Valhalla Cutlery Solid Brass Handle Balisong Butterfly Knife w/ S30v by Alan Harvey

[technofreak928]

dude all balis are sharp thats what taping them id for!

[BmoreXtreme]

Are any of these still available??

[Roadsideimports]

@BmoreXtreme Yes, I have one left instock and I also have a one of a kind model left that I will be listing soon.

[tone1132]

Good review man. nice flipping. 

[Stonyman65]

American Ninja!!!

[Chickenman9922]

@Stonyman65 the balisong is from the Philippines dumb ass

[Stonyman65]

@Chickenman9922 calm down fucker. I was referring to the movie American Ninja where the main character used a brass bali. thats one of the reasons why they where so popular in the 80's.

[Roadsideimports]

@Stonyman65 and @Chickenman9922 you guys both need to relax. Got to get your facts straight before you call someone a dumb ass because being a ignorant and not studying your holy homework is far worse because you grow up to be a moron.

[Roadsideimports]

Many believe the butterfly knife first came to American shores in the early part of the 20th century with Filipino immigrants, but its popularity and infamy in the United States only really began after US soldiers returned with balisongs from the Philippines after World War II.

[Roadsideimports]

The balisong is believed to be much older than this, however. Patents for knives that look very much like the butterfly knives produced in Batangas in the Philippines in the early 20th century existed in France as early as the 18th century, and similar knives were also produced in Germany, Italy and Spain in the 19th century.

[Roadsideimports]

It is plausible that the arrival of the first balisong in the United States was in the 18th or 19th century and that the fan knife was of European origin. It may have been a European immigrant or returning American citizen who brought a European butterfly knife to the US first, rather than a Filipino immigrant bringing a Batangas-made balisong to the US.

[Roadsideimports]

Some even believe the butterfly knife made it to the Philippines when Jose Rizal, one of the Philippines’ national heroes, returned to Spain from his travels with a European-made butterfly knife among his possessions. Such a statement would be considered blasphemy by many in the Philippines, who believe the design of the balisong is ancient and purely Filipino.

[Roadsideimports]

Without proof, however, it is impossible to discount any of these theories, as the design may have been patented in Europe after European travelers and sailors got their hands on even older Filipino balisongs. The definitive truth, as is often the case with history, is obscured by the sands of time. Rizal may even have introduced the Filipino balisong to Europe!

[Roadsideimports]

The balisong became less popular in Europe in the latter part of the 19th century, but in the early 20th century, the pandays (metal craftsmen) of Batangas began producing the fan knife to meet local demand. These balisongs had karabaw (water buffalo) horn inserts and brass handles, and the blades were made of recycled steel, often from vehicle leaf springs.

[Roadsideimports]

This perhaps lends credence to the theory the term “balisong” comes from two Tagalog words: “baling” and “sungay,” or “broken” and “horn.” The horn inserts were ‘broken’ pieces of karabaw horn, but the handles could also be rotated apart or “broken.”

[Roadsideimports]

The Batangas balisongs produced in the early 20th century strongly resembled the designs of the balisongs produced in Germany at around the same time (or vice versa).

[Roadsideimports]

What we do know, however, is the popularity and ubiquity of the Filipino balisong surpassed that of any European butterfly knife design in the decades (and centuries) to come, and that the design became synonymous with the Philippines: Batangas in particular, although similarly designed knives known as mais-mais (corn-corn) also became popular in and around the island of Cebu in the 20th century.

[Roadsideimports]

Balisongs were used for many everyday tasks, including shaving! Balisongs were far more common than straight razors prior to the Second World War.

Batangas in the Philippines was soon thought of by many, particularly in the Philippines, as the home of the balisong. Many of the towns and barrios around the province still have families that make the distinctively Batangueño knife with varying degrees of quality and success.

[Roadsideimports]

These knives were so popular that they were mass produced around Asia in the latter part of the 20th century to meet growing US demand. Unfortunately, the small size, concealability and opening mechanism of butterfly knives (as they came to be known) led to their popularity with American criminals, much like the Italian stiletto, and the US Government introduced the Switchblade Act in 1958, which was later interpreted to also include the butterfly knife.

[Roadsideimports]

Imports of butterfly knives and automatics were subsequently made illegal, but both continue to be commonly available on the US market today due to domestic production and continued importation from Asia and Europe. 

[Roadsideimports]

Today, the butterfly knife continues to be maligned and connected with crime around the world and it has been made illegal in several countries, including in the Philippines, where it is considered a deadly weapon with no other use but in crime, according to law enforcement agencies.

[Roadsideimports]

Sadly, the butterfly knife is no more dangerous than any other knife and is slower into operation than modern folders of legal design made by prominent manufacturers such as Benchmade and Spyderco, both of which continue to domestically produce butterfly knives to meet US demand. In Batangas, efforts have been made to promote the balisong as the quality working knife that it is—some have even stated that it is commonly used for circumcision there!

[Roadsideimports]

Unfortunately, due to their relatively low cost and ubiquity in the Philippines compared to imported knives (the Philippines puts a hefty duty on virtually all imports), balisongs continue to be popular with Filipino criminals. Their image and unique opening mechanism is another factor that leads to their continued prominence, and modern balisongs are being made with increasingly better quality every day.

[Roadsideimports]

Even in the Philippines, where balisongs were traditionally made with recycled brass and steel, aluminum and stainless steel is becoming more common in balisong manufacture.

[Roadsideimports]

1. The oldest dated physical evidence of the balisong knife is from the French. This evidence supports that the French invented the knife. The book "Le Perret" shows an obvious sketch of a balisong knife, and is dated 1710 A.D. The book itself suggests the balisong was developed in the late 1600’s or early 1700’s A.D.

[Roadsideimports]

2. The oldest English patent issues to the German Cutlery Firm of Bontgen and Sabin’s on April 12, 1880. It seems to describe the balisong pretty well. Bontgen and Sabin’s Catalog of 1895 has many balisongs for sale. The patent does not support the invention of the knife design but does show a time line of the knife.

[Roadsideimports]

3. Many people argue that the balisong knife dates back to around 800 A.D. and is a traditional weapon of the Filipino fighting art of Eskrima; however, it is not actually a prominent weapon in the art. Then I’d like to point out that in Manila Museum, in the Philippines, gives credit of invention to the French.

[Roadsideimports]

4. The Oldest American Company to Produce Balisong Butterfly Knives is the Hemming Cutlery of New Haven, Connecticut in 1905.

[Roadsideimports]

But Thanks to Biohazard for his patent research and contributions.

US Pat. # 124,566 Garrick, 1872

US Pat. # 229,706 Jansen, 1880

German Patent Boentgen & Sabin, 1880

Deasey, 1881

US Pat. # 365,086 Miller, 1887

US Pat. # 881,294 Billings, 1908

[Roadsideimports]

It is claimed that "Perfecto de Leon" is the father of Balisong i the Philippines and records have it that the first one was made in 1905. With the advent of the Industrial revolution, requirements for the lowly "Itak" or bolo decreased and Perfecto de Leon turned to manufacturing knives and eventually to development and propagation of the balisong as a weapon truly Filipino Barrio Balisong shares the industry with the other near by barrios such as Pook, Buli, and Tolo.

[Roadsideimports]

After World War II, during what is known as the liberation period, balisong knives became popular among the American soldiers who bought them back with them to the Western World.

[Roadsideimports]

Today, the balisong is again receiving an even greater popularity with the revival of martial arts and the impact of modern communications media such as print publications and features films. In some cases, the balisong is even referred to as "Ninja Knife", possibly the product of western creative mind, attributing to the right application but the wrong country of origin.

[Roadsideimports]

So if the father of the knife is in 1905 in the Philippines then "Le Perret" in 1710 A.D is about 200 years prior to this and US patents even date 30 years before this.

So you can cry about things all you want, but you will have to provide some solid proof of your claims @Stonyman65 or you should go back to hitting the pipe and fall victim to being the stupid stoner.

To me that is not really something to strive for because you most likely are capable of learning.

[Roadsideimports]

@Chickenman9922 on the other had, no in the 1980's Taylor Cutlery Manila Folders, Valor Golden Dragons, and Pakistani models where standard with brass handles. The Pakistani models flooded the market and were the cheapest and most widespread through the US. Cheap Shit sells, but they were better than alot of current Chinese models so don't get to quick to throw them under the buss. I don't know if they were popular but more of what was available at the time from suppliers.

[Roadsideimports]

So hopefully that was helpful to some people out there. and please feel free to provide solid proof if you deviate from what I stated. Making comments is fine but making statements without supporting evidence puts you in the moron stat so feel free to be smart and provide proof to all of us if things are wrong because most of us out here would really be interested in evidence and facts.

[Stonyman65]

@Roadsideimports Thats right! Glad to see ya back, I was getting worried after a while with all the benchmade lawsuits and stuff.

[Roadsideimports]

@Stonyman65 Just have to find time to do things. Hopefully, shortly I can find the time to get things sorted out and get some things posted, it has been a long time and well overdue for sure.

[BronzedAussieMate]

Awesome Review, nice lighting highlights the knife perfectly well done

[ssadriank]

@BronzedAussieMate thank you :D

[FoolieGraffiti]

wth beginin lol nice knife

[dusteater86]

ur a kid...

[ssadriank]

@dusteater86 i am the person who did the reveview

[bonneyman64]

whats the cost?

[ssadriank]

@bonneyman64 for this specific one it is 249.99 for a nickel, copper or bronze one its 299.99 the new titanium ones are 349.99

[RDS5284]

Drool...ME LIKES! Thanks for the Spyderfly.

[ssadriank]

NICE!

[fredwreckless]

sexy