When and why did BM stop making custom balisongs?

Well, I tried that, but I just don't know what to search for... Gimme a tip, will you? :D
 
ixpfah: As it is a question about Benchmade (and not PC) which is a living company, I think you can email them to ask.

A webpage about all those facts from PC/Bali-Song to BM, with the dates of the various releases (month/year : model) would be a great tool for all of us. Unfortunately, I don't have enough details to set up this page... Chuck, I'm sure you know all that and could do such a page :P

Guillaume
 
Well, it's difficult to say. When did they stop taking orders? When did they deliver the last one? I think it was in about 1995 or 1996 that they stopped taking orders. Then, of course, there was what we currently call "the final edition" customs, of course.

Why? Oh, the labor cost on them very unprofitable. They required highly skilled craftsmen; there were some retention issues and also simply the fact that those most highly skilled people were needed for other tasks.

During this time, BM went from being a glorified garage shop to being about as close to a mass-production factory as you get in the knife business. Custom one-ups don't fit well into the mass-production factory paradigm. They also diversified their product line with some highly successful other models. As those models took off, the custom Bali-Songs just became to small a niche to continue supporting.

Recently, a new thing has happened. Thanks to "flexible manufacturing" BM can accomodate some short runs like the 49.

Keep in mind that Bali-Songs are still only a small fraction of BM's total business.
 
That reminds me... I gotta get that whole Bali-Song/Pacific Cutlery/Benchmade story all clear. Not sure who I should ask, though. Probably Chuck, Dudley, Tony or something... Or all three. :D

Bah, I'm just thinking out loud. Read something else than my lame posts. :p
 
Bali-Song Cutlery was started by Les DeAsis. It basically became Pacific Cutlery under his direction. Unfortunately, it went bankrupt. Les joined Benchmade and eventually bought that company. It moved to Oregon and became the power-house that it is under his direction.
 
Ok, so Mr. DeAsis started up Bali-Song Cutlery, which a little later (how long, excactly?) simply changed name to Pacific Cutlery. His firm went bankrupt, and DeAsis later joined and bought Benchmade (which was already an 'old', or more correct an existing firm), which he still owns.
So Bali-Song/Pacific Cutlery doesn't really have anything to do with Benchmade? Other than that DeAsis joined BM after his firm went bankrupt? Am I right?
 
I'm not 100% sure of all the facts, but here is what I can remember.

Yes and no. Les started out with Custom Bali's with Bali-Song USA in the mid 70's. Not 100% sure when BS USA turned into Pacific Cutlery, (I remember both companies being in existence at the same time with BS-USA selling the custom Bali's, and PC selling production units.) But somehow BS-USA faded and PC became the dominate corporate identity. At this time, through some misjudgements in product line up that didn't sell (some blame Mike Stewart PC's General manager who later created Blackjack Knives) and over expansion, as the reasons PC was forced to fold. Since Les still maintained the Balisong USA Trademark, he continued to sell some knives in limited numbers using PC assets. When Les was hired by BM, it was only a regional company with limited distribution. Les brought with him national distribution knowledge and experience in running a major cutlery company. He convinced BM to start making and selling the existing production balisongs he was still producing in limited numbers.

As for the customs, the mid 80's are a blur and I'm not 100% sure. Around 88/89 I was ordering them from BM. In 90 or 91 Les did the NYC show with an excessive high number of custom Bali's. I was able to pick up several with volume discount. He indicated they had to start getting out of the bali market because the legality issues were getting pretty serious. He did say he was not going to discontinue the line, just will be refocusing on making non-bali knives. My last custom was ordered and delivered in 94 the Latchless Scimitar. That was the first custom that came with a blade not ground by Jody Samson. In '96 Roberta started the Custom Blade version of the Custom line. Guess by then the lack of a good blade grinder and the quality of the milling machines started to take it's toll on the Custom line. The first issue was with blades ground by Harold Corby. Then came AJ Hubbard, followed by Pat Crawford, with the last one issued with Allen Elishewitz blades (the model the BM 47 is patterned after). That was the last milled handled, 3/16" custom ground blade bali's that BM issued.
 
(Please correct me if anything's wrong here!)

So Bali-Song made customs only? And PC made prodution units (no customs?)

One more little thing... The Bali-Song/Pacific Cutlery/Benchmade butterfly logo... Les first started to use that logo on his Bali-Song balisongs, right? And then it got transfered to the PC, and finally (most likely when he bought it) to BM. So then I guess that BM used another logo before that (if they used any at all)...? And that it was replaced by Les' butterfly logo when he bought the company or something? If so, what did the old BM logo look like?

(Sorry for all my stupid questions, but I'm just curious about this stuff. This is probably some of the most interesting thing I've ever learned! :D Thank you God for the invention of the balisong. ;))
 
Who knows? If BM gets enough mail on the subject, maybe us custom fans might see them again. I have never seen a three inch custom with a weehawk blade ground out of 3/16 stock, but I sure would like to own one.

Any one at the SHOT Show see any steel handles???
 
So Bali-Song made customs only?
Click to expand...

No. BS made standard products too.


And PC made prodution units (no customs?)
Click to expand...

No. PC made customs. They were marked Bali-Song USA, but, then again, so were BM's.


If so, what did the old BM logo look like?
Click to expand...

Now there's a good question. I've never even thought of that.



I have never seen a three inch custom with a weehawk blade ground out of 3/16 stock
Click to expand...

Then you're lucky that I didn't get around to changing the vault exhibit on my site this weekend. You still have time to go and look.
 
Oh, and my last custom before the Final Editions was a 5" Spearpoint with skeleton handles. I think that was '96.
 
Originally posted by Gollnick
No. PC made customs. They were marked Bali-Song USA, but, then again, so were BM's.
Click to expand...
This is the big question isn't it? PC was setup to manufacture and sell production knives. If any Custom Bali's were sold during those days, can it be considered a PC product? Can anyone produce an Invoice that shows this? My customs were paid to Bali-song USA, as inidcated on my credit card statements, when I ordered them during the PC era. My first was in 81, and averaged about 1 every two years then.

Felix: I still have the latchless scimitar. I stopped selling/trading them when I realized they weren't going to be around all that much longer.
 
Originally posted by navajo
I have never seen a three inch custom with a weehawk blade ground out of 3/16 stock.
Click to expand...
The 3" balis on each end are ground from 3/16" stock.........;)

standard.jpg
 
Nice image Chuck. What I meant by never having seen one is I have never held one in my hand or flipped one. Looking at an image and holding one in your hand ain't the same thing. Still would like to own one.

Great photos Dudley. Any of those for sale???
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top