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Andrew Demko Finishes First Ever Balisong

January 9, 2019

Andrew Demko surprised fans with the reveal of a Demko Knives Balisong. The new knife is the first-ever bali design from Demko to make it all the way to a final, complete build stage.

Demko’s Balisong is a big one, with a 4-inch Damasteel blade mated to an all titanium handle. One challenge that any maker runs into when working in balis is nailing that kinetic flipping action that distinguishes most top-tier knives in the class. Even though he wanted to keep things durable and well-engineered, Demko, who is a knife enthusiast as well as a maker, says his latest does not disappoint. “I’m not a balisong guy but I have lots in my collection, and it flips as good as any of the rest.”

This particular balisong came into being because of a Christmas tradition. Every year Demko makes a custom knife for Cold Steel President Lynn C. Thompson as a present. “He’s been good to me so every year I try and make him a pretty fantastic gift,” Demko tells us. Thompson is well-known for his appreciation of balisongs, and Demko definitely learned a thing or two about the form while working with Cold Steel on the Paradox model.

Many tout the balisong as the strongest folding knife available. Demko, who has engineered several locks renowned for their toughness (including the Scorpion Lock, soon to be available in a production format), says that he thinks about it in different terms. “I consider it one of the most reliable locks,” Demko clarifies. Rather than being able to resist absurd amount of torque or free-hanging weight, the balisong’s advantage lies in the unlikelihood of it ever disengaging during use. “When you lock it shut it’s not slipping. If a bali does break it’ll be the pin shearing or the blade tang snapping.”

Now that he has brought his first custom balisong to fruition, Demko says that, while he has no plans to take orders for them, he will likely bring a few to select knife shows in the future, just to shake things up. Does he expect this custom bali to eventually inspire a production model through Cold Steel? “It’s well built,” he says. “If someone wants to bring this into top of the line production it’s ready. Anything I make could become a Cold Steel production knife. You never know.”

Knife in Featured image: Demko Knives Balisong

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