I watch bladeauction.com, bladeforums auction, Amazon auctions, E-bay, and other auctions on- and off-line, several catalogs and private transactions in several venues. Here is a list of recently traded collectible balisongs so that you can an idea of what yours might be worth. Hint: if you use your browser's Search feature, you can probably find knives similar to yours easily.
This list does not include common Benchmade production Bali-Songs which I organize separately. Just follow this link:
If you buy or sell a balisong in a private transaction, I would greatly appreciate hearing about it. Please note that I keep the names and other details strictly confidential. Your information helps the entire community keep track of the market.
AZ = Amazon auctions BA = bladeauction.com BF = blade forums auction CAT = Catalog Sale EB = E-Bay FS = For sale forum (knifeforums.com, bladeforums.com, rec.knives, etc.) LA = Live Auction OT = Other PT = Private Transaction SCD = The Balisong Collector's Shameless Commerce Division SHO = Public Show YH = Yahoo Auctions RS = Retail knife shop
Why does the source matter? 
BM = Benchmade BS = Bali-Song Cutlery BR = Bear Cutlery CUST = Custom FHM = Common Filipino Handmade FC = Frost Cutlery GC = Gutmann Cutlery JG = Jaguar PC = Pacific Cutlery PK = Parker Cutlery TC = Taylor Cutlery VL = Valor Cutlery
NIB = New In Box: Exactly as it came from the manufacturer including the original box and all paperwork. The knife is in Mint condition.
PR = Pristine: Knife is in absolutely mint condition and is outstanding!
MT = Mint: Knife is the same as it was when produced allowing for normal aging. Minor scratches on the tang due to gentle rotation of the handles and minor scratches on the handles due to latching are acceptable. Blade must have absolutely no evidence of use, sharpening, polishing, or any cleaning more aggressive than a gentle wipe with a soft cloth. Absolutely no evidence of manipulation (chips on the blade, damage to the latch, scratches on the handles, etc.). Tang stamps, etching, and inking are 100% perfect.
NM = Near Mint: Knife is nearly in mint condition. Any deviation from mint is very minor. If the knife has been expertly cleaned, it must appear as mint. Blade must have no evidence of use or sharpening. Handle inserts must not have any cracking or chips. Absolutely no evidence of manipulation. Tang stamps and etching are perfect. Inking is at least 95%.
EX = Excellent: Knife is in excellent condition. Minor cracking of handle inserts is acceptable as long the material is still in one piece. Blade may show minor wear but must still have original profile (i.e. not sharpened aggressively). Some discoloration of the blade and even one or two tiny rust freckles is acceptable as are minor signs of manipulation though the blade must not be chipped. Tang stamps and etching are perfect. Inking is at least 85%.
VG = Very Good: Knife is in very good condition. Blade and handles are original. Cracks in handle inserts are acceptable as long as no pieces are missing or glued or otherwise repaired. Blades may show up to 10% wear and discoloration including minor rust freckles. Tang stamps and etching are clear. Inking is at least 75%.
GD = Good: Knife is in good condition. Blade and handles are original. One or two small pieces of handle insert material may be missing. Blade may show up to 25% wear. Tang stamps and etching are legible. Inking is at least 65%.
- - = A real mistake. Sorry. - = Bad buy 0K = ok buy + = Good buy ++ = Excellent buy +++ = You lucky dog, you stole that balisong!
= The
traveling "Are You Insane!?! Trophy" awarded with my
condolences to the most ridiculous purchase. Hey, we;ve all made
mistakes... but this one takes the prize.
= The Traveling "Best Buy! Trophy" awarded with my jealous congratulations to the best purchase. (if you don't see the Traveling Trophies on this page, check the Common Production Benchmade list
THE MARKET WATCH
= Picture (click on the icon) File size
varies considerably.
| Description | Source | Price* | Date | Chuckg's comments |
 BM
Model 11 NIB |
EB | $159 | 16AUG99 | BM11 was in production for less than one year. Probably only a few hundered made. ++ |
| FHM Ivory inserts | EB | $82 | 17AUG99 | Nice price for real Ivory + |
| PK Gypsy w/Tanto | EB | $10.50 | 19AUG99 | What a steal for a Parker Gypsy and a rare tanto too. +++ |
| FHM Buffalo Horn c.1940 | EB | $102.50 | 21AUG99 | Just another undistinguished FHM OK |
 FHM
Rosewood inserts c.1900 |
EB | $25.00 | 26AUG99 | A potentially historically significant knife given the age. Rosewood is always nice. ++ |
| FHM Nara wood inserts | EB | $75.00 | 26AUG99 | Nara wood is hard to come by + |
| BM Model 41S NIB | PT | $110.00 | 28AUG99 | less common model ++ |
 CUST
Erickson scrimshawed micarta PR |
EB | $500.00 | 31AUG99 | Fabulous knife. Went to a good and growing Erickson collection. ++ |
 FHM
Nara wood inserts EX. |
EB | $83.00 | 03SEP99 | Nice knife in excellent condition. + |
FHM with bone handles. EX |
EB | $75.00 | 03SEP99 | Nice knife in excellent condition. Serrated spine and pierced blade. + |
|
TC with rosewood
handles + sheath |
EB | $56.00 | 07SEP99 | Unusual Taylor with gutting hook on the spine (rarely seen on balisongs). ++ |
| FHM Ivory handles with brass accents.NM | CAT | $120.00 | 10SEP99 | Unusual handle pattern with thin brass accents between ivory pieces. + |
| BM48 NIB | PT | $145.00 | 11SEP99 | Nice knife. OK |
| BM45 Factory 2nd with Harley-Davison logo inked onto the blade | PT | $75.00 | 11SEP99 | An interesting piece. I have consulted with both BM and Harley-Davidson and both deny any knowledge of this knive. Yet, I have seen several on the market recently. It is a true BM knive (though a factory 2nd) but the Harley logo is unauthorized. "A true renegade in the best of the Harley-Davidson spirit," I guess one might say (though I suspect that the suits at Harley-Davidson see the unauthorized use of their trademarked logo differently). Harley stuff is very collectible, though, and so are BM balisongs. This is a cross-over piece in demand in two markets. There probably weren't very many made. I predict a great future for this knife. + |
|
PC Model 169 "International Series" with original box. EX
|
SHO | $25.00 | 12SEP99 | Pacific cutlery briefly imported these knives from Japan. This one is marked 1985, which would have been right on the boarderline between PC and BM. A less common knive, a knife with some historical significance, and with the original box. What a find, and all for $25. +++ |
FHM Bone Inserts, NM |
AZ | $70 | 24SEP99 | Nice FHM in near-mint condition + |
FHM Nara wood inserts, NM |
AZ | $67 | 25SEP99 | Nice FHM in near-mint condition + |
Taylor Manila folder. 4" weehawk with sharpened false edge.
Ink on the blade is in perfect condition. Wonderful, heavy, solid
machined brass handles with hidden pins. Mint condition, NIB |
SCD | $90 | 28SEP99 | Very nice knife. Brass handles are just perfect. NIB. Wow. ++ |
 Valor
Cutlery model 525 Samurai Warrior. 3" utility blade. Tip
is slightly damaged. Ink marking on the blade is 90%. Handles
are solid, machined steel with black plastic inserts slight latch
damage to the safehandel from manipulation. EX.. |
SCD | $45.00 | 28SEP99 | A nice little knive. ++ |
 A
set of two Taylor Gypsy balisongs. The 4" Utility Clip is
a model 1316 in NM condition, and the 3" Utility is a model
1315 in perfect Mint condition. The ink on both blades is 100%.
Both have cast steel handles. Both come with original boxes. |
SCD |
$45.00 for the 1315 $50.00 for the 1316 |
01OCT99 | Two very nice knives. These are well-made knives and move very well. Here are two in NM and M condition in original boxes. A great set. I'm glad to see these two stay together. ++ |
 An
Italian-made balisong with brass and rosewood handles. |
BA | $41.00 | 01OCT99 |
Ok, ok. Here's my review. For those of you who have been wondering why this has taken so long, it's because I paid by personal check and the seller, quite reasonably, did not send the knife until my check cleared. So, that delayed things. The tang mark is "INOX". This is Italian for the German Rostfrei. In short, this is is NOT the maker, it just means stainless steel. However,unlike the German Rostfrei, Inox is seldom seen on non-Italian knives. Apparently, the Asians haven't made up any INOX stamps yet. To, I do belive that the knife is Italian made. Notice, please, the Manila-style latch. I noticed it the first time I manipulated the knife. The brass handles are really nice. But, as some of you know, I'm a sucker for brass. They're machined from single pieces. The rosewood is nice, but mismatched, probably scrap pieces. Again, I'm a sucker for rosewood. And rosewood and brass... well, I'm there. As nice as the handles are, they are very loosely attached to the blade giving a lot of misalignment and a lot of wobble. For a small knife with a small blade and thin handles, it is slow and sluggish to manipulate. The blade is not particularly impressive. The pins are all flimsy and I do not expect this knife to hold up to much manipulation. For $41, I'm gonna say that it's collectible only because we don't see a lot of Italian stuff here in the States and give this purchase a barely ok rating. barely ok. |
 An
early PC International series balisong. VG to EX. |
PT | $80.00 | 01OCT99 | Looks like maybe a bit of damage on the latch. Makes me wonder about blade. Ok. |
|
Hemming Woodsman, Pat. Pending (New Haven, Conn) C. 1900-1924 4 5/8" Butterfly-style outdoor knife. Single saber ground clip blade with thin fuller which is full and unsharpened. The handles which rotate off of the tang are one piece aluminum with fingergrooves. Brass ring and clip at the bottom which locks the piece open and closed. Fine sewn leather brown scabbard in better than excellent condtion, not original, but works great. Rated high in Lavine's IV. NM - Mint. (seller's description) (unfortunately, since this is a catalog sale, I don't have a picture to post) |
CAT | $95.00 | October 99 |
Sorry for the somewhat more technical description. The catalog in question is not specific to balisongs, so they need to give a more general description for their non-balisong-aware customers. Anyway, the Hemming Woodsman is the first American-made balisong that I am aware of. Production started between about 1905 and 1910. This is a very significant balisong and in NM - Mint condition. ++ Notice the latch mechanism which is much different than "modern" balisongs. Someday, I'll have to post pictures for you to see of one of mine. I love the description of this as an "outdoor knife". I don't want to see any of you flippin' one of these inside the house! |
 Taylor
Manila Folder. 3.5" spearpoint. 9-piece handle construction
with heavy brass liners, a NS spacer, NS bolsters and bone inserts.
Mintcondition, NIB. |
SCD | $90.00 | 02OCT99 | A very nice piece and with an unusual spearpoint blade. Mint condition. In the original box. You can't ask for more than that. ++ |
 Compass
Industries (CI) Model 1200 Cho No Shi. 3.5" utility clip.
Solid machined brass handles and black micarta inserts. Brass
is slightly stained in a few minor places. Some damage to the
safe handle and latch from manipulation. Edge is 100%. Excellent
condition in original box. |
SCD | $100.00 | 02OCT99 | I have several of these in my collection and can tell you that they move as well as any production Benchmade. This is a very fine knife. ++ |
 Frost
Cutlery model 105. 3.25" utility with small chisel-ground
swedge. Wonderful handles with brass liners, and full-length
machined SS bolsters with an unusual skeleton pattern with hidden
pins. Mint condition, NIB. |
SCD | $65.00 | 03OCT99 | This is really a wonderful knife. I'm sorry the picture isn't as good. The first one I took with my real camera didn't turn out (strange, just a blank frame, almost like I didn't push the button). This picture is a poor digital one. I'll retake a good one shortly. ++ |
 Compass
Industries (CI) Model 1202 Black Mantis. 3.5" weehawk with
black silicon coating that is about 95% with a somewhat unique
hilt design. Cast, skeleton pattern handles painted black almost
100%. Excellent condition in original box. |
SCD | $25.00 | 03OCT99 | A lesser model, true, but it still moves well. With 95% of the blade coating and 100% of the handle paint, this one's in fine shape. The original manufacturer's suggested retail price for this one in 1983 was $29.95! I'd say this was a good buy. ++ |
 Parker
Eagle Model K-534,3" utility, machined brass skeleton handles.Mint condition, NIB. Brass is just excellent. |
SCD | $40.00 | 15OCT99 | A fine balisong in excellent condition in the original box. It's rare to find brass handles in such fine condition. ++ |
 GC "Original Balisong Sportsman's Knife"
NIB with original leather sheath and in original wooden box.
Brass liners and bolsters with bone inserts |
AZ | $86.00 | 24OCT99 | An excellent piece of balisong history complete with the original sheath and box. ++ |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $19.50 | 24OCT99 |
A fascinating piece, absolutely fascinating. "Superior" was actually a mark often associated with knives made in Scheffield, England, but DRGM is German. I would have snapped this knife up myself, but I don't want anything with celluloid handles. Even so, for $19.50, I'm gonna give this one a +++. My congratulations to the buyer on a grand choice. Be careful with those handles.
|
|
(Sellers Description) |
EB | $34.00 | 24OCT99 |
Oh my, another excellent piece of Balisong history, and a very significant piece because it also tends to indicate a European origin of the butterfly knife design. I'd have paid a lot for this knife it weren't for those celluloid handles. This is a great collectible balisong and for $34.00 a true +++
|
|
(Seller's description) |
EB | $212.50 | 25OCT99 |
A BM 30S anodized gold limited edition balisong. I'm not sure that the sheath is original. The BM30 did not classically come with a sheath. They may have put one in with these limited edition knives, though. Wow, that's a lot to pay for a BM30S, even if it is a limited edition. I've gotta say that's it's an ok buy at best. Notice that the seller billed the knife as a "Swallowtail knife" to avoid the attention of the Ebay censors. A clever ploy and you certainly can't argue with $212.50, but I wonder if it might have done better listed openly on a more friendly auction site. The idea of a "secret" auction doesn't strike me as the best way to get the best price for your knife. |
|
(seller's description) |
AZ | $36 | 07NOV99 |
Don't let the seller's long-winded and glowing descriptions mislead you. What we have here is yet another undistinguished FHM. I have no idea why the seller thinks this "grooves of three" is so important. It's a common design feature on FHMs. The markings on the "tail lock" are also common and purely decorative. The seller apparently doesn't know much about these knives. The fact that it is marked "Philappines" (it probably says Phillipines and that "a" is a type-o) means that this knife was made for export or tourist trade. Not a bad buy for $36, though. I'll say + |
 Benchmade
Model 11. 3" Tanto with stainless steel skeleton handles.
The BM11 was in production for only about one year. BM never
releases production statistics, but one can estimate that only
a few hundred of these were made. This one is in Excellent condition
overall. There is one chip on the edge from manipulation but
no scratches on the opposite handle. Otherwise, the knife would
be mint. It comes with the original sheath which is a bit dusty
apparently from having been sitting on a shelf all these years. |
SCD | $150.00 | 11NOV99 | Despite a very minor bit of damage, this is a good price on a very collectible Benchmade Bali-Song ++ |
 One
rare Benchmade custom with 4" Bowie Clip blade and classic
stainless steel skeleton handles. The blade and the edge are
100% and the edge is original. Unfortunately, there are a few
minor scratches on the back of the opposite handle and a few
on the latch from manipulation, but no chips on the blade at
all. This is a wonderful knife in excellent condition and it
comes with a typical black nylon sheath in perfect condition. |
SCD | $350.00 | 11NOV99 | Despite very minor damage, this is an excellent piece with a rare Bowie blade. There'll never be any more like it. Very collectible. ++ |
 Yet
another Benchmade Model 11. 3" Tanto with stainless steel
skeleton handles. The BM11 was in production for only about one
year. BM never releases production statistics, but one can estimate
that only a few hundred of these were made. This one is in Mint
condition. I looked hard to try and find something to complain
about, but couldn't. It comes with the original box, but the
box is in less than mint condition and the paperwork is missing.
The sheath is also in mint condition. |
SCD | $185.00 | 11NOV99 | Wow, a BM11 NIB even if the box is a bit mangled (perhaps UPS got ahold of it), what a find. ++ |
|
(seller'sdescription) |
EB | $71.02 | 26NOV99 |
Yet another undistinguished FHM. The sheath is doubtlessly not original. The knife is used. $71 is a lot to pay for such an undistinguished FHM when better one's come on the market fairly regularly. At best, this buy was ok. BTW, the seller here has give a very honest evaluation of the knife. You don't see that very often. |
|
Benchmade Model 69 3" Tanto with Deluxe finish handles. Near mint condition. There is one small chip on the blade that knocks it out of mint. I'll overlook a very, very small bit of damage on the blade due to hitting the latch. I don't believe that it's manipulation damage since manipulation is generally more energetic than this suggests and since there's no other signs of manipulation. The sheath, at first glance, appears perfect. But, closer inspection shows that it is missing one of the elastic straps for horizontal carry. Curious.It looks as if it was once there, but was torn off. Too bad. This fine piece comes in the original box which is only slightly damaged. |
PT | $205 | 30NOV99 |
The 69 was in production for less than one year. While BM never discloses production statistics, we can assume that no more than a few hundered of these were made. This is the first BM69 I've seen in several years. ++ |
|
This is a giant Balisong (butterfly) knife. With 14"
handles and a 13" blade, this monster is 27" overall.
Handles are multi-scaled and go brass, (seller's description) |
EB | $157.51 | 01DEC99 | An interesting FHM. I occationally see these same knives at shows for about $350, so this looks like a great buy. |
|
Unfortunately, the tip is damaged and the edge has numerous small chips, including the classic chip due to manipulation. The edge is far from true, especially at the corner of the Tanto grind. As a result, I believe that this one has been sharpened agressively. There are a lot of scratches on the sides of the blades consistent
with manipulation, damage to the back of the safe handle, and
damage to the In all, I'd say that this knife is in very good condition. (seller's description) |
EB | $177.50 | 08DEC99 |
Well, what can I say? This one went for a lot more than I thought it would. The BM11 is a rare catch, it's true, but this one just isn't that great. Sorry, but I've got to give this buy a -. I'd discount it to some crazy buyer, but I know the buyer and he's knowedgable. BTW, the seller is to be commended for such a good and honest description of this knife. |
|
(seller's description) |
PT | $300 | 01DEC99 | Very few of these were made. This one is in Mint condition and has great inserts. ++ |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $55.25 | 05DEC99 | This is actually a rather nice example of a FHM. I have a very similar piece but without the extra horns on the tang that is reliably dated to WWI, so I suspect this piece is also WWI. Mine is very well-made and very heavy. I'll rate this buy a ++. BTW, the blade was probably made from a leaf spring taken from a jeep or truck and the brass is probably from spent shell casings. |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $76 | 08DEC99 | Well, I am not exactly sure about the seller's claim that this knife is made out of the dash board of a B-29. I've seen this same design several times before and I suspect it's not all that unique. But, he is right that the brass is probably from shell casings (as many FHMs from this era were). The knife appears to be in nice condition from the pictures. I'd say this was reasonably good buy for a FHM. + |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $51 | 08DEC99 | The one small crack is not objectionable at all. It is, however, good and honest of the seller to point it out. This is a very nice example of an older FHM with classic stag handles. It appears to be in fine shape. A good buy for $51 ++ |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $31.00 | 03DEC99 | Yes, I'm the buyer on this one. I don't mind telling you that I had my max bid set a lot higher than this. I have never seen such a knife traded. I have no idea what it's worth, but I wanted it. I find it an interesting social commentary that a Finance company (usually a business trying to present itself as respectible and conservative) in conservative Des Moines, Iowa, would use a butterfly knife as an advertising trinket. My, how times have changed. For $31, I give this buy a biased ++. |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $31.00 | 09DEC99 | Well, It's hard to tell from the picture just what we have here. The liners almost look to be milled out. It could be a FHM, but I'm almost suspecting an American handmade maybe dating back to to the 50s or so. Who knows? Maybe the buyer will tell me what he got. Anyway, for $31 it's worth a chance. I'll say + to start with. |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $255 | 12DEC99 | Please look at the picture. This isn't really a balisong-style butterfly knife. The two handles rotate from a single pivot. My guess is that the folks at http://www.deltaz-knives.com/ would be very unhappy to have this type of knive classified as a balisong or butterfly knife given the legal implications that classification has in many areas. Anyway, this is a fine old knife. I asked the seller what the handle material is, but received no reply. |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $9.99 | 12DEC99 |
Please look at the picture. This isn't really a balisong-style butterfly knife. The two handles rotate from a single pivot. My guess is that the folks at http://www.deltaz-knives.com/ would be very unhappy to have this type of knive classified as a balisong or butterfly knife given the legal implications that classification has in many areas. When compared to the very similar knife above, this one looks like a bargain. But, this just shows you that I know nothing about this style of knife. |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $5.50 | 12DEC99 |
Wow, what a great deal. The Valor Ninja knives are a bit difficult to find since Valor changed the name to "Samurai Warrior" fairly early on. This one looks to be in reasonable condition. The other knife is also a good looking piece. It's nice of the seller to be frank about the condition (he even included a close-up of the questionable pin). But, I wouldn't try to fix it. As it stands, this is a collectible knive. And all of that for $5.50! This buy gets the rare +++. Congratulations, you stole both of those balisongs! |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $143.26 | 12DEC99 |
I wish the seller could tell us a bit more about the history of this piece. I just hate to see the history get separated from the knife. Unfortunately, in an estate sale situation, the history is not always available. It looks like a FHM to me, that's what I've catalogged it as in my big catalog. The looks like a fine addition. Without seeing the knife (which I'd love to) I'll give this buy a +. |
|
(seller's description) |
BA | $60.00 | 12DEC99 |
While the seller is correct that the company we know and love today as Benchmade has some historic connection to Bali-Song Cutlery, this knife is not from the Bali-Song era, but from the Pacific Cultery era. While the seller is correct that Pacific imported several models, their knives were not "mostly imports". An excellent example of the Pacific Cutlery International Series knives. I have not seen the knife and have to wonder about a knife that has a lot of scratches but no nicks. Has the blade been reground? The picture is not the best for making this judgement, but id doesn't look obviously so in the picture. Assuming the blade has its original grind, this is great addition to someone's balisong collection. ++ (BTW, I don't normally identify buyers or sellers, but I do want to comment in this case. The buyer uses the screen name ChuckG. This is NOT me. I use Gollnick as a screen name. Apparently, this fellow ChuckG and I share similar names and similar interests.) |
|
(Seller's description) |
BA | $61.50 | 12DEC99 |
While the seller is correct that the company we know and love today as Benchmade has some historic connection to Bali-Song Cutlery, this knife is not from the Bali-Song era, but from the Pacific Cultery era. While the seller is correct that Pacific imported several models, their knives were not "mostly imports". As for this knife, it's another good example of PC's International series. It's not as common a model as the one above, but the pictures how that the black coating is rather damaged. As with the previous knife, I have to wonder how the blade go so scrapped up without any nicks in the blade. The edge looks good in the picture, but it can be hard to tell in a low-res digital picture. I would want to examine that edge and see if it's been reground. Assuming an original edge, I'll say + (I can't go ++ because this knife isn't as good as the one above it. Now you know why collectors don't like coated blades.) |
|
(Seller's description) |
EB | $41.00 | 18DEC99 | A nice Frost piece. The picture is very blurry and so I really can't say much else about it. The seller's description isn't exactly enthusiastic. $41 is more than I would have paid for the knife so I'll say that this buy was ok. |
|
(Seller's description) |
EB |
Reserve Not Met at $56.00 7 bids from 6 bidders |
17DEC99 |
Reserve Not Met. No Sale. The seller says "I am not an expert in this field," and "sold as-is", yet sets a reserve price? The description is vauge and the picture doesn't show much, no wonder nobody wanted to offer much. I doubt seriously that this knive dates back much more than 1950, certainly not to the 19th century. |
|
(Seller's description) |
EB |
Reserve Not Met at $79.53 6 bids from 3 bidders |
15DEC99 |
Reserve Not Met. No Sale. First of all, and I may be showing my ignorance here, but I not familiar with this maker, John Salley. This is not to say that he is not a great maker. I am not familiar with every great maker out there. Since this auction came up, I have not had the time to really research him. I could not, for example, quickly find a web site. Here's a tip for would-be sellers of custom knives: include a bit of information about the maker in your description. Second, the picture is rather poor. Aside from not showing off the knife well, this just shows a lack of respect for your buyers. How can you expect us to give you a pile of money if you're not even going to make an effort to show us a nice picture? If you're trying to sell your knife for a high price, then invest a few bucks in some good pictures. Third, I did not include the rest of the seller's description text. I customarily leave out the stuff about payment terms, postage and handling, and so forth. But, what I will tell you is that, in this case, the seller's "fine print" exceeded the length of description of the knife. Obviously this seller is more interested in legalities than in the knife. I'm sorry, but that just turns me off. And, finally, this auction surprised me. I predicted a snipper fight at the end, but nothing happened. I am surprised that nobody would even go to $100 for this knife. I, unfortunately, got called to a last-minute emergency, or I certainly would have pushed this one a bit higher. |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | Reserve Not Met at $46.00 | 13DEC99 |
Reserve Not Met. No Sale. The seller is to be commended for pointing out the chip on the handle. This appears to be a nice FHM. $46 would have been a reasonable price for it. Unfortunately, the seller thinks more. |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $77.99 | 23DEC99 |
A nice FHM. The auction's title was "VERY LARGE & VERY OLD BUTTERFLY KNIFE" While the seller seems to think this is a very large knife, it's actually on the short side. Five-inches seems to be the most common blade length on FHMs. I have one with a 27" long blade (just the blade); make no mistake, that's the big one! The seller also seems to think this is an exceptionally old knife, but it looks typical of WWII-era FHMs which aren't that uncommon. Still, it's a nice piece. For $77.99, I'll say +. (BTW, I'm glad that this knife is made of the "very heavy type brass," as opposed to that new "brass lite" stuff that they've come out with these days ;) |
|
(seller's description) |
EB |
Reserve Not Met at $295.00 minimum opening bid 0 bids from 0 bidders That's right, no bids from no bidders. Hello? There's something wrong here. Let's see if we can figure out what it is. |
04JAN00 |
Reserve Not Met. No Sale. Does this description and picture look familiar? This is the same description and the same picture for the same knife that didn't sell at $79.53 just two weeks ago. The seller did not offer a better picture. The seller did not give any more information about the knife. The only thing the seller did was to impose a minimum bid in addition to their hidden reserve! Why would you set a hidden reserve and then impose a minimum bid below that reserve? No wonder there were no bids. If you want people to drop $300+ on your knife, the least you owe them is a couple of really good pictures and a good description of the knife. Most auctions discourage large pictures. So, post couple of small pictures on the auction and then also give a link to a site with larger, more detailed pictures. photopoint.com will host pictures for you for free. |
| BM Custom 4" Tanto with white micarta inserts in SS handles. NIB | CAT | $270 | 04FEB00 | Wow. I am very sorry to say that I am not the buyer here. Whomever is gets the traveling "Best Buy" award for buying a knife worth about twice what he paid for it. +++ |
| BM 5" wee hawk tanto, with skeleton titanium handles (used and 90%conditon) | SHO | $1500 | 05FEB00 | No, that is not a type-o. I have a reliable report of this show sale in Florida. This one now takes the traveling "Are you insane!?!" award. |
 A
PC Model 10 with 3.5" Utility blade. This knife is NIB mint |
SCD | $250 | 14FEB2K | The blade is 100% with no damage to the edge, but some minor scratches on the sides. The handles are milled from solid stainless steel stock. One side of the handles has some small scratches. It's not really bad. This knife comes with the original sheath in perfect condition and comes with the original instruction sheet giving the original North Hollywood address all packed in the original white box which is in near perfect condition. The box confirms that this knife was made in 1979 or 1980. Very special. ++ |
|
This picture shows the "back" side of the sheath. |
SCD | $325 | 14FEB2K | One of the "holy grails" for Bali-Song collectors, the Model 69 was discontinued after less than one year of production. Benchmade never releases production stats, but one can estimate that no more than a few hundred of these were made. This one even comes with the original "North Hollywood address" paperwork. Very special ++ |
 TC
G971S The blade has just a couple of very small rust freckles
but is overall 100%. The edge is undamaged. Mint condition. It's
"Item #10" on the left in the picture. |
SCD | $55 | 14FEB2K | A great Taylor. Well-made, this piece will make a great collector or a sturdy user. Notice the Manila latch. ++ |
|
TC G971 It has just two very tiny bits
of discoloration on the blade. Nothing objectable at all. The
blade is 100%. Mint condition. It's "Item #11" on the
right in the picture. |
SCD | $55 | 14FEB2K | A great Taylor. Well-made, this piece will make a great collector or a sturdy user. Notice the Manila latch. ++ |
 TC
G968 with two-piece open-construction handles of stainless steel
with skeleton holes and, of course, a Manila-style latch. The
handles have a few minor scratches and bumps, but these knives
were Taylor's "economy" series and did not come in
individual boxes, so they got banged up a bit. The blade is a
4" very thin Weehawk or even a Stiletto blade (though with
only one edge). An unsharpened swedge is cut over half way back.
There are just a couple of very minor rust freckles on the blade,
but nothing bad at all. The blade and the edge are basically
100%. The edge is undamaged. This knife is in mint condition. |
SCD | $65 | 14FEB2K | A great Taylor. Well-made, this piece will make a great collector or a sturdy user. Notice the Manila latch. ++ |
|
A nice Hackman butterfly with red plastic handles. It has a 3.75" utility blade which is 100% and undamaged. Mint condition. These knives date the late 1960s or early 1970s. |
SCD | $20 | 14FEB2K | The classic Hackman "CIA knife". So called because the story is that the CIA actually issued these to spies in the field at one time. I don't know about that story (they never issued me one), but I do know that they were sold as a fishing knife since the plastic handles won't rust in a tackle box and the red plastic handles float and are easily seen in dark water if the knife is dropped overboard. Also, the handle design keeps the blade elevated over 1/4" off of whatever you set it on. In a boat, sometimes a bit of water accumulates, so that 1/4" keeps the steel blade out of that water. ++ |
 A
classic Filipino butterfly pen knife with a 3.5" very thin
utility blade. There are a few minor rust freckles, but nothing
objectable. The edge is 100% undamaged original with no signs
of any use. The "handles" are solid brass as is the
"latch" which is made to resemble a "click"
ballpoint pen or mechanical pencil. There is a paper label attached
that reads "Made in Philippines" which leads us to
believe that this piece was made in the Philippines. |
SCD | $20 | 14FEB2K | These novelty pieces where popular in the Philippines in the 60s and 70s. This looks like a classic piece from the 1960s. The prefect accessory for the well-dressed balisong collector. ++ |
 A classic Filipino butterfly pen knife
with a 3.5" very thin utility blade. There are a few minor
rust freckles, but nothing objectable. The edge is 100% undamaged
original with no signs of any use. The "handles" are
solid aluminum as is the "latch" which is made to resemble
a "click" ballpoint pen or mechanical pencil. The latch
is marked "Philippines" on the pocket clip which leads
us to believe that this piece was made in the Philippines. |
SCD | $20 | 14FEB2K | These novelty pieces where popular in the Philippines in the 60s and 70s. This looks like a classic piece from the 1960s. The prefect accessory for the well-dressed balisong collector. ++ |
 A
classic Filipino butterfly pen knife with a 3.5" very thin
utility blade. There are a few minor rust freckles, but nothing
objectable. The edge is 100% undamaged original with no signs
of any use. The "handles" are solid aluminum as is
the "latch" which is made to resemble a fountain pen.
This piece is unmarked. |
SCD | $20 | 14FEB2K | The clip design is a doubtlessly unauthorized knock-off of the trademark design used by the Arrow pen company. These novelty pieces where popular in the Philippines in the 60s and 70s. This looks like a classic piece from the 1960s. The prefect accessory for the well-dressed balisong collector. ++ |
 A
tiny key chain miniature FHM with a 1.75" thin drop-point
blade, though it's hard to tell the edge from the spine such
is the sharpening job. Of course, a miniature knife should have
miniature rust freckles, but just a few, and this one complies;
nothing serious, though. The handles are milled from aluminum
stock and have nice green plastic inserts held on with aluminum
pins. There's even a little, but functional, Batangas latch held
by a copper pin. Of course, there's an attached key chain. |
SCD | $10 | 14FEB2K | It's very detailed and a charming little piece, and not to be confused with the China Cheapies that appear everyday on eBay. This is actually a nice little miniature. It' probably dates to about 1970. A nice piece for a balisong collector or a miniature knife collector. ++ |
 A
Parker Gypsy model 1315 with a 3" utility blade. Ink on
the blade is 100% unfortunately, there is some slight damage
to the edge from manipulation. It comes in the original box. |
SCD | $35 | 14FEB2K | A well-built knife, this will make a great collector or a great user. ++ |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $51 | 18MAR2K |
This Compass Industries 1200 Cho No Shi with the less common red micarta inserts slipped past the eBay balisong police in a short auction and right into my collection. Why did this nominally $100+ knife go for $51? Simple: eBay terminates most better balisong auctions, so balisong buyers don't shop there much anymore. It's just not the best venue to get top-dollar for your balisong. But, good for buyers +++. The CI Cho No Shis are great balisongs. They are very well made. The blade is 440 Stainless and the handles are heavy, solid brass. These make great users as sell as collectibles. No balisong I've ever seen does latch-drop tricks like a Cho No Shi. I think it's the balance of those heavy handles. And, I'm looking forward to getting that 5-foot oven with it too. Maybe I can go into business making long sub sandwiches or something. |
|
The handles are in excellent condition. The Micarta is not faded at all and is 100% intact. A couple of minor scratches. One very minor nick. Very nice. The Batangas latch is very curious. The latch shows signs
of manipulation, but nothing terrible. (The real evil is chipping
of the blade (this is my description of this knife after personally inspecting it) |
PT | $550 | 15MAR2K | As I said in my description, a very nice knife. + |
|
The handles are classic, thick, heavy Bali-Song Cutlery stuff
with wonderfully counter-sunk skeleton holes in the classic pattern.
There's a The latch on this one also shows some damage consistent with manipulation, but not much. Lock is good open and closed. This knife is also in Excellent condition. In fact, I'd give it an Ex+. I really like it. (this is my description of this knife after personally inspecting it) |
PT | $400 | 15MAR2K | As I said in my description "I really like it." + |
|
(seller's description) |
PT | $190 | 10MAR2K |
First, my compliments to the seller for an excellent description. This is a very historically significant balisong. While I doubt that this was the first butterfly knife, I love the seller's theory that the popularity of the balisong in less developed countries (such as the Philippines) is due to the fact that it doesn't require a spring. A truly significant balisong. ++ |
|
(seller's description) |
AZ | $305 | 31MAR2K |
What is it? I don't know. Despite being a 100K file, this picture is very poor. The seller even admits that right on the picture.(IMHO, it is very disrespectful of buyers to post such a poor picture. If you know the picture is poor, don't appologize for it, retake it.) But, I don't think this seller is very respectful of anyone.
The seller originally listed this knife on eBay as a BM 68. When
he was informed on bladeforums.com that it can't be a 68 because
the 68 has a 3.5" blade, not a 4" blade, he insisted,
and I am quoting from the seller's actual post, "If I say
the The BM-68 has a 4 inch blade, then it has a 4 inch blade."
The thread is really quite entertaining. I shouldn't do this
since if sort of violates my policy of not identifying buyers
or sellers, but, oh well, I will At one point, this seller had this knife double-listed on both eBay and Amazon (that's right, two auctions going on simultaneously for the same knife.) This is highly unethical and also quite dangerous. While eBay does routinely terminate butterfly knife auctions, sometimes they miss one. What would this guy have done if he sold the same knife twice in two different auctions? Anyway, enough said about the seller. Let's talk about the knife. I think it's a Benchmade 48. But, I don't think that Benchmade ever made the 48 in Oregon City factory. That's recent-issue paperwork and that appears to be a very new-style sheath too. As a result, just from the picture, I suspect that the sheath and paperwork probably don't go with the knife. The seller makes no comment about the condition of the knife. Maybe that's why the picture is so poor. Given all the other "irregularities" that surround this whole situation, one has to wonder. Of course, there are other options. Maybe a handful of 48s were made in the Oregon City factory and this is one of 'em. That would make it a very rare bird indeed. Or, it could even be a rare custom with a utility blade made at the Oregon City factory, probably by Jody Samson, and supplied with OR City paperwork and a new-style sheath. As a result, the buyer either took advantage of the fact that the seller offended most of the big buyers over on bladeforums.com and snapped up a bargain, or got ripped off buying a very questionable knife. I can't tell, so I'm not gonna rate this one. |
| BM48 NIB | PT | $110.00 | 23MAR2K |
I kid you not, what a coincidence that this report of a BM48 NIB as a PT arrived just as the sale above was going on. What can I say? A great buy on a great knife, and the new winner of the "Best Buy" Traveling Trophy. |
|
Custom Made Butterfly knife by Walter Erickson.It has a Bowie type blade ATS-34 Steel,I measure the blade at 4 inches... The knife has allen head key adjustable pivot screws and a well designed latch that doesn't interfere with the blade.... The handlesare 416 SS with beautiful desert ironwood inlays.The knife was made in 1994 and is in 95% excellent condition it has a couple of very minor scratches,very minor... I'm willing to let it go for only**** $325.00*****shipped anywhere in the USA.However; The buyer must agree to either western union,money gram or send the money Via a US Postal Money order Overnight express.I need the cash as soon as possible (excerpts from seller's description) |
FS | $325 | 12APR2K |
Walter Erickson is retired. This would have been one of his latest balisongs. At this price, it took exactly 32 minutes to sell this knife on a for-sale forum. What a great price for a great knife. Walter Erickson's balisongs are very well known and very well made with a machinist's precision and yet with an artist's touch, allen screws to adjust the piviots, but desert ironwood for the inserts. Pitty there is no picture. I hope the buyer will send me one. But, then again, if the seller had a scanner, he probably would have fire-saled that before this knife. Oh well, I hope the seller's emergency was worth parting with this piece at such a price. For the buyer, +++ (What, no trophy? Well, IMHO, this still doesn't beat the BM48NIB for $110.) |
|
(seller's description) |
FS | $420 | 13APR2K |
Sometimes, one smokes out another. Sometimes, one great knife appears for sale and someone else sees it and says, "Gee, I've got a knife like that in my drawer. I had no idea it was worth that much. I think I'll sell mine." This one took 2 hours and 36 minutes to sell in the forum. It looks like another great example of Walter Erickson's work. Walter Erickson's balisongs are very well known and very well made with a machinist's precision and yet with an artist's touch, allen screws to adjust the piviots, but rosewood for the inserts. This one rates a ++. |
| Taylor Manila folder. 4" weehawk with sharpened false edge. Ink on the blade is in perfect condition. Wonderful, heavy, solid machined brass handles with hidden pins. The brass is absolutely perfect. Mint condition absolutely new in the original box. | SHO | $55 | 15APR2K |
These knives are just wonderfully made. As a user or as a collector, any of the Taylor Manila Folders is a great choice. This one with the heavy brass handles is a favoite of mine and of collectors and users world-wide. At $55, this was a excellent buy. ++ |
|
(seller's description) |
EB |
Reserve Not Met at $66.00 9 bids from 4 bidders |
06APR2K |
The seller obviously doesn't know what he has. 1920 is about right for this German Superior Cutlery Model
274. The "bone-look-alike Plastic" is, of course, the
dreaded celluliod. |
|
The model Number is PC 401. A 440c 4 inch blade drop point with milled stainless handles. Sweet and heavy. Check out the tang stamp. It really is a Pacific Cutlery and in superb condition too. (seller's description) |
AZ | $405 | 13APR2K | A very fine balisong indeed. I'll rate this buy +. |
| PC 404 4" Weehawk Tanto with skeleton handles NIB | SHO | $350 | 15APR2K | A great price for a rather rare model ++ |
| PC Custom 5" Weehawk with factory false edge and with factory file work. Latchless skeleton handles NIB | SHO | $500 | 15APR2K | This is the only time I have ever seen factory filework. But, the factory box said right on it, "w/filework." The filework, I might add, is not that exotic. Nevertheless, this is a very rare piece. ++. |
| BS 4" Bowie with latchless aluminum handles, EX | SHO | $500 | 15APR2K | Again, I've never seen such a thing. The handles are clearly aluminum. The handles, while nice, didn't seem quite like any BS, PC, or BM piece I've ever seen. I almost wonder if the handles are not original to the blade. ?? |
| Kelgin custom. Shiny thin machined brass handles with a unique skeleton pattern.2" California-legal utility blade with matte finish. A few minor scratches from opening on the blade, but the brass is perfect. A cute little knife. NM. | SHO | $50 | 15APR2K | A very attractive little balisong ++ |
| Advertising specialty marked "Olympic Flour" on the safe handle and Port. Flg. Mills Co." on the opposite handle. 1.75" thin utility blade with tang stamp reading "Lederer (over) Import Co. (over) Germany." Near Mint if not Mint condition. | RS | $19.20 | 14APR2K |
Another fine example of miniature balisongs as promotional give-aways. ++ |
| PC Model 68 knife is Mint. With sheath. No box | SHO | $125 | 15APR2K | A good price on a great knife ++ |
| PC Model 69 knife is Mint. With sheath. No box | SHO | $125 | 15APR2K | An outstanding price on a very rare knife +++ |
 Two Taylor Manila folders mint |
FS | $250 | 06APR2K | The Taylor Manila Folders are exceptionally well-made and highly soughtafter. + |
| 5" BS Dealer Sample | PT | $350 | 05APR2K | I wish I was the buyer on this one. "What," you may ask, "is a dealer sample?" Well, BS used to make special pieces, usually bowies, with different inserts on both sides of the handles and with the butterfly logo on both sides of the blade. This way, the knife could be displayed with either side up and show off two different looks while still showing the BS butterfly logo in both cases. These are very rare and usually go for about $700. This buyer got a great deal +++! |
| Miller Cutlery, Largo, Florida. Custom Balisong with black parkerized handles with blue masonite inserts and a four-inch drop-point blade. Mint condition. That the handle pins on these knives are designed to allow the knife to be disassembled. Includes fitted leather sheath. | PT | $200 | 20APR2K | Wow. A great price on a really nice knife. +++. |
| BM Custom 5" Simitar with mirror finish genuine ivory inserts in mirror finished latchless handles. Mint. | PT | $800 | 17APR2K | Wow. What a great knife. ++ |
| BM Model 42 NIB Pre-Production #168/200 | BA | $197.00 | 28MAY2K | This is the first actual BM42 that I've seen offered for secondary-market sale. (One dealer tried to auction BM42s that he had not yet even received). Demand for this new knife has been huge as evidenced by this sale. While due to BM's distribution of these knives, it may be some months before they're actually shipping them, may of the "discount" mail-order, .com dealers are taking orders for the BM42 at about $108. When they finally come, those will not be the specially marked "Pre-Production" pieces. As a collector's piece, it's quite reasonable to pay $197 for this when those dealers who do have them are asking about $150. For a collector, $47 isn't much of a premium to pay to get this special knife into your collection. As a user, though, $90 is a lot of preimum to pay to get it a few months earlier. Since I don't know what the buyer has in mind, I'm not going to rate this sale. |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $31.00 | 28MAY2K |
While not strictly a balisong, this little item did attract my attention. What a great old piece, a precursor of the "modern" multi-tool. Notice the very balisong-like latch.
Anyway, I thought I'd put it here just for interest. |
| Very unusual English balisong pocket knife with silver handles with hallmarks. The hallmarks document this knife as having been made by William Morton of Sheffield, England in 1896. Despite its age, this knife is NM | SHO | $125 | 03JUN2K | What can I say? I'm delighted to have purchased this historic balisong. I think this purchase rates a +. |
| Bali-Song Cutlery Custom 4" Utility with brass handles and elephant ivory inserts. Mint. Les De Asis identified this as one of the first customs with inserts. | SHO | $500 | 03JUN2K | An excellent buy, probably about 2/3 of what this knife is worth. ++ |
| Erickson custom 4" deep belly bowie with stainless steel handles and pure white ivory inserts. All mirror polished. Mint | SHO | $450 | 03JUN2K | Probably one of a kind and that there'll never be another like it. Mr. Erickson's design with two tang pins and with disassemblable joints is quite unique. + |
| Benchmade Custom 5" Weehawk with skelton handles and a very uncommon bead-blasted finish overall. Mint | SHO | $220 | 03JUN2K | An excellent purchase. This knife is quite unique, quite rare. Easily worth three times the price. +++ |
| Benchmade Custom 4" Weehawk with skeleton handles mirror polished oeverall. Mint | SHO | $200 | 03JUN2K | Another very good purchase. This knife is also quite unique and quite rare and is easily worth two to three times the price +++ |
|
unused Model 11 tanto with 3" blade with the box and sheath. It is never cut anything but it has been lightly played with so there are a few light scratches on the latch and butt of the handles. (seller's description) |
FS | $100 | 07JUN2K | Damage on the latch almost always means damage to the blade edge. And, you can't find that damage on the edge, it usually means reground. Yes, manipulation damage cuts into the value of a balisong very quickly. But, I still thing this one probably went for a little less than it's worth. A good buy + |
|
THIS ITEM IS A BUTTERFLY KNIFE THAT LOOKS LIKE TWO BALL POINT
PENS WHEN IT IS CLOSED. IT IS (seller's description) |
EB | $50 | 04JUN2K |
With its less than two inch blade, this balisong is California legal, so e-bay let it go. This knife was not made by Valor, but was rather imported by them from an asian source. It's still well-made. However, I think this price is a bit high. - |
|
All good condition - flipped knives guaranteed to be early Benchmades. One brass - one salesman sample and the rest are solid stainless (seller's description). |
BA |
Reserve NOT met at $1100 1 bid from 1 bidder |
06JUN2K | Quite a display. Unfortunately, the seller didn't give any details about the condition of these knives except to say that they have been manipulated. That raises a lot of questions. Look around on this page and you can see how even slight manipulation damage can easily half the value of a balisong. The picture is to wide a shot to see much detail. The piece on the right with the bone inserts seems to have very loose inserts. I've never seen a salesman's sample with skeletonized handles, either. So, there's a lot of questions here. |
| Pacific Cuterly Model 68 NIB | EB |
Reserve not met @$120 1 bid from 1 bidder |
14JUN2K | The eBay police missed this one and the auction completed, but it still didn't sell because of the reserve price. This just goes to show that eBay isn't a good place to try and sell a balisong these days. Because they all get terminated, nobody looks there anymore. |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $114.00 | 11JUL2K | Ken Largin's balisongs are very well-made and highly sought after. This one looks like a very fine piece. ++ |
  This
unique knife is the Waltco Saf-T-Sheath folding knife. The Saf-T-Sheath
is designed to be a quality hunting knife that will fold up into
the handle and allow you to carry it in your pocket. The folding
handles are in fabulous shape. I'm not sure what the handles
are plated with, but they are still quite shiny and the brown
colored inserts are in good shape with a little pocket wear and
one that has shrunk some with age. The blade has been sharpened,
but is in good shape with a nice patina. The knife is 8 1/4"
long when opened up and 4 5/8" long closed. The blade is
marked "WALTCO SAF-T-SHEATH" and the tang is marked
"MADE IN U.S.A." On the back of each part of the handle,
it is marked"SAF-T-SHEATH OUTDOOR KNIFE, A WALTCO PRODUCT." There is a spring on the end that snaps and locks the knife opened or closed. This is a very unique and interesting knife! |
EB | $37.77 | 04JUL2K |
Here's a bit of balisong history. The Waltco Saf-T-Sheath was one of the earliest examples of an American-made production balisong. Notice the interesting latch. Overall, not a bad buy on a bit of history. + Notice the comment about the handle inserts having "shrunk
some with age." Those inserts are celluloid, so the good
professor must offer his lesson on celluloid handles. |
|
ok this is the last of my bali-song coll. (seller's description) |
FS | $500.00 | 19JUL2K |
Wow. This sounds like a great balisong. ++ |
|
i have a custom bali-song the blade and handles are
both power coated/ or bead (Seller's description) |
FS | $350.00 | 16JUL2K | Description is a bit vauge. I don't know if this is a Benchmade custom Bali-Song or not. But, for a custom balisong, this is a good price. + |
| PC Custom Skeleton Handles w/latch, 5" Kris, NM | PT | $1500.00 | 10JUL2K |
No, I am not either buyer or seller in this transaction. This does illustrate the very high price that excellent Kris blades command. IMHO, this one went cheap ++ |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $10.50 | 23JUL2K | Wow! Those handles sure are neon green. No, there is no relationship between Bear and Frost. The skeleton pattern on the handles of this Frost piece is much different than Bear's and doesn't have the fatal design flaw that Bear suffers. Anyway, this certainly is a very green and very interesting piece. ++ |
|
(seller's description) |
EB | $134 | 25JUL2K | A fine example of Bontgen and Saben's nice butterfly pocket knives, probably made in the early to mid1900s. The Ivory looks to be in pretty good shape, but the blade has just been devastated. "Oh," you might say, "But it looks so nice and shinny and even sharp." Well, that's the problem. This poor blade has been cruely reground. You can see in the picture that it's been ground down upwards of 20%. Soemtime, digital pictures can be hard to judge blade finishes in, but this one appears to be rather polished. I was surprised at how high this one went (almost twice my maximum bid) and I'll give it a -. Sorry. It's really an interesting antique butterfly, just not that interesting, IMHO. |
|
BM 42S 1st Production 42S 1ST-PRODUCTION #363/500 |
FS | $110 | 30JUL2K | Assuming the knife is NIB, this was a great buy. ++ |
|
I have a BM-42A plain edge with blue/purple anodized handles.serial numbered/It's the first production run. I don't have the box for it,and it only has been flipped a few times.It's one of the first BM-42 I've seen with excellent Ti-handle castings.I can't find any factory defects,this is a nice one. (Seller's description) |
FS | $130 | 04AUG2K | Sounds like a good deal to me. ++ |
|
Hello I/ve got a NIB Benchmade 35 original hollywood version with original box and all paperwork for sale. $210 (seller's description |
FS | $210 | 29AUG2K | Sold in about 40 minutes.How valuable? I'll give this purchase a ++ |
|
Pacific Cutlery custom weehawk. 3 inch blade skeletonized handles. Marked Bali-Song USA. It has a menacing 'old school' swedge much like the BM42. If you;'ve seen custom weehawks (hidden pins ofcourse) it loks like a baby version. The top swedge, (ofcourse with all customs) is sharpened. This knife is not nib and under excellent due to makrks in the inner handle and latch. THe blade needs sharpeneing too. Bad looking (scratched up an abused) (seller's description) |
FS | $325 | 07SEP2K | Sold in about a half-hour on the for-sale forum. This sounds like a great knife at a good price. I'll say +. |
|
Pacific Cutlery custom weehawk. Heavyweight 3 inch weehawk
blade with upper false edge sharpened. Marked Bali-Song USA.
This knife is absolutely new in box.. even the latch doesn't
have any scratches. Includes sheath. It (seller's description) |
FS | $400 | 07SEP2K | Sold in about a half-hour on the for-sale forum. The unusual bead blasted finish. That's very uncommon. Very nice. NIB. I'm gonna have to say ++. |
|
Taylor Manila Folder (in box) and an unknown ninja II.
Not sure who the ninja is made by. got them both for £15 (about $22) |
PT | $22 | 15AUG2K |
A rare report coming out of the UK. The "Ninja" could
be either Taylor or Valor. Since it's with the other Taylor,
it might be Taylor too. The Manila Folder are highly sought-after.
I'm gonna award this the highly sought-after Traveling Best Buy
Trophy. +++ |
|
Estate Knife Collection - Bali-Song Folding Knife, Folds into
Its Own Case. excellent condition, looks new to me looks to me
like its a signed limited edition #36/200 (see photos) (Seller's Description) |
EB | $451 | 13AUG2K | Yes, I am the buyer. The knife really isn't in excellent condition and certainly doesn't look new to me. The tang pin is very worn and the knife does not lock open at all. The latch has a few nicks from manipulation and the back of the safe handle is also marked from manipulation. But, the edge is curiously perfect. How can this be? How can there be nicks on the latch without nicks on the edge? Well, the edge has been expertly sharpened. It's a good job and hard to tell. But, it clearly has been sharpened. The Bowie blade was obviously ground (and a nice hollow grind as always) by Jody Samson. But the edge, while great, is not Mr. Samson's work. It's an excellent example of an early BS Custom Bowie. I'll rate myself at ok on this buy. I don't think I got ripped off, but it's not quite what was being sold. No bargain for The Balisong Collector Himself this time. |
|
I've had this for about 6-7 years, but I dont recall using it other that opening envelopes when i first got it. Sheath is the Horizontal wear type. (seller's description) |
FS | $100 | 15AUG2K | Unfortunately, the damage the seller talks so honestly about is due to manipulation. Never the less, these are getting harder to find. So, I'll give this buy a +. |
NON-COLLECTIBLE AND NON-BALISONG "BUTTERFLY" KNIVES OF INTEREST
|
"A very exceptional WW2 vintage butterfly knife that
is in great condition. There was a light coat of rust and
much crude removed and cleaning (seller's description, emphasis added) |
EB | 51.00 | 29AUG99 | Probably a reasonably nice and reasonably valuable FHM with bone handles until the seller tried to remove the rust by polishing the blade and thus ruined the knife as a collectible. I wish I had grabbed a copy of the picture. The blade was practially mirror-polished right up to the tang which was still original finish. IMHO, the buyer bought a virtually worthless knife. The seller might have got $75 - 100 had the knife not been "improved". |
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(seller's description) |
EB | 07SEP99 |
This in not a butterfly knife at all. In fact, I have never seen a Nazi balisong knife that wasn't an obvious fake. I have german-made balisongs that well pre-date WWII, so I know that he balisong design was in Germany at the time. Maybe Hitler didn't like balisongs because I've never seen a genuine Nazi-era balisong. What we have here is a "paratrooper's knife" and not even a genuine Nazi piece either. At least the seller lists it honestly as a reproduction. Here's everything I know and care to know about Nazi cutlery: most of it is fake. One collector lamented to me that Taiwan has made a hundred times as many Nazi knives than Nazi Germany ever did. Many of the fakes are quite good. So, if you are interested in Nazi cutlery, be very careful. |
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"Silver Butterfly Knife -- Overall length is 9 inches. Blade length is 4 inches. Scalloped type handle. Made by Rostfrei. Nice, smooth action. New in box, never been sharpened or used. Silver colored handle." (seller's description, emphasis added) |
EB | 09SEP99 | Sellers should learn a little about what they're selling. Rostfrei is not a maker. It is German for Rust Free and indicates stainless steel. Most balisongs I have seen marked Rostfrei were not even made in Germany. | |
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"BUTTERFLY KNIFE BLUE BOWLING BALL HANDLES" (seller's description) |
EB | 13SEP99 | "Bowling ball handles"? Now there's a new term for skeleton handles. | |
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"A True Jaguar Balisong Butterfly Knife Copy." (seller's description) |
BA | 03DEC99 | Yes, folks, this is a "true copy". I just hate those fake copies. | |
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"This knife flips open to reveal a 4 inch blade. Made with solington steel." (Seller's description) |
YH | 06APR2K | Yes, that famous "Solington" Steel. | |
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(Seller's description) |
This is another style of knife (more like short swords) that are called "Butterfly Knives". Here's everything that I know about them: they just about always come in pairs. They are traditionally displayed crossed as seen in this picture. They are somehow associated with Kung Fu martial arts. And, finally and most importantly, they are not balisongs. "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!" | |||
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(Seller's Description) |
EB | A neat knife indeed. There weren't many of these made. While it kind of looks like a balisong with chunky handles, it is not. Notice that there is only one pivot pin which secures both handles to the blade. The lock mechanism is completely different. And it's not suitable for manipulation in the balisong style. Nice knife, though, and a great piece of PC history. But, it just ain't got that swing. | ||
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It is in near mint condition. ...if it doesn't go at a reasonable bid then I dunno if i still want to part with it. ... I have examined it again recently and it is in tip top
shape. A balisong fanatic's word of honour. (Seller's description) |
EB | $62.00 | 13NOV99 |
Yes, this is a fine treasure for any Benchmade and/or Bali-Song collector. These were never actually "in production." They were always hand made by one craftsman. His untimely death ended the offering. I'd have been excited about this one, but, believe it or not, I just bought several just like it NIB (a lost cache situation). I don't mind saying that I paid a bit more than this. So, I'll award this buyer a +++. Now, as to the sellers last comments about not wanting to sell if the auction doesn't go as high as he wants it to: My friend, that's what minimum bids and published reserves are for. The tools exist to assure you a minimum price. If you don't use 'em, it's your fault. You are now legally obligated, if not duty-bound, to sell that sheath. If your "balisong fanatic's word of honour" means anything, then get busy and find a suitable shipping box. |
| The Advanced Balisong Manual By Jeff Imada. 1986. Used. | EB | $9.00 | 13NOV99 | Not exactly a collectible inasmuchas it's still in publication and can be ordered new at most any good book store, but it's an interesting thing to include here anyway. The cover price on this book is $12.95. By the time you pay shipping, I suspect that this used one will cost more than a brand new one ordered through a local book store would have. That earns the buyer a - - IMHO. |
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you are bidding on on1 pressur point chart which measures 23" wide & 34" long, and one paper back book (the butterfly manual by Donald S. Bitanga. this measures 8x10 with 64 pages showing in detail how to use a butterfly knife (seller's description) |
EB | $15.50 | 14DEC99 |
You can see my comments about Mr. Bitanga's book on my book review page. I haven't seen this book offered for sale very often. $15 is maybe about average, so I'll say OK. |
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The Balisong Manual by Jeff Imada is an instructional book on the use of the famous Filipino Balisong (butterfly) knife. Shows you how to open and close the knife with ease. Lots of pictures and explainations. 11"x8.5", 127 pages. Buyer pays shipping charge of $4.00 (seller's description) |
EB | $7.50 | 18DEC99 |
You can see my comments about Mr. Imada's book on my book review page This book is still in print and can be purchased brand new at finer bookstores everywhere for a cover price of $12.95. Amazon lists it for $10 (plus shipping). Paying $11.50 for it used qualifies for a - at best. |
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(seller's description) |
EB | $20.50 | 18DEC99 | WOW! Add this one to the "are you insane!?!" file. You can still order this thing new from BM for about half that! Sorry, but a big - - on that buy. |
| The Balisong Manual by Jeff Imada | EB | $14.99 | 27DEC99 | WOW! We have a new winner of the traveling "Are You Insane!?! Trophy." As I noted above, this book is still very much in print and Amazon lists this book new for $10 (plus a few bucks shipping). This guy paid $14.99 plus $3.50 s/h, and the auction description doesn't even promise new. |
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The Balisong Manual, ... Book is slightly worn (not new). Buyer pays shipping charge of $3.00. (seller's description) |
EB | $11.00 | 02JAN00 | $14.00 total??? That's better than the award-winning $18.49 paid by the last buyer. But, this one says, "Book is slightly worn". This is still more than you'd pay for this book new from Amazon.com and still earns a --. |
| The Balisong Manual by Jeff Imada | EB | $9.00 | 03JAN00 | Yet another copy of Mr. Imada's fine book. Finally, someone makes a good buy on it. This listing says, "Buyer to pay postage", so we can assume that this smart buyer will pay only the actual postage, similar to what you would pay buying from Amazon and this buyer paid less than Amazon's list price for the book. Still, though, for a dollar more, I'd have gone with Amazon and avoided all the uncertainties of an auction. But, I'll still say this auction was an ok buy. |
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Balisong knife video by Jeff Imada. Learn how to use the butterfly knife, from openings and closings, to actual use. (seller's description) |
EB | $26.50 | 09JAN00 | This tape is also widely available new from AWMA among others typically for about $20-$25 plus shipping. So, I gotta rate this buy a -. (I'm not gonna give it the award, though, because it's not quite as bad as paying $18.49 for a book that Amazon lists for $10+s/h. |
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The Manipulation Manual for the "Balisong" knife, by Tom Wei Ding and Tom Wei Toi, published in 1983 by Sunrider Corporation of New York. With nicely done black-and-white pictures, the authors demonstrate basic manipulations, sheaths and draws, sharpening and maintenance, and even show some combative applications. This copy is in excellent condition. |
SCD | $40.00 | 14FEB2K | This is a rare book. Not many copies were made. |
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(seller's description) |
EB | $20.50 | 14FEB2K |
You can see my comments about Mr. Bitanga's book on my book review page. I haven't seen this book offered for sale very often. $15 is maybe about average, so I'll say - for this one. |
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PT | $75.00 | 15MAR2K |
As I said in my description, "a rare example of the hand-made Bali-Song leather sheaths" + |
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BALISONG -- IRON BUTTERFLY by Cacoy "Boy" Hernandez, "Being the life and times of a fighting man (The years 1947-1951)" Printed in Great Britain by Anchor Brendon Ltd, with U.S. Distributor Sakura / Dragon Corporation. Copyright1985, first published June 1985, Second impression March 1986. Paperbound with glossy cover, 6" x 9", 98 pages. Illustrated, in black and white |
EB | $41.00 | 08APR2K |
This book really isn't that much about balisongs as it is about Cacoy Hernandez who has been called the last of the great escrimadors. It's an entertaining biography of a colorful man. The one offered here is the long out-of-print hard cover edition. This book is still available in soft cover from Amazon.com for about nine dollars. If the buyer bought it to learn balisong manipulation, it was a very bad buy. If the buyer bought it just for the text, that was a mistake. But, if the buyer bought it as a collectible book, well then, I don't know since I'm not a book collector. |
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The Balisong Manual by Jeff Imada Retails for $12.95 paperback in very good condition...winning bidder pays $4.00 shipping and handling. (seller's description) |
EB | $7.00 | 09APR2K | Well, $4 for S/H seems a bit much to me. You can send it book rate for about a dollar. Most any book store can order it in for you for the $12.95 cover price. So, to pay $11.00 for a used copy is only a $1.95 savings. I'm still going to say - |
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BALISONG THE LETHAL ART OF FILIPINO KNIFE FIGHTING by
Sid (seller's description) |
EB | $9.99 | 01JUN2K | This book is nicely done, has good photographs etc. It covers only basic, combative openings etc., and then proceeds to some knife combatives. The authors are all respected authorities. This book is still in print and has a cover price well above this price. So, even after postage, this was a good buy on a good book. + |
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BALISONG THE LETHAL ART OF FILIPINO KNIFE FIGHTING by Sid Campbell, Gary Cagaanan, Sonny Umpad. |
EB | $10.50 | 05JUN2K | Same book as above. Different seller, though. Still a good buy + |
* All prices are in US Dollars. Unless otherwise noted, prices do not include shipping and handling, etc.
