My 2nd Knife ==> Utility Balisong

H

HAKViking

Joined
Jan 30, 2007
Messages
37
I guess I should have posted this in the Knife Maker's Gallery. But that didn't work, so I hope it's ok I post it here...

I have now finished my 2nd knife! :-) But before we go into details, I better highlight that even if this is only my 2nd knife, I have a mechanical engineering background- which for sure helped in this project. Thought that I should mention that- just in case you think I am a “troll”- which I am not. :-)

I designed and made what I call a Utility Balisong, since I like the concept of the Balisong. Very safe and will not close on you fingers when you use it (unlike one factory folder I have). But this knife looks more like an ordinary folder. Now I have to learn some basic safe flipping. :-)

The only power tools I have used are a $50 mini-bench drill (made in China) and a Dremmel machine. The blade was grinded by hand.

The blade is 3.5” long, .13” thick and made of Talonite. The liners are made of .10” thick titanium. The handle material is carbon fiber. As you can see of the below pictures, the locking latch is not of the traditional design and therefore gives you several options how you can manipulate the latch and lock the knife. It’s a sturdy design and the weight is 6.2 oz (183 grams).

I also would like to mention that I feel Talonite is much easier to work with, than the first impression I got when reading about it on Internet.

Here are some pictures. Not the best quality since I took the pictures with my mobile phone- but should be ok.

Bali_1.jpg


Bali_2.jpg


Bali_3.jpg


Bali_4.jpg


Bali_5.jpg


Bali_6.jpg


Bali_7.jpg


Bali_8.jpg


What do you think? I must admit that I am rather satisfied with the result. One thing is for sure, this wouldn’t’ be possible without BladeForums.com and all your contributions here! I have been lurking around here for a while reading up on knife making. Thank you!!!

Regards,

HV
 
I think that looks amazing. Balisongs are usually so flashy looking. I like how practical this one looks. Good design.

I'm also a mechanical engineer who lurks on this forum reading all the great advice. I'm still working on a couple kit knives before trying something like you did. Keep them coming!

Nolan
 
hands down the best balisong I have ever seen.

I generally dislike balisongs, but the design on this one makes my dislike not even matter. I love it.
 
Maybe I shouldn't have looked--you are setting the bar very high. Great concept, flawless execution.
 
I am not a big fan of balisongs, but I must say that this is one of the nicest knives I have seen in a while. The design and function are superb.
I think it is the flipping ( which is probably why 15 year old boys seem to love them) that has turned me off.
Your knife has greatly improved my impression.
Stacy
 
Very, very nice Hak :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: How does the latch work for flipping ? Is there a latch stop? Nice looking CF.

Stacy, I'm 15 x 3 ;) and I just love flipping. The click, click, click drives my wife crazy. :D
 
Hi there Slowpoke, psycho78, g30ff, bladsmth (Stacy), David Wesner and pageophile! You have all made my day!!! Thank you so much for your feedback and honestly, that’s way better than I ever expected! Really great encouragement for me to continue with a 3rd knife! But to speed up the process, I have to convince my wife we need a new vacuum cleaner, so I can convert the current one to a belt grinder! :)

Slowpoke: it for sure pays off to lurk around here and I wish you good luck with your projects and if you have any questions later- just let me know. We mechanical engineers have to stick together! :)

psycho78 and bladsmth (Stacy): I don’t know what to say about your feedback, I am speechless- Thank you so much!!!

David Wesner: No, there is no latch stop and not required since the latch doesn’t interfere with the opening/closing of the blade- especially not with the edge. The latch is rotating 360 degrees. And if you look at the 2nd picture, you can see that the latch is visible on both sides of the top half of the handle. This gives you the option to manipulate the latch from both sides. Then if you have opened the knife and you missed the latch with your finger- a quick flick of your wrist will put it in position and your finger can push it in place with a clicking sound. The locking latch actually worked better that the initial planning, but not easy to explain how versatile it is. Saying that, I have to learn some basic flipping now- but I am rather sure that an experienced “flipper” wouldn’t have a problem with the latch… The CF I bought from knifekits.com.

Thank you so much!!!

HV
 
madcap_magician said:
That's your SECOND knife!?!? Incredible!
Click to expand...

Thank you very much!!! Yes, my second knife. Ok, I did one test blade in-between, but only to practice the manual grinding. But I never made a knife of that test blade. So yes, this is my 2nd completed knife.

Regards,

HV
 
Mu only "bad" comment would be about the latch.

Most balisongs today have the latch on the bite handle (facing the edge), most people got used to it.

Other than that, nice job:thumbup:
 
I sure wouldn't have posted my second knife where anyone could see it!
That is amazing work!
Good luck with getting the new vacumn cleaner......(smile)
 
could you give us the specs on the screws?
it's hard to believe that you used such minimalistic tools.. How did you get the angle correct?
 
A Manila style latch such as you installed - versus a Batangas latch, which is more prevalent among the bali-flipping crowd, takes nothing away from your work.
Nice design and execution!
 
Dang. That is a great looking knife. Not only is it unique and visually pleasing, but it is also very well executed.
 
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