All of the outstanding custom balisongs offered for sale on this page come from Pabu Knife of Portland, Oregon. Pabu is a family operation. They are a Filipino-American family. They do not have a website of their own. But, they have asked me to operate this page for them and to act as sort of a retailer for them. In exchange for this, I receive $20 from the purchase price of each knife. What this tells you is that I am not in this to make money; $20 barely covers my costs. I'm not a dealer, I'm really just sort of acting as a middle-man for a very modest fee.

I think this family makes wonderful knives combining the best of Filipino tradition with modern materials and methods. I'm pleased to help them and pleased to make these great knives more readily available to the balisong community.

Pabu also accepts commissions for fully-custom knives, balisong, conventional folders, fixed-blades, and even automatic knives. Because there's a bit of a language-barrier, Pabu has asked me to handle the initial interactions with would-be custom customers. If you are serious about commissioning a custom knife, I will put you directly in touch with the folks at Pabu and you will complete your deal directly with them. Because you will close your deal directly with Pabu, I receive nothing in those cases. If you're interested in commissioning a full-custom Pabu knife, just e-mail me.

To purchase one of the knives shown here, just e-mail me. Be sure to indicate which knife or knives you want (you might want to include a second choice in case your first is already sold), AND include your postal ZIP code so I can look up shipping costs.

If you have questions about a specific piece, just e-mail me and I'll be happy to answer. Remember, I have these knives in my possession right now and so I can double-check any detail you might be concerned about.

You may click on any picture to see a higher-resolution view. The high-res pictures open in new windows, so you may need to bypass/disable any pop-up blocking software you have.

Item P1 is a very utilitarian Pabu custom balisong. It features sandwich-style construction with brass handles and tan Micarta inserts held by brass pins. The blade is a slightly-drop-pointed utility style made of Brad Vice Damascus steel. The twisted Damascus has a lot of character. The blade is differentially-tempered. There's fancy filework on the spine and nice filework on the tang, on the bolsters, and the T-Style latch. It's stamped PABU on one side of the tang, and USA on the other. It's a little tight out of the box, but with a bit of lubrication and a few hours of break-in, this will be a great swinger and a great working carry piece that will hold up for years of use. This is a Pabu you can afford.

$325 SOLD.

Item P2 is not a balisong at all, really. Technically, and legally, it's a fixed-blade sheath knife since there's no way to "close" it such that there isn't a blade exposed. It features sandwich-style construction with brass handles and tan Micarta inserts held by brass pins. The blade(s) is made of Brad Vice Damascus steel. The twisted Damascus has a lot of character. The blade(s) is differentially-tempered. There's fancy filework on the spine and elsewhere including the T-Style latch. It's stamped PABU on one side and USA on the other. It latches in either position. It comes with a simple, but durable, Pabu-made leather sheath set up for vertical belt carry. These knives are very popular with local hunters who use one blade for routine camp chores and keep the second in reserve (and sharp) for dressing game. This is another very afford able Pabu knife.

$325 Still available. SOLD.

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Item P3 is a classic Pabu Custom Balisong with Sandwich-style handles that feature Titanium liners for light-weight. The bolsters are brass as is the latch. The inserts are genuine ivory. The blade features the formal Pabu Tang Stamp; it's a sort of utility blade with a sharpened false edge and minor file work. There's a bit of checkering on the latch too. With the ivory, this is a very beautiful knife but is also very practical. It would be perfect either as a large carry piece or as a collectible.

$450. SOLD

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Item P4 is a classic Pabu Custom with Sandwich-style handles of brass with Cocobolo inserts. The wood had great character and its warmth compliments the brass perfectly. The brass is done with a slightly frosted, less polished finish. The blade is thick and heavy and made of Alabama Damascus by Brad Vice. A very utilitarian profile, it begs to be carried and used. But, with filework on the spine and around the tang, it will work with style and sophistication. The tang is stamped "USA" on the front and "PABU" on the back. The Damascus-steel latch has some minor checkering. The wide, thick blade and brass handles make this a heavy knife, great for those prefer a bit if heft.

$450 SOLD.

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Item P5 features a wonderful modified-spearpoint blade (sharpened on only one side for safe manipulation). It is rare to see a knifemaker make such perfect, symmetric use of Damascus-steel (Alabama Damascus by Brad Vice) in a spearpoint. The pattern in the steel is just beautiful and perfectly-used. The ricasso is stamped Pabu on "USA" on the front and "PABU" on the back. The tang is embellished with filework. The handles have brass bolsters with a slightly frosted (less polished) finish, but the liners are Titanium to reduce weight and increase strength. The inserts are jet-black paper micarta held with contrasting brass pins. The latch is Damascus steel with minor checkering.

$450 SOLD

Item P6 is a place setting Pabu Lifetime, the perfect table service for a balisong enthusiast. Read more about Pabu Life time by clicking HERE. Item P6 includes all three pieces, a fork, a spoon, and the Pabu balisong knife.

$350 SOLD

Note, please, that the spoon and fork are used and the handles of the Pabu Lifetime knife is made from used silverware too. As a result, some minor signs of usage are expected. The knife blade is, however, hand-made by Pabu and very nice.

Item P7 is another place setting of Pabu Lifetime. Except, the Pabu-made knife blade is of Alabama Damascus by Brad Vice. You'll receive all three pieces.

$400 Sold.

Note, please, that the spoon and fork are used and the handles of the Pabu Lifetime knife is made from used silverware too. As a result, some minor signs of usage are expected. The knife blade is, however, hand-made by Pabu and very nice.

Item P8 is wonderful piece. The blade is a "file blade" which means it was actually made from a file. Don't believe me? Well, the Nicholson U.S.A. logo is still visible on the tang. Seriously, if you think about it, what is a file but a series of tiny knives? Files are made of the same sort of steel that makes good knives. There's a long tradition of blacksmiths making knives from worn-out files. Here's one made into a balisong. The handles are expertly-crafted from solid brass and feature eight picture-framed inserts of white to slightly gold-lipped Mother of Pearl. The pearl is all very pretty with nice depth and good colors. Notice how the handles all but touch when the knife is open or closed. That's Pabu precision. This is a very nice Pabu piece.

$400 Sold.

Item P9 is playfully entitled "Little Giant." The weight given on the picture is not a type-o; this knife tilts the scale at an even pound (almost half a kilogram). There is nothing small about this balisong including the four genuine ivory inserts. With over ten square inches (over 67 square cm) of ivory, this would be a great knife to get scrimshawed. When the handles are latched open or closed, the ivory inserts meet with virtually no gap, so a scrimshawed image could span both insert. Of course, unadorned ivory is a beautiful material and pieces this large are impressive on their own. The blade is about 1 3/8 inch (3.5cm) wide at the tang. There's some minor filework on the blade and some checkering on the latch.

$550. SOLD.

Sit down while I tell you about item P10, a great Kris-bladed balisong by Pabu Knife. It's sandwich-style construction. The inserts are big slabs of genuine ivory. This is another Pabu that could easily be scrimshawed (about 7 square inches (45 sq. cm) of ivory). The bolsters are made from the handles of old silverware giving the knife an antique look which the texturing on the ricasso supports and would really lend itself well to a scrimshaw motif. The blade is Alabama Damascus steel but is unetched so the Damascus pattern is not dramatically visible.

$700 SOLD.

Item P11 is a very utilitarian Pabu Custom balisong. The channel-style brass handles have brown micarta inserts held by brass screws. The high-speed steel blade has a matte finish. There's minor filework on the tang and latch.

$400 SOLD.

P12 is another very nice, slightly dressy but still very usable Pabu custom. It's a little longer than P11. Like P11, it features channel-style, solid brass handles with brown micarta inserts held by brass screws. A couple of the inserts have some minor scuffs. The blade is high-speed steel with a matte finish. The drop-point blade is very useful and has nice filework on the spine and a bit on the tang too. There's minor filework on the latch too, and an excellent, clear Pabu tang stamp on the front of the ricasso.

$400 SOLD.

Item P13 sports snakewood inserts in its solid brass, channel-style handles making it a very dressy knife indeed. Its smaller size and very thin profile (it's just 3/8 inch (9.5mm) thick) make it a great carry knife. The blade is high-speed steel with a matte finish. There's minor filework on the tang and some checkering on the latch.

$400 SOLD.

Item P14 is another nice and very usable Pabu Custom. This one features ironwood inserts with great character in solid-brass, channel-style handles. The high-speed steel blade features filework on the spine and there's minor checkering on the latch.

$400 SOLD.

Item P15 returns to the ivory theme. This is a narrow knife which is a typical style for Filipino balisongs. The handles are just 23/32 inch (18.3mm) wide when latched closed or open and the blade is only about 9/16 inch (14.3mm) wide. The narrow ivory inserts don't leave much room for scrimshaw, though it could be done. The ivory is very pretty, though, just as it is. There's minor filework on the tang and some checkering on the latch to further dress up this nice knife.

$400 SOLD.

Item P16 is only less than four inches long when closed. It's a little mini-bali. With polished brass and gold-lip mother of pearl, it's a very dressy balisong, sort of gentleman's balisong. There's minor checkering on the latch.

$400 SOLD.

CLICK HERE to go see more great Pabu knives which are not for sale but just for looking.

I have examined these items. I took the pictures. And I wrote the descriptions. I believe they're accurate.

I try to mark items "sold" immediately. If it's not marked, then there's a good chance it's available. All sales are first-come, first-served. When e-mailing for a specific item, you may want to indicate a second choice in case your first is sold.

Prices are in US Dollars and do not include shipping and handling which will be added at actual cost. Please include your zip code when you place your order so that I can tell you how much shipping will be.

When payment is by cashier's check, money order, or wire-transfer, I send the items immediately (within a few days). If you choose to send a personal check, I have to wait seven days for clearance (maybe longer for international orders). I can't accept credit cards or Paypal, sorry.

All knives include a seven-day, no-fault return privilege. Just return the knife post-paid and undamaged within seven days and I'll refund your purchase price. You risk only the postage.

International buyers are welcome. It's perfectly legal to export a balisong out of the US. However, some nations have restrictions on importing them. You are responsible to comply with your nation's laws and are responsible for any customs-related losses. Don't worry. I've sold many balisongs internationally. E-mail me and we'll figure the whole thing -- payment, shipping, etc. -- out.

The buyer is responsible to comply with local laws regarding the legality of owning a balisong in his area. By making an offer to purchase a balisong from this page, the would-be buyer represents that he may lawfully buy and own a balisong.

Offer void where prohibited by law.