BM49SPL for Auction

Gollnick

Gollnick

Musical Director
Joined
Mar 22, 1999
Messages
29,258
Here's an auction that I thjnk fits the criteria of being Both "unusual" and "of general interest":

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1044045840

While I am quoted in the description, I am not the seller.

I have certainly seen and evaluated this BM49SPL and I've got to say that the SPL in BM49SPL is for "special" but this one is special within special.

Anyway, I'll be very, very interested to see first of all how long it survives on eBay and, second, if it does survive, how high it goes.
 
I was wondering if anyone else got this email...:

Greetings "Blade 420":

My name is Rick Thatch. I am a Manufacturing/Engineering Technician hare at Benchmade Knife. What that translates into is that I get to make (and carry) all the prototypes and help in the design decisions for manufacturability. Recently, when we began the 49 Kris project, the blade grinding department was given the task of creating a flat ground kris blade. After more than a week, using multi million dollar machines, the team of grinding experts said that they could not do a kris in any kind of production quantity. Even the few that they produced were not of the quality that we demanded. That is when I took on the challenge. The result was the hollow ground kris that you have seen. I am proud to have been the one responsible for a grind that, to my knowledge, has never been done before. I also was given the task of creating the process for and machining the 49 handles and cocobolo inserts. The results you have seen in the 49-special.

I am telling you all this as a background to something that you may have an interest in. In the process of machining these components, being aware that I would purchase one of the 49-specials for myself, I began to pick and choose components throughout the run that would go into my Bali, the "private reserve" if you will. This, very special, 49 special will be going up for auction in the next few hours.

Here is what Chuck Gollnick wrote after seeing this Bali, #8 of 25.

"That is a very impressive piece

Certainly the 25 Benchmade 49-SPLs are about the finest and most collectible
knives that Benchmade has ever made. But, this one is the pick of the
litter. It's not just the gold-plated screws that set it apart, though
they're a nice touch. The blade channels in the handles were milled out
with a special milling tool, the tool that Benchmade wanted to use on all of
the 49s. This tool leaves a wonderfully smooth finish. Unfortunately, this
tool also proved unable to withstand the tools steel that these handles were
made on and it wore out in the middle of the very next handle they tried it
on. So, only one set of handles was made with this special tool. The
cocobolo wood for the inserts on this 49-SPL were hand-selected and are the
best of the lot. They display wonderful grain and depth. The gold and
honey tones in the wood tie in nicely with the gold-plated screws. And the
blade and the handles received an extra-special polishing job. Only 25
Benchmade 49-SPLs were made and each one is special. But, this one stands
above the rest."

Chuck Gollnick
The Balisong Collector
http://www.balisongcollector.com

I will send you a note with a link to the auction as soon as it is available.

Here are a few pics, more are available if you would like to see them.

Thanks:
Rick Thatch
Benchmade
Click to expand...

Sounds like this is the creme-de-le-creme of the crop.

I wish I could sell a kidney..:(
 
my gawd, that's a wonderful piece.
you know, i think that's the first pics i've ever seen of it. and i LOVE it! the 49-01 looks like a cc compared! ;)
just kidding, but the SPL is gorgeous. at least it's good that someone has finally gotten out some pics.

thanks for letting us know, chuck. :)
 
:cool:
That is a nice one! It seems kind of unusual that they would use a special milling tool on the 8th piece. Why wouldn't they do the prototypes with that special tool, before they start making production pieces? I know where I work, we wouldn't want to justify the cost of something that wouldn't work consistently. I'm guessing it will only last a day or two on eBay.

Mike
 
Wow, that's unbelievable. Such a good looking bali... alas. :)

I'm curious, though. Were there significant differences in the knives produced? That is, he says he was cherry picking the best pieces to put together the best of the best. That really makes the spl even more interesting to me (not that I can afford one, especially now!) if each piece is noticeably diff't than the next. Is the 49-01 the same way?
 
According to Rick, this #8 was a one-off. He put it together with that one special set of handles (as per Chuck's description), the best CNC ground Kris, and the choice set of inserts. Then he used all the gold plated hardware to putit all together. The variances are minute, but per Rick, he pciked the best of the bunch. As for the 49-01's, yes there is minute variances in the grind of the blades between my #008 and my #009.

As for the handles being #8, it's because the 49-SPL's weren't put together with blade #1 for handle set #1. Rick did that. Otherwise, those handles would have gone to Les. ;)
 
I think it might last on e-bay for two reasons...they may consider it as a collectors piece rather than a deadly weapon, I;m sure whoever buys this won't be getting a new EDC. Also, doesn't e-bay get a fee based on the selling price of the product? If it sells for lots e-bay will get money too, right?

oh yeah, :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: thats purty
 
Mr YODA
I think it might last on e-bay for two reasons...they may consider it as a collectors
piece rather than a deadly weapon, I;m sure whoever buys this won't be getting a
new EDC. Also, doesn't e-bay get a fee based on the selling price of the product? If
it sells for lots e-bay will get money too, right?
Click to expand...

Not neccesarily.

It seems that ebay usually pulls the older/nicer/cooler balis and lets a lot of the cheapie ones through.

Obviously this one would sell to a killer with descriminating tastes, but to Ebay, anyone with a balisong, is going to mug someone in the dark.

It's just too bad that it has attracted one of the worst type of internet troll, the "Non-Paying Bidder"
They seem to be in fashion lately...
I had one with the "Original Balisong" I had on Bladeauction..
Here's another one...
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAP...&showTutorial=0&ed=1008044567&indexURL=0&rd=1

(edited for troll insertion)
 
Wow, this one's still going. I'd have given odds agaist it getting this far on eBay.
 
Yeah I actually thought they'd yank it too Chuck???? Oh well...fun while it lasts :)



"Hunters seek what they [WANT].., Seekers hunt what they [NEED]"
 
Originally posted by BalisongMan
Well, 2 hours left and the reserve is not met yet at $1,225.00....
Click to expand...
And it ended that way. Wonder what Rick will do now. That's a really sweet piece.
 
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