Custom Benchmade Balisong

C

Carlyle

Joined
Jul 20, 1999
Messages
5
I have been offered a custom Benchmade Balisong over the internet for $295. It is advertised as in mint condition with a 4" Weehawk blade and Ivory Micarta handles.

This is all the information I have right now except the seller says the blade is of standard steel. Whatever the heck that is. My question is, with the limited information I have presented here, does the price sound like it is in the ball park?

The sellers' name is John. I will provide more information when I get return email from him, hopefully he will answer my questions.

Carlyle
 
That seems like like a fair price if it "is" a true Benchmade custom. They used to show some of their custom Balisongs, with prices, on their website at www.benchmade.com, but they don't seem to have them right now. I would call them first, to make sure that was a model they made. Good luck!

------------------
"May you live in interesting times"

AKTI - A000389


 
This knife is not, given that it's a Weehawk, part of the current custom line. Those knives which go for $450-$700, are quite special in that they are a very limited edition, the blades were hand made by Crawford and Elishewitz, the handles are left-over Jodi Samson work, and the final assembly was lovingly done by Vance Collver.

What you have is one of the previous customs. It was handmade in BM's factory by Jodi Samson.

The first question is how old is it? Is it Benchmade era, Pacific Cutlery era, or Bali Song Cutlery era? The markings on the blade will tell.

Second question: what condition is it in?

If it's in mint condition, $275 is an excellent price. If it's near mint, $275 is a very good price.

If you decide not to purchase the knife, please give your seller my e-mail address.

Chuck
 
I had one of the "custom full-belly bowie" butterflies with the blade bevel ground by Samson from the "Balisong" era. I paid $275 for it new from the factory around ten years ago. While the CNC'd handles where well finished, and the knife had a good lock up both open and closed, I found the edge geometry to be terrible. It would barely cut warm butter. I returned it to the factory to have the secondary bevel reprofiled. It was returned a week later with a higher bevel, but it still barely qualified as a knife (well, perhaps a butter knife). I also found it inordinately heavy (about 1/2 pound!) and noisy, and like many butterflies, the ergonomics were lousy. I think butterflies are a blast to flip and they are very strong for a folder, but as a using knife, they leave much to be desired. BTW, my knife was from the last batch of 440C, later versions of the same knife were ATS-34. I sold it NIB (save for some flipping marks) for $175 last year at rec.knives. Good riddance.



[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 16 August 1999).]
 
Thanks to all that have taken the time to reply to my request for information. I haven't heard back yet from the gentleman that offered me the Balisong. I will email him again today.

Hopefully he didn't change his mind about selling it. If I decide not to purchase it I will forward the seller's email address to anyone that wants it, starting with whoever asked for it first.

Carlyle
 
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