The Jani Song has landed

B

brj

Joined
May 18, 2005
Messages
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I do not love Spyderco because of the manufacturing quality they embed in their products (which they do), nor for having ended (prematurely, maybe) my quest for the perfect folder a couple of years back (which they did when I discovered the Millie), but for favoring function above form whenever possible. It's some of those little gems that other companies might not have risked bringing to market that make Spyderco really stand out in my eyes.

I know we all like different things and what you guys define as gems might potentially differ from mine, but I've enjoyed quite a lot in the past stuff like the T-Mag or Bi-fold, stuff that was so innovative that was basically screaming "People, there is no box" instead of using the stereotypical "Think outside the box" sort of message.

Right now the ranks of these selected out-of-the-roof cool & innovative items have just expanded (for me) as to also include the Jani Song.



The Jani Song is based on 2 very smart ideas: 1/ make the external handle safe at all times & 2/ carefully control the amount of movement allowed to the blade inside an inner handle. The rest is just clever engineering and lots and lots of trial & error (I assume).



With the blade fully extended and the handle grasped inside your hand, there is no way the blade can accidentally close on you.



Still, in order to cover all bases, there is an ambidextrous security latch that is either blocking the blade open (more or less as a fix blade, as in no play at all) or locking it closed (I know I appreciate my piece of mind whenever carrying a sharp piece of S30V in my pocket).



Both the outer and the inner handle are nice & precisely aligned with the blade.



The action differs a bit from your standard bali-song, it will take a bit of adjustment to adapt your grip, wrist motions and how you use the momentum but after that all is pretty straighforward. It also helps if you wander your evenings randomly through the house, practicing your moves and scaring to death your own family members in the process . ;)

Bit of a movie from back in the day.

I'll try to return with a full fledged review as soon as we accommodate each other, for now I just needed to vent off some of the exhilaration, enthusiasm and fan-boyishness (if that's a word). Over and out.
 
Oh boy..I saw a YouTube video of it being used. I'm not partial to Bali's, but I recognize innovation when it's this obvious.

Edit: It was your video I had seen..
 
BluegrassBrian said:
Oh boy..I saw a YouTube video of it being used. I'm not partial to Bali's, but I recognize innovation when it's this obvious.

Edit: It was your video I had seen..
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well, not my video per se, but that's pretty much the only available vid showcasing the action... so far...
 
I really wish the US did not have idiotic laws concerning importing of autos and balisongs. I would totally buy one of these.
 
Very cool! Same goes for Canada; pretty much no chance of owning one of those here unless one drops out of the sky... :D:rolleyes:
 
It's a nice knife, great interpretation of old Russian design.
Once again Spydey "borrowed" someone else's design and claim it as their own invention!
I had Russian version of this knife in the early 80's, the handle was made in the shape of the fish.
You locked the blade by pressing together handles, on the end of the handle one side had hole the other side had post that went into the hole.

BTW Spidey hole on this knife design is totally pointless!
 
Wolf7 said:
It's a nice knife, great interpretation of old Russian design.
Once again Spydey "borrowed" someone else's design and claim it as their own invention!
I had Russian version of this knife in the early 80's, the handle was made in the shape of the fish.
You locked the blade by pressing together handles, on the end of the handle one side had hole the other side had post that went into the hole.

BTW Spidey hole on this knife design is totally pointless!
Click to expand...

The knife is a collaboration with Michael Janich. It is very possible that you saw an early collaboration or outright copy of the knife. I don't know when this style of balisong was designed. I don't much mind the idea of accusing Spyderco of stealing a design that they both did not steal, but are also crediting the maker with.

As for the Spyderhole, they put it on every knife, even fixed blades. It's kind of their thing.
 
Thank you all for your interest in the JaniSong.

I actually came up with the design around 2004 when I was working for BlackHawk. I was inspired by the balisong and Barry Wood's classic folder design. After personally making a few concept models and a handmade prototype, I convinced BlackHawk that the design was worth pursuing. Their patent attorneys drew up the patent application and it was approved--as a utility patent--in less than a year.

When BlackHawk eliminated my position in 2009, I bought the patent rights for the JaniSong from them. When Spyderco hired me later that year, Spyderco bought the rights from me.

A utility patent is a patent that recognizes and protects the way an invention is used and works. Utility patents may be granted to anyone who invents a new and useful method, process, machine, device, manufactured item, or chemical compound - or any new and useful improvement to the same. Utility patents are subdivided into mechanical, electrical and chemical categories.

I've never been to Russia and have never seen any other knife that operates like the JaniSong. If such a thing exists, I didn't know about it before I developed the design and the US Patent and Trademark Office wasn't aware of it either. Spyderco has been the legal owner of the rights to the patent since 2009, and I'm honored that they felt it was worthy of bringing into production.

Finally, the round hole in the blade is a Spyderco trademark. It is included in virtually all Spyderco knives as a symbol of the brand.

Stay safe,

Mike
 
Danke42 said:
http://balisongbutterflyknives.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=302

Russian fish knife?
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Yes!!! That is exact same knife I used to own from '80-'89, if I only knew how much this cheap little knife would be worth today I would have tried harder to "smuggle" it out from behind Iron Curtain! I had to leave it behind so I gave it as a present to my best friend to remember me by.

I knew it was old design, but I didn't know it was from 1950!

large_302_RedfishChromeEmblemedRedEye.JPG

large_302_RedfishChromeEmblemedRed.JPG

large_302_RedfishChromeEmblemedRedEyeBalisongButterfly.JPG

large_302_RedfishChromeEmblemed.JPG

large_302_RedfishChromeEmblemedRedEyeBalisong.JPG
 
Michael Janich said:
That knife is actually closer to the Barry Wood design--two "half handles" instead of an inner and an outer handle. Cool, but not the same.

Stay safe,

Mike
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Hi Mike, I'm glad to see that rumors of your death are not true! I read on another gun/knife forum some post that said you were killed in South America in mid '90's in some dark alley. May you have long and healthy life! Once again it proves, that you can't believe everything you read on Internet.

I have been studying knife defense tactics and technics from your books and videos' and magazine articles, they are very helpful since I don't have access to life knife teacher to study with. I have great respect for you as a person and martial artist and a teacher.

Now regarding this Jani Song I never held it in my hands so I can't compare how it functions compared to the "Fish Balisong" I had before, all I can do is judge it based on what I see in pictures in #1 post.

Mike I apologize, upon closer examination of picture in first post I can now see what you meant by inner and outer handles. I wish we could see better picture of your knife open in side view to see those handles better. Your design splits into inner and outer handles instead of left and right like this one, correct?

large_302_RedfishChromeEmblemedRedEyeBalisong.JPG

As soon as I figure out how to upload images directly from my desktop, I will share another Russian knife that I have that is similar to your design except on that one inner handle flips out front 180 degrees and then rotates 180 left or right to the back around outer handle!

PS I never seen or heard of Barry Wood design, do you have any pictures of it you can share? Always interesting to see another designers interpretation of common design!

PPS This reminds me of argument of who or which nation first invented light bulb or telephone US or Italy?! Depends on who you ask!
 
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Interesting idea, this 'fish knife'. Not at all similar to the JaniSong mechanics, though :).

Now if you are considering in general any system that makes use of revolving frame/handle/blade I guess you can add here a lot of other knives, say even the funny folder - but saying that Mike draw inspiration out of these is a quite far fetched conclusion...
 
Got a bit a time on my hands so I've dug through the old dusty boxes for this '80-'90 era S&W. With regards to the discussion above, the S&W has a slab-handle (revolving around a central pivot) and a frame (pivoting around the sides) - but, as with the fish-knife above, the mechanics have nothing to do with those of the JaniSong.





 
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I've also mentioned in the opening post that Spyderco has brought to market some of the most innovative locking systems ever, here's a pic for ya :)

From top to bottom:
- Bi-fold
- Meerkat with phantom lock
- T-Mag
- JaniSong

 
brj said:
Got a bit a time on my hands so I've dug through the old dusty boxes for this '80-'90 era S&W. With regards to the discussion above, the S&W has a slab-handle and a frame, both revolving around the same pivot - but, as with the fish-knife above, the mechanics have nothing to do with those of the JaniSong.





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Dude, this stainless steel knife is exact copy of my Russian one that I bought in early 80's, except mine has single edge drop point!
That is the one I wanted to show pictures of and mentioned in earlier post!

I will ask on Russian knife forum to help id and date when my knife was made.
I'm curious do you know exactly when S & W came out with this design?
 
Dude, we get it, all folding mechanisms out there originated from Russian thinkers, other companies only put out blatant ripoffs. Or perhaps your tirade is directed only at Spyderco & Mike?

Wolf7 said:
It's a nice knife, great interpretation of old Russian design.
Once again Spydey "borrowed" someone else's design and claim it as their own invention!
Click to expand...

The JaniSong design bears no resemblance to the fish knife above. None whatsoever. You are indicating it yourself:

Wolf7 said:
You locked the blade by pressing together handles, on the end of the handle one side had hole the other side had post that went into the hole.
Click to expand...

Now I'm showing a different knife concept, you jump again with a "Russian-designed" label for that too. I never said that S&W invented this knife, they merely built an (arguably, better) rendition of an old existing design. You can google 'flip flop' or 'flim flam' knife and you'll stumble upon countless references. Some knives are still on the market (A.G. Russell Funny Folder), others not - some are production (like the S&W shown above), some are custom made (Ted Dowell or Dave Berghold).

Now don't get me wrong, I think you have seen / owned a Russian version of the knife, it's bound to have happened with a design apparently so popular and widely spread, I'm just saying I see no evidence or data to support the assumption this was a Russian design.

However, I was able to find an US patent issued in 1893 to a Vandalia Slater of Hunt's NY for a flip flop knife design.
Also, there is evidence to indicate that a John Watts, of Sheffield, England, was building around the end of WWI what he designated an Easifold pocket knife.

Now, do you have any sort of evidence of your own you would care to share?
 
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