bali sword

ixpfah

ixpfah

Joined
Oct 8, 2001
Messages
2,909
i'm thinking of buying a bali sword (yes, as an EDC ;))
does anyone here own/has anyone flipped one of those?
what's it like? is it heavy? is it even possible? any pics, perhaps? :)

as many of you probably know (and even more probably is getting rather sick of hearing about ;)), balis are illegal in norway. but will a bali sword be concidered a balisong? i mean, you can get samurai sword here easilly (at least a lot of people have it, so if it's illegal, then someone must be corrupt! :p), so perhaps a bali sword is concidered sortof the same thing? you can't really use a bali sword the same way you use a bali knife... you have to be quite gawddam long to carry it in your pocket! ;)

so, anyone have any personal experiences to share with me? :)
i'm listening! :D


(hehe, lots of smilies in this post :rolleyes: ;))
 
I have heard of the legendary "bali sword," and I recall seeing a few pics of it once. It is truly a massive balisong that requires two handed operation. Very interesting sword, to say the least.

I think it would be very difficult to use a bali sword for EDC. It is extremely large. I'm talking strap-it-to-your-back large. If you're cool walking around with a honking sword strapped to your back, then go for it. But for me personally, I would prefer just a regular old balisong.
 
hehe, the part about using it as an edc was a joke.
and i too have seen some pics of it, and it doesn't look easy to twirl, that's for sure. perhaps it has its own manipulation techniques. :)
 
I have one of the maller versions and I have managed to flip it with one hand but it is very hard. All I cn say is watch your fingers.
 
I flipped one that was 3 feet OAL and about 3 lbs, I only had to use 1 hand, you do have to be careful but they are really fun!!!
 
You forgot to mention you lift weights 4 days a week :rolleyes: ...Anyway Ixpfah...Baliswords are fun as conversational pieces, and actually make very cool displays with other Balisongs.

Practical???? Well.., not really.., and they range in size from the one XenHongman was nice enough to post from Blade Auction (that one is about a 17.5 inch blade)...to up around 5' in over-all-length.

Some have gorgeous combinations of Narra and Kamagong woods indigenous to the Philippines.., but most of them made these days are bought by tourists that visit the Philippines as momentos.

Of course they can be manipulated.., and Chuck does a "Demo" with one if you can sneak out of Norway for the Oregon Knife Show! :)

As several have mentioned on here before (including myself)...they can be (and are).., far more dangerous to swing around than our beloved buddies simply because of inertia. <~~ They are big and heavy!

The equation goes something like ~~> (4) stitches from a goof with a Tachyon = (1) stump with a Balisword! Dramatic but true!

I have several of them.., the largest being 36" OAL.., and have only done the simplest of manipulations with them.., but as mentioned.., some do work out routines that are pretty spectacular with them, and I do have a friend that makes me cover my eyes watching him swing them around, which in his case is a combination of sword-type maneuvering combined with Balisong techniques.

Anyway good luck.., and my vote is for hanging it on the wall. :)
They do make nice decorative pieces...good luck!




"Hunters seek what they [WANT].., Seekers hunt what they [NEED]"
 
Yes, they have a completely different set of manipulations.

Be careful is an understatement. If you get your finger over the channel on the opposite handle of a BM42, you'll likly get cut, maybe even seriously and need stitches. If you get your finger over the channel on the opposite handle of one of the big guys, you'll need microsurgery to reattach the finger; they're really good at that stuff these days, but even so it's never quite the same.

If you get your finger over the channel on the safe handle of your BM42, the worst that can happen is a little bruise if the spine of the blade reinforced by the weight of the opposite handle crashes down on you. If you get your finger over the channel on the safe handle on one of the big guys, you may very well loose the finger. Microsurgery isn't good at reattaching limbs lost in crushing accidents. The weight of the blade and the opposite handle will simply crush your finger.

That sort of blurs the definitions of safe and opposite handles, don't you think?
 
Good, we've all agree that Bali-swords are not good for EDC and are very dangerous to manipulate. But are they now swords? or are they very big knives?

That's the original question: If it's a sword, he can get them into Norway. If it's still a knife, it's a no go. So which is it people? Or is that another question only for the Norwegian authorities?
 
Heck???? Far-be-it-from-me-...to know what Norwegians would think of a Balisword :) ..., my guess is that it would go right through Customs in honesty (knowing zero about customs there).

They would probably think it was some sort of wonderful "American Made" beer opening device for meglomaniacs! :rolleyes:

-REFERENCE POINT- ~~> The hand-sculptured Eagles on Baliswords do open all domestic beers I've ever tried. :cool:

The "tourist" Baliswords are also the greatest barbeque tools ever designed!!! <~~ I should also say (since I'm joking around)..., that (2) of mine are REALLY NICE, and that those few who can still produce 52100 blades of that length with the proper heat treating, using nothing but hand tools....are NOT A JOKE TO ME!! If our culture had that "work ethic" (i.e., motivation)...with our technology..., I certainly could not afford to buy anything more pricey than a "Jag". <~~ Honest!

I love all our technological wizzardry.., no question there..., but I think it would be so cool to plan a trip..., maybe in a year...two years???...and have all the guys/gals of Balisong-Ville go over there <~~ meaning Batangas Province. Obviously we would have fun :)..., and I can certainly get us a "Guide" for -Zero- $$$ :) The beaches of Batangas are absolutely amazing.., and I've surfed my whole life.., so I have seen some nice beach areas.

I also don't think the original design was Filipino.., as mentioned by Chuck and "others" if you read all there is in various historical references. -But-.., it is where the real guys/gals of our hobby originated in my opinion.

I'm not a Filipino.., and was born in Wales..., so this is nothing more than a suggestion. I feel very lucky to have seen kids peddling bikes to run the grinders that made FHM Balisongs decades ago.

The only reason I make the comment at all.., is there are a few that still do it the same way, and I think there is something to be learned from that; certainly not measurable in terms of the makers we all admire now, or CNC technology, etc. The handle-pinning of -almost- all FHM's sucks!

That said.., I have two Balisongs produced with 52100 blades that I wouldn't trade or sell for any knife. Neither knife was made in the Philippines.., but both were certainly inspired by what I consider "The Originals" <~~ which would be Batangas makers.

Ok.., I'm done :).., so let's go there :cool:



"Hunters seek what they [WANT].., Seekers hunt what they [NEED]"
 
thank you all for answers.

You forgot to mention you lift weights 4 days a week ...
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hehe, well, i certainly don't do that! :p the only weight i lift, is the bali, or perhaps the bottle of coke. ;)

Of course they can be manipulated.., and Chuck does a "Demo" with one if you can sneak out of Norway for the Oregon Knife Show!
Click to expand...
i'd sure like a trip to that knife show, but from what i understand, it's in april, and (i don't know the excact date, but) that's probably in the middle of my exams. which would suck. but if it isn't, i may show up. :)

As several have mentioned on here before (including myself)...they can be (and are).., far more dangerous to swing around than our beloved buddies simply because of inertia. <~~ They are big and heavy!
Click to expand...
Be careful is an understatement. If you get your finger over the channel on the opposite handle of a BM42, you'll likly get cut, maybe even seriously and need stitches. If you get your finger over the channel on the opposite handle of one of the big guys, you'll need microsurgery to reattach the finger; they're really good at that stuff these days, but even so it's never quite the same.

If you get your finger over the channel on the safe handle of your BM42, the worst that can happen is a little bruise if the spine of the blade reinforced by the weight of the opposite handle crashes down on you. If you get your finger over the channel on the safe handle on one of the big guys, you may very well loose the finger. Microsurgery isn't good at reattaching limbs lost in crushing accidents. The weight of the blade and the opposite handle will simply crush your finger.
Click to expand...
wow, that sure is terrifying examples... which makes me even more curious on how it is to manipulate it! :D

That's the original question: If it's a sword, he can get them into Norway. If it's still a knife, it's a no go. So which is it people? Or is that another question only for the Norwegian authorities?
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i think i'll just ask some law person, a lawyer or something. perhaps he/she knows.

thanks, guys. :)
 
To be on the safe side, you may want to ask that the sword be labeled "beer bottle opener/cigar cutter" or something...
 
Is there a name for bali-swords in Tagalog or another Philippine language, or is 'bali-sword' all there is?

The extended question is, are bali-swords a recent, Western invention or are they even somewhat traditional?
 
You forgot to mention you lift weights 4 days a week :rolleyes:
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4 days a week?!?! :D Sorry Pete, I lift 5, sometimes 6 days a week, (too bad there aren't more days in a week, or more hours in a day). I do lift different muscle groups everyday, chest and arms one day, squats (thighs, quadriceps etc) and calves another, shoulders and back another etc. Don't want to over-train my body, gotta get some rest time in there :)
 
And yes..., most Filipinos I know call Baliswords "Lolo"....meaning grandfather if I'm not mistaken. If there is a formal Tagalog phrase for it, one of the guys on here will probably know, but "Lolo" is all I've ever heard.

And 6 days a week huh Cam..., good job! For some reason I thought you did the every-other-day lifting classes (M-W-F), and then spot work on the weekend.

Another year or so and you can get Snipe's 5' "Lolo" and try that guy out! :p I actually meant to ask Sniper-Boy how much that thing weighed last time we talked, but I forget..., so if you see this Snipe.., take the GODZILLA-BALI to a postal scale.

Even if it doesn't flip well Cam..., you can always use it for squats! :cool:


"Hunters seek what they [WANT].., Seekers hunt what they [NEED]"
 
Thanks! ;) "The grand-daddy of balisongs"... Cute, but appropriate! I'd like to get one too, someday, but for now I need to just practice with my little 7.5" Benchmade, which is difficult enough...! :(
 
Originally posted by ruel
...but for now I need to just practice with my little 7.5" Benchmade, which is difficult enough...! :(
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7.5" ? what balisong is that? is it open or closed, btw?
 
Hi ixpfah,

This is my first balisong; I actually ordered it back in 1997, but had it sent to a friend because I was leaving for a year overseas. I only just got it back from him in October of this year, though! (I guess he liked having it!) Now that I've got it, it's whetted my appetite for more balis, even though I have no skill in manipulating them.

I'll try to have a scan of it soon, but here's a description.

It's by Benchmade, 7.5" open, blade 3.5", with a single-edge that is serrated along the lower part. It has skeletonized handles and is latched.

It has "048/100" etched on one side, obviously a serial number. Most strikingly, it has a very bright anodized color, almost psychedelic looking -- a gold base with various purples, greens, pinks, and blues radiating out in layers. Very cool, though on display with my other Filipino weapons (most of which are "earth tones"), the colors clash.

IIRC, I got it for US$82 originally, which I thought was pricey then, but having seen here how even plain-looking production balis can climb into the many hundreds of dollars, I think I probably got an OK deal.
 
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