Is a collection incomplete without a switchblade/balisong?

Nope. IMO, switchblade and balisong are "tough guy" knives and I avoid them like the plague.
Switchblade - But why? Fixed blade is the fastest in deployment and stronger, why would you go for second best? Unless you really need the concealment as part of your job.
Balisong - Flashy and ridiculous like ricers.

*puts flame suit on*
 
Hey Charlie, I'm sending you a PM about a custom request. Regarding your thread topic...

My collection would absolutely be incomplete without switchblades. They have saved my butt more times than any other type of knife I've owned. Due to how much I've used and trained with them, I feel they are incomparable to other types of knives.

Currently I have three, all are side-opening button-lock autos (a trainer and two of the same live model) and I have one of them with me pretty much everywhere I go. I have other folders I use for chores (Douk Douk, Spyderco Kiwi) but no other tactical folders. I wouldn't ever carry them, so I don't own them.

Why do I like them... compared to other folders, they maintain a low weight even in larger sizes, if done with aluminum frame construction. I can palm them until deployment is needed, which is something I'm not able to do with a fixed blade. Coil springs are easy and cheap to replace; but rarely need to be as they are pretty tough to wear out. I find the safety mechanism to be useful in certain circumstances, so I gravitate to knives that have them. They are easy to open and close one-handed, left or right. They are easy to open and close with gloves on, whether thin leather or thick canvas. From my personal experience, I am confident with them, and feel that confidence itself is a self-defense tool, which lowers my chances of needing to deploy them at all. I can deter a dog attack easier with an auto than with a fixed blade (no idea why, again it might be purely coincidental, but when I open an auto the dog in question immediately loses interest in me so I've never had to cut it).

I don't feel my experiences are reflective of many other people and I wouldn't recommend an auto to other people without a really good reason. My nephew is a knife freak because of me, and he hates them and I have never tried to convince him otherwise. My wife hates it when I play/train with them due to the incessant clicking noise. And for a lot of people they have a violent reputation that makes them undesirable for virtually any purpose other than admiring in their homes. Not to mention the almost universal illegality of them for most people in most jurisdictions.

But for me, they are the only way to go.
 
I have always considered balisongs to be gimmicky toys, and switchblades to be 80's movie thug knives. So, only speaking for myself, they hold no interest whatsoever for me, so I can say that my collection is fine without 'em.
 
Quiet said:
I have always considered balisongs to be gimmicky toys, and switchblades to be 80's movie thug knives. So, only speaking for myself, they hold no interest whatsoever for me, so I can say that my collection is fine without 'em.
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so you still cling to total ignorance regarding those types of knives?
 
Just got it today. Rob built a beast! 3/16" 154CM and 1/8" Ti slabs with solid SS block spacers. Weighs just over 13ozs. Sharpened false edge.





 
Sick bali, but... Dude. Do you own a single knife smaller than my size-10 shoe?
 
Yes.
While not on top of my list, it would be nice to have an example to compare others with.
red mag
 
A collection is not incomplete without them, unless you're collecting knives of as many lock types/opening styles as possible. I have a couple of balis because I like them and always wanted one. I also have one small otf, also because I've always wanted one. I'll always keep them, but that's mainly because I can't easily replace them.
 
I'm not a huge fan of either, but I think every knife fan should at least borrow one of each and check it out for a while. You may find you really like it. Even if you have to buy one to find out, they're not difficult to re-sell. (follow all applicable laws, etc etc blah blah blah)
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
so you still cling to total ignorance regarding those types of knives?
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It's not total ignorance, and your opinion is meaningless to me, sorry. They're gimmicky trash, and if you like them, fine. I explained why I don't.
 
I have autos, only a few, (BM AFO, Mini Reflex, a few Boker Top Locks some small lever locks and a few otf cheapies, does this computer collection for me no because they Bali is a cheap flea-market model probably more dangerous than anything else but I have one :rolleyes: so I guess my collection is complete. ;)

I think so long as they are quality blades, everyone who collects/accumulates should have representative models of all kinds/styles of knives in that case my answer is yes you do need them to complete your collection.

One day I'll get me a decent Bali and a vintage pick lock Italian auto stiletto. :)
 
Quiet said:
It's not total ignorance, and your opinion is meaningless to me, sorry. They're gimmicky trash, and if you like them, fine. I explained why I don't.
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And by calling them gimmicky trash you just proved that your opinion is rooted in ignorance and bias, not logic.

I have no interest in a balisong, because they strike me as a toy (to me knives are tools) but that doesn't make them gimmicky trash anymore than a Honda Accord is gimmicky trash.
 
Why do autos have to have that negative connotation, have you ever seen some of the early Schrade Pushbutton autos, these were beautifully made knives designed so people could open them one handed and many were popular women because they could open them without risking braking a nail.

I don't know much about Balis but I'm guessing the pattern is fairly old and the reason they were made that way I'd because it was easier to make with limited tools and unlike lockbacks and other lock types the Bali gives you a little more leeway as far as tight tolerances to be functional. That's not to say there aren't any precision balis because there are many and precision makes for a sweet swinging Bali.
 
displacedtexan said:
And by calling them gimmicky trash you just proved that your opinion is rooted in ignorance and bias, not logic.

I have no interest in a balisong, because they strike me as a toy (to me knives are tools) but that doesn't make them gimmicky trash anymore than a Honda Accord is gimmicky trash.
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Gotta love that logic. "You can't call them gimmicky trash, that's biased ignorance! However, I can call them toys, no issues! "

Well done. :rolleyes:
 
Quiet said:
Gotta love that logic. "You can't call them gimmicky trash, that's biased ignorance! However, I can call them toys, no issues! "

Well done. :rolleyes:
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Nah, I've got no negative thoughts about them at all. Just no practical use, and I don't buy things with no practical use.
 
displacedtexan said:
Nah, I've got no negative thoughts about them at all. Just no practical use, and I don't buy things with no practical use.
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And hey, that's fine. However, there was no need to call me ignorant because you don't agree with my opinion. It takes to the level of "I am personally offended by your opinion of these gimmicky crap knives." Fact of the matter is, like you and everyone else here, I'm nobody, so who cares what I think? If someone loves these gimmick bombs, or wants to look like an eighties movie hoodlum, absolutely more power to 'em. I'll keep my folders and my fixed blades, and voila, everyone's happy. :thumbup:

As you can, a fixed blade sure looks better than that lame switchblade in THIS classic scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vW54lAtldI
 
Quiet said:
And hey, that's fine. However, there was no need to call me ignorant because you don't agree with my opinion. It takes to the level of "I am personally offended by your opinion of these gimmicky crap knives." Fact of the matter is, like you and everyone else here, I'm nobody, so who cares what I think? If someone loves these gimmick bombs, or wants to look like an eighties movie hoodlum, absolutely more power to 'em. I'll keep my folders and my fixed blades, and voila, everyone's happy. :thumbup:

As you can, a fixed blade sure looks better than that lame switchblade in THIS classic scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vW54lAtldI
Click to expand...

Ignorance is dismissing classes of things because you personally don't want them. You're the one calling them trash and gimmicky crap, not me.
 
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