that cannot fall between the handles and get in front of the closing blade. Every butterfly I've owned has had the latch on the "free" handle and not the "safe" one, but I think I'd prefer the opposite - maybe a latch taht could be switched to either?

I'd prefer the rounder handle style of the old Zamak models to the squarer handles of the nice steel ones. Rolls much easier, IMO, and never gave me much indexing trouble.

Those are my thoughts,

-Drew

[This message has been edited by Corduroy (edited 03 August 1999).]
 
I will second the kris blade. Also some nice scales with the stainless fittings. Micarta, exotic woods or bone in addition to the stainless models. Maybe some with polished titanium handles too. Definitely keep the Weehawk blade in the lineup, and possible a SOG Bowie style would be cool too. How about one with an Axis style or recurve style blade designed by Walter Brend?

[This message has been edited by Phillip (edited 03 August 1999).]
 
Wow, what great suggestions. This is a gold mine. I love the removable/reversible latch. Keep 'em coming.

Chuck
 
My way of stopping the latch nicking the edge is to stick a lump of epoxy on the inside of the handle to prevent it traveling in that direction. If a lump of metal were left when the handle is made that could serve the same purpose.

I added a clip to one of mine, using a brass stove bolt through a handle hole to hold it on. Tightening that bolt also tightens the latch action so it doesn't flop all over, and I like that ... the latch doesn't need to be frictionless! It can have plenty of friction and still work fine, and then it doesn't flop around.

I tinker with mine to keep them tight.... It ought to be possible to design one to make that easy. Some good ideas have been posted already....

-Cougar Allen :{)
 
P.S. I would also like to see hand-made balisongs imported from the Philippines again! Are you listening, Mike Turber? How about our members who live there -- want to export knives for fun and profit? That would be the ideal, a set-up like Himalayan Imports -- one of our members who knows a good hand-made knive when he sees one can find the best bladesmiths and buy up their best work and send it to the rest of us! And we'll send you money!

Not just balisongs; there's a market for barongs and things too....
smile.gif


-Cougar Allen :{)
 
The latch stop idea is good. It shouldn't be to difficult to do, I wouldn't think.

There is a fellow member here who is in the Philippines and looking for an importer, http://globe.com.ph/~palacio/balisong_online.html

I know he and Mike are acquainted. Maybe something will happen. It's a small market, though.

Excellent ideas, keep 'em comin'

Chuck
 
Just out of curiosity, what exactly do you need to become an importer..... I've been thinking about a business venture lately, and this might be a good place to start. Can anyone help??

------------------
Clay G.
www.balisongxtreme.com


 
I should think that a business license, a web site, and some cash should do the job. You've demonstrated an ability to make web sites. Apparently you've got some cash. A business license is just a matter of paperwork.

Chuck
 
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