Not Your Ordinary Knife.

April 4, 2005 12:11 AM

Not Your Ordinary Knife. With the post about how nasty those sharp edges can be, I'l like to show you they can have beauty, too. (From here)
posted by Balisong (31 comments total)

(not a self link.. I wish that collection was mine...)
posted by Balisong at 12:12 AM on April 4, 2005

Good looking knives.
posted by Dean Keaton at 12:24 AM on April 4, 2005

God, talk about pretentious. A knife is suddenly exotic because it's juxtaposed with a half-eaten cracker smeared with caviar? If you ask me, they are rather ugly in a busy, over-decorated kind of way.
posted by randomstriker at 12:39 AM on April 4, 2005

I never knew that 'balisong' meant butterfly knife. We used to buy these on Mackinac Island--surreptitiously--on leave from summer camp. They sold 'balisong' combs too. So, we would practice with the plastic comb, and switch to the knife after getting skillz enough. Cool link.
posted by airguitar at 12:41 AM on April 4, 2005

They're oddly birdlike; they remind me of Inuit sculpture. Thanks for the link.
posted by maryh at 12:58 AM on April 4, 2005

randomstriker - You realize that the pattern on the blades is a result of the forging process, right? Want to contribute some pictures of knives you find beautiful to the thread?

I think these are great. The Wikipedia entry has some good links.
posted by TungstenChef at 1:02 AM on April 4, 2005

Very nice knives, but caviar? Caviar???
posted by neckro23 at 1:46 AM on April 4, 2005

Want to contribute some pictures of knives you find beautiful to the thread?

I for one like a good ol' katana...

This particular blade was made in the late Edo period, 1788, by the master sword maker Motohira the year before he was named Nihon no kami (which I guess is a peculiar honor) and is now on the market for $60,000 or so.
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 1:54 AM on April 4, 2005

I quite like the Kukri knife.
posted by dhruva at 2:05 AM on April 4, 2005

My friends and I got together and bought a Benchmade Balisong w/ damascus blade for a graduation present for another friend.

It was a beautiful and expensive cigar cutter.
posted by blasdelf at 2:20 AM on April 4, 2005

I think the caviar is meant to compliment the Mother of Pearl inlays on the handles. Mother of Pearl spoons are the recommended material for eating caviar.
posted by Dagobert at 3:36 AM on April 4, 2005

Knife fighting
posted by the cuban at 3:48 AM on April 4, 2005

God, talk about pretentious. A knife is suddenly exotic because it's juxtaposed with a half-eaten cracker smeared with caviar?

Hah! Good call. I had the same reaction. The knife casually sprawling over a musical score...
posted by 327.ca at 4:15 AM on April 4, 2005

Benchmade really does make a beautiful balisong... really expensive though.

And anything with a damascus blade is beautiful as well.

I used to have a cheap but substantial balisong made by a company that mass-produced cheapish knives, but this was hefty, easy to grip, kept and edge, and had a wonderful, smooth action; I used to just flip it open and around, then back closed all the time.... like a calming sort of habit.

Then I lost it running away from the cops out for a walk at night.

I miss it.

I also had a spyderco lockback, (the "native") that was beautiful in its form and function, and I lost that this winter, hiking around the town I moved into for school.

Now I am knifeless. And when you don't have one, you suddenly realize how much you use the damn things.
posted by exlotuseater at 4:27 AM on April 4, 2005

I love my knife. Bit different aesthetic though.
posted by ursus_comiter at 4:38 AM on April 4, 2005

Hah! Good call. I had the same reaction. The knife casually sprawling over a musical score...

I think it was a subtle nod to italian composers.
posted by Mayor Curley at 5:13 AM on April 4, 2005

Heywood Mogroot, I tried to find a few pictures of katana, but none of them had any spirit: just dead plain steel in presentation racks and glossy lacquer scabbards.
That one is spectacular, even down to the signature. Thanks for the site link.
(This shoto looks pretty magical too.)

At some point, I shall have to find "$60,000 or so."
posted by NinjaPirate at 5:57 AM on April 4, 2005

before he was named Nihon no kami (which I guess is a peculiar honor)

Well, Nihon is Japan and kami is spirit, so they were naming him something like "Spirit of Japan" or "Japan's Spirit." Which seems a big deal.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:08 AM on April 4, 2005

Kinda nice. I've never quite understood knife aesthetics, though. Simplicity of design, balance, weight, fitness for purpose, overall safety (not nicking a fingertip off when closing or locking it), resistance to dirt and rust I can relate to. But I can't see myself taking these or any other similarly designed knives into backcountry. Guess that makes me a bit of a bumpkin...eh, no.
posted by nj_subgenius at 6:59 AM on April 4, 2005

For God's sake. One should never use a metal utensil with caviar. Only wooden implements are appropriate. Don't you people know anything?
posted by aladfar at 7:10 AM on April 4, 2005

My love is primarily for kitchen knives (like this one), but I do carry a Kershaw Onion as a daily... useful little bugger. Lovely balisong knives.
posted by fet at 7:42 AM on April 4, 2005

This is my knife of choice. Incredibly durable, keeps an edge, and with a marlin spike, which is you have to deal with ropes or lines in any way shape of form, is absolutely essential. They are fairly standard issue in the Coast Guard.

I eventually would like to get my hands on a Ghurka Kukri. My dad had an authentic one that he, unfortunately, didn't pass down to me when I reached manhood. Probably a smart move on his part.
posted by Freen at 8:51 AM on April 4, 2005

ooh. Those CRKT knives look nice. I think I just found the scuba knife I've been looking for. Thanks odinsdream.

I'm by no means a knife fanatic, in fact, if you had asked me a few years ago what i felt about knives, you would been told a very different story than today, but there have been two experiences in my life in which a very good knife has been absolutely critical (one saved my life scuba diving off of Mozambique). And in fact, a third rate knife probably wouldn't have done the trick. I've come to learn that there is little in life quite as useful as a very good knife, particularly when you need it. And I don't mean in that in a self defense sense at all. Now, whenever I am out in the elements, I always bring my Myerchin.
posted by Freen at 10:09 AM on April 4, 2005

Freen, marlinspike is apparently one word. Just saying because I had never heard that term before, and wikipedia wouldn't help me until I figured that out.
posted by team lowkey at 10:53 AM on April 4, 2005

I've had nightmares like this. (2.83 Mb mpeg)
posted by gottabefunky at 11:26 AM on April 4, 2005

My last butterfly knife ended up in the possession of the US Customs agent checking my bag upon re-entry into the US. Boston law applies in the airport and it had a double edge short blade on it.

Nice images and I'd like to get myself a nice one again.

I've always been a huge fan of Randall Knives.
posted by fenriq at 11:30 AM on April 4, 2005

I'd like to get my Kali instructor one of those? Who do I talk to?
posted by tkchrist at 1:44 PM on April 4, 2005

Thanks. Now I'm gonna have those same nightmares, gottabefunky. Hideous mouth-breathers scare me enough when they are unarmed.
posted by Soulfather at 3:12 PM on April 4, 2005

tkchrist: Ghurka Kukri tend to be quite rare, especially high quality ones. I've been looking for one for quite some time, and haven't found anything that is nearly half as good as the one my father had. It was given to him by a native Nepali who was in the states at medical school. He and his father had supposedly made the thing. It is quite formidable as well as tremendously beautiful. I think i'll have to go to Nepal in order to find another quite like it.

team lowkey: Thanks, i've only heard my brother say it. He gave me the knife.
posted by Freen at 3:33 PM on April 4, 2005

Does anybody else think that the daggers in (the movie) House of Flying Daggers looked like Kukris?
posted by dhruva at 5:21 PM on April 4, 2005

It kind of looks like a penis.
posted by NortonDC at 9:29 PM on April 4, 2005