New manilla butterfly coming? made by SWAT

W

WallPhone

Joined
Mar 12, 2000
Messages
18
I was perusing an Phoenix knife shop, and ran across an manila style balisong... that perked my curisoity so I looked closer and saw torx screw pins just like the 42. I asked the guy behind the counter, he said it was just a prototype, and made by a company named SWAT, but the letters stand for something else. It had round skeletal holes like some of the china cheapies and black handles. The blade had two tang pins on it, one on the blade side just like some other balis I have seen pics of. It also had another torx screw just above the notch that the latch goes into, could be that the handles are two peices and this pin holds that side down. I wish I had my camera with me so that I could take a picture of it for you all.

The guy didin't know when production would begin, but said the prototype was the hardest step toward that. At the same shop I handled a 42 for the first time, ... Man, I hate to wait for my savings to grow!
 
I knew I saw the tang pins somewhere else... it looks suspicously like this Erickson balisong in this post by Dawkind

http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum47/HTML/001432.html

I don't remember the horns on the blade being so big, and I think the screws on the blade are the same as what is holding the latch and at the end of the safe handle... didin't see anything stamped on the tang... Did Erickson make any skeletonized balis?

This Parker Eagle has the pin above the latch notch like I tried to describe
Parker_Gypsy1694.jpg
 
Interesting indeed. SWAT is a knife manufacturer best known for their OTF autos as seen with their Centurion model. They also recently released a new 3" compact OTF. Their knives usally run in the upper $100-200s. From what I hear, they make very good quality knives.

------------------
Dave

My collection
 
Partick at Triple Aught seems really hooked up with SWAT, he has had all the proto and limited production SWAT's and if I remember the old posts he dealt with them on design modifications etc.

Another quality Bali maker yummmmmmm
biggrin.gif


------------------
lannyshay@hotmail.com

"Don't get even, get odd"
 
I didin't get to hold it, but will go back to the shop later to see it again... will bring my camera and ask if I can take a pic.
 
Hey WallPhone, long time no see. How have you been? How are balisongs going? Can you give us more of a description of the Bali? What shop was it at? Was it for sale?
Thanks,
mmtmatrix
 
I did it... got pictures of the butterfly.

As I expected, the handles were sandwiched two pieces, and had small pins to work as a latch gate. The latch was filed and oval shaped so that it fits more easily into the other handle, and cupped to fit snugly against the pin on the other handle.

The pictures are a bit blurry, but its the best I could do with my $99 digital camera. Bought a 42 at the same store, its in the pics for size refrence and I wish I got one earlier :-)

MMTMatrix: I moved to AZ for school, its a beautiful sight to see a microtech halo III in the local mall... most of the knives in the display case in the background of the pics are autos.

Oh, I almost forgot--the pics can be seen at http://wallphone.8m.com/balisong.html
 
I like the design but it seems a little long. I think the 42's length is just right. The blade is attractive as well...more so than the 42. I personally don't care for the weehawk all that much. The SWAT's looks more utilitarian to me.

I love to see all those Dalton's and other auto's in the back ground! Wish the stores in New York looked like that.

Steve
 
What was the name and location of the store in Phoneix. Also how much are they asking for it.

------------------
Smoke the La, Flip the Bali.
 
Agent and Snipe: The store is Cat Cutlery, and they have a page at http://catcutlery.com

I don't belive the knife is for sale, there were no tags or even markings identifying it as a SWAT knife... there were a few tool marks espically on the latch, it appeared to have had the most work done on it to make it latch more easily.

Snipe: I thought the sandwich construction was a good idea to make a production knife cheaper... what are the downsides? Other than appearing to be made cheaper?
 
That sure looks like it......just what I always wanted, a knife that hasn't had the blade hardened or sharpened with a spray painted handle...
confused.gif
I wonder who will give much more than the $9.00 bid on it?

[This message has been edited by Dawkind (edited 03-15-2001).]
 
When you put it that way Dawkind it sounds like a pos
biggrin.gif
next you'll be saying that the handles are plastic and the blade is compressed crap.
wink.gif


------------------
Cameron

011.gif
"Look deep, deep inside and you will find a place of anger, vengeance, and brutality. Go there. It is your last hope to conquer the truly wicked."
uriel.gif

A few of my balisongs
My Photopoint album
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">the blade is compressed crap
wink.gif
</font>
Click to expand...
Or maybe jailhouse metal plate cutout
biggrin.gif


By the way, POS = Point of Sale?

[This message has been edited by Chris Anagarika (edited 03-19-2001).]
 
Yep--that looks to be the same... Funny, I didin't bother checking the blade to see if it was sharpened at the store here...

I find it a bit pecular that the protypes are not marked at all... I am curios to see how this one differs from the one at the store.
 
The auction's over, and it looks like it went to one of our own forumites, Paul (batangueno), for $61.

Paul - make sure to give us a full review with pictures as soon as you get this sucker.
 
The auction's over, and it looks like it went to one of our own forumites, Paul (batangueno), for $61.

Paul - make sure to give us a full review with pictures as soon as you get this sucker.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top