Handmade Balisong Kitchen Chef Knife | Forge Finished High Carbon Steel | Stag Handle with Copper Bolsters and Leather Sheath BF-172
Original price was: $396.95.$297.71Current price is: $297.71.
Same forged blade as the BF-165, but the bolsters are copper, and copper is the one metal on a knife that is supposed to change colour.
Blade Material – High Carbon Steel, forge finish with polished bevel
Handle Material – Stag with copper bolsters
Overall Length – 30.5 cm (12 in)
Blade Length – 18 cm (7 in)
Hardness – 58-60 HRC
Sheath – Fitted leather, included
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-172 is a 12 inch balisong chef knife, forged high carbon, stag panels, copper bolsters. The copper is the reason this listing exists separately from the BF-165, so that is where we will spend the words.
Copper bolsters are uncommon, and here is why
Copper is soft. Softer than brass, considerably softer than steel, and a bolster is not a decorative part. It carries the pivot and takes the load every time the handle swings, so working in copper means machining it thicker and fitting it tighter than you would have to with brass.
It also marks if you look at it wrongly during assembly. Most workshops fit brass, which behaves, and move on with their day. We fit copper on a small number of pieces because nothing else on a knife ages quite like it.
What the copper will do
Darken. First to a deep rose, then towards brown, and eventually to a patina that sits somewhere between bronze and chocolate. Hands accelerate it, because skin oils and salt are exactly what copper reacts with, so the areas you hold will always be a shade ahead of the areas you do not.
This is not tarnish in the sense of damage. It is a stable oxide layer and it protects the metal underneath. If you want it bright again, a minute with a copper polish takes it back and the clock starts over. Our advice is to leave it. A knife that records who has been using it is worth more than one that does not.
Copper against stag
Stag runs cream to tan to a weathered brown at the bark. Copper starts warm and moves brown. The two materials converge over a few years rather than diverging, which is unusual, and it is the reason this combination gets made at all.
Set the same stag against steel bolsters and you get contrast. Set it against copper and you get a knife that looks increasingly like one object rather than three materials bolted together.
The blade, briefly
Hand forged high carbon, forge scale left on the flat, bevel ground to bright steel, hardened to 58-60 HRC. It takes a very keen edge and gives it up quicker than D2 would. It also comes back on a stone in minutes rather than an evening, which is the trade most people would take.
It has no corrosion resistance to speak of. Wipe it dry and it will outlive you.
One thing to avoid
Do not put copper and acid together and walk away. Lemon juice, vinegar and tomato left sitting on a copper bolster will strip the patina in patches and leave a mottled surface that takes a full polish to correct. Rinse and dry after acidic work and none of that happens.
Specifications for this stag and copper balisong chef knife
| Overall length | 30.5 cm, 12 in |
| Blade length | 18 cm, 7 in |
| Blade | High carbon steel, forge finish with polished bevel |
| Hardness | 58-60 HRC |
| Handle | Stag with copper bolsters |
| Sheath | Fitted leather, included |
Ordering the BF-172
Sharpened, tuned and checked by hand, with a fitted leather sheath and a gift box.
Laser engraving is $29, chosen on this page. Free shipping inside the United States, flat $49 worldwide.
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
8 reviews for Handmade Balisong Kitchen Chef Knife | Forge Finished High Carbon Steel | Stag Handle with Copper Bolsters and Leather Sheath BF-172
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
Blade Materials – 440c Stainless steel
Christine Davis –
Very disappointed with this knife. Latch barely holds the knife closed. Would not recommend based on my experience.
Paolo White –
Solid knife. Glad I ordered it. Action is good though it needed a little tightening on the pivots. Latch works fine, just a bit stiff at first. Minor nitpicks aside, good quality knife.
Omar Bautista –
I collect balisongs and this one is right up there with my favorites. Will definitely order again for another one.
Benjamin Bishop –
Showed up right on time and looked even better than the photos. Handle scales feel great in hand even during longer flip sessions. Can’t recommend this enough.
Gary Wood –
Solid knife. Glad I ordered it. Handle feels solid, just a touch heavier than I expected. Would buy from this shop again.
Alan Cole –
Ended up ordering a second one after how happy I was with the first.
Chloe Miller –
Top quality quality for the price point. Weight is perfectly balanced for flipping. Would not hesitate to order again.
Joseph Chavez –
Ordered late at night on a whim and woke up glad I did. Pivots feel dialed in with zero blade play. Telling everyone I know to check this store out.