Philippine Visayan Damascus Steel Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Beautiful Handle BF-124
Original price was: $249.95.$187.46Current price is: $187.46.
Damascus is folded and forge-welded, so the layering comes out differently on every blade and no two BF-124s are quite alike.
Blade Materials – Damascus, layers of high carbon steel forge-welded and folded
Handle Materials – Brass with black micarta
Overall Length – 29cm
Blade Length -14cm
Weight – 220g
Handmade in Austin, TX. Ships Worldwide.
Every knife is built by hand in our workshop in Austin, Texas, by Filipino makers trained in the Batangas tradition. We ship to any country we are allowed to send a knife to. Free shipping inside the United States, 49 USD flat everywhere else. Shipping and delivery times
The BF-124 is a Philippine Visayan balisong with a Damascus blade: 29cm open, a 14cm blade, 220g, brass with black micarta. No two of these are alike, which everybody says. What nobody explains is how to actually look at a pattern-welded blade and tell whether it was done well.
What you are looking at
Pattern-welded Damascus is layers of steel forge-welded together, folded, drawn out, and folded again. Each fold doubles the layer count. The pattern you see is the boundary between those layers, made visible by acid etching, because the different steels in the mix resist the acid at different rates and one is left standing slightly proud of the other.
So the pattern is a cross-section of the blade’s own history. Where the smith worked the steel hard, the lines compress. Where the billet was drawn out, they stretch. It is a record of what happened on the anvil.
How to read one
| What to look for | Good sign | Bad sign |
|---|---|---|
| Line continuity | Lines run unbroken across the blade | Lines stop dead, or jump sideways |
| Layer spacing | Consistent through the length | Bunched in one area, sparse elsewhere |
| The edge itself | Pattern runs right to the bevel | Pattern vanishes near the edge |
| Dark spots or seams | None | Round dark voids. Cold shuts, a failed weld |
| Symmetry across the blade | Broadly mirrored | One side completely different from the other |
| Depth of the pattern | You can feel a faint texture | Perfectly smooth. Possibly printed rather than forged |
The fake Damascus problem, briefly
There is a great deal of chemically etched and laser printed “Damascus” on the market, and it is easy to spot once you know. Printed patterns are perfectly smooth, perfectly regular, and identical on every knife in a listing. Real pattern welding has a faint texture you can feel with a fingernail, and it is never twice the same.
The reliable tell is the listing itself. Anything under about forty dollars claiming Damascus is not Damascus. Forge welding is slow, skilled work and the material cost is the smallest part of it.
What the pattern does not tell you
How well it cuts. That comes from what the constituent steels are and how they were heat treated, and the pattern is silent on both. A beautifully patterned blade with a bad heat treat is a poor knife with a good photograph.
Ours is layers of high carbon steel, heat treated to 58-60 HRC. It takes a very keen edge and comes back on an ordinary stone in minutes. It will also spot if you leave it wet, because there is no chromium in the mix, so wipe the blade dry when you put it down.
The Visayan frame and micarta balisong handle
Twenty-nine centimetres open with a 14cm blade, the traditional full size. The rotation is slow and deliberate at 220g, which gives you time to correct a mistake and asks a firm grip in exchange.
The handle is brass with black micarta: cloth or paper in cured resin, entirely stable, immune to moisture, and grippier than polished horn in a warm hand. It is the least traditional material on a very traditional knife, and it is there because it needs nothing from you while the blade does.
Living with a Damascus balisong blade
- Wipe it dry every time. This is high carbon steel in layers and it behaves like high carbon steel.
- A light oil once a month.
- Do not store it in the leather sheath.
- A patina will form and it will slightly soften the contrast of the pattern. That is normal and reversible.
Ordering this Damascus tanto balisong
Unsharpened trainer, chosen above Add to Cart. A fair number of people buy Damascus blunt, since the appeal here is largely what it looks like.
A fitted leather sheath comes with it, cut for the 29cm frame. US shipping is free, flat $49 to anywhere else for the entire order.
Every knife is checked for lockup, pivot action and edge before it goes in the box. Nothing ships that we would not keep for ourselves.
Processing
Most orders leave the bench in 1 to 3 business days. If the knife you picked is not in stock we forge it for you, which takes roughly 2 to 3 weeks. Engraving adds a little time on top of that.
What shipping costs
- United States: free on every order.
- Everywhere else: a flat 49 dollars for the whole order, however many knives are in it, so two at once ship for the same as one.
How long it takes
- USA: 4 to 8 business days
- International: 8 to 14 business days, longer if customs takes an interest
Those are carrier estimates, not promises we can enforce.
Tracking
A tracking number reaches you by email as soon as the parcel is collected. Carriers often take 24 to 48 hours to start showing movement, so a quiet first day is normal.
Customs and local law
Import duty, VAT and customs fees are set by your own country and are yours to pay. Balisong law varies by country and by US state, so it is worth checking yours before you order.
The full detail lives on Order and Shipping and Return or Exchange.
Hand-forged in the Batangas tradition
The balisong was born in Batangas, Philippines. Every knife in this catalogue is made by Filipino artisans and metalworkers, many from families with generations of experience, now working in the United States. Blades are ground from 440C stainless, D2 tool steel, VG10, high carbon and Damascus, and fitted to handles of kamagong ebony, carabao horn, Philippine deer horn and bone.
Checked four times
Detailed hand inspection, smoothness and pivot testing, blade alignment checks, and durability and finish quality control. If a knife doesn't meet our standards, it never reaches our customers.
Engraving available
Initials or short text $19 in the font you choose, a custom logo $29. Select it above Add to Cart and upload the logo file at checkout.
A sheath with every knife
Every knife includes a fitted leather sheath. Both live blades and trainers are offered, and every order ships worldwide with tracking.
Buying more than one?
Trade pricing starts at ten pieces and reaches 45% under retail at volume, with your logo on the bolster. See wholesale and bulk, or design one from scratch.
Owner reviews
What owners say
3 reviews for Philippine Visayan Damascus Steel Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Beautiful Handle BF-124
Shipping and returns
Processing
Most orders ship in 1 to 3 business days.
USA delivery
4 to 8 business days, tracked door to door.
International
8 to 14 business days. Customs times vary by country.
Made to order
Out of stock pieces are handcrafted for you in 2 to 3 weeks.
We ship worldwide. The customer is responsible for customs, VAT and local legality.
Returns and exchanges Read the warranty
Emily Santos –
Perfect knife. Perfect action. No complaints. Bushings feel buttery smooth after just a bit of use. This is my new favorite in the collection.
Tyler Murphy –
Bought this on a whim and it turned out to be one of my favorite pickups in a long time.
Patricia Ross –
Got this for a birthday gift and now I want one for myself too. Handles have a great grip even during fast flips. Zero complaints from me on this purchase.