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Bear & Son Brings Out Balisongs for 2019

February 27, 2019

Bear & Son Cutlery is expanding their lineup with two new for 2019 balisong designs. The 17 series models lock in a mid-size form factor that is designed for work as well as play.

Although it comes in several different flavors, the basics of the 17 model remain the same across its various iterations. It has a 3.5 inch, recurve clip point blade. Across the board the blade steel is 440, and it has been given a black blade coating as well. For many, the utility of the 17 will be secondary to its performance in flipping, but the large, recurve blade should be able to power through everyday cutting chores with ease. Bear & Son’s 440 isn’t known as a high-performance steel but will certainly be easy to maintain. The company spoke with us last year about their reasoning for simple, affordable steels in much of their lineup; you can read that article here.

Flipping action is abetted by phosphor bronze washers and long, 5-inch handles equipped with a latch. This makes the overall length of the 17 rather long – over 9 inches – but Bear & Son kept the weight under control; the 17 weighs about 4.5 oz. Although whether a balisong is entirely modern is up for debate, Bear & Son seems to enjoy mixing modern-style designs with options for older material inlays. The 17 can be had in smooth white bone, G-10, or cocobolo wood.

The 17s follow in the footsteps of several other American-made balisongs from Bear & Son, and are part of a larger commitment to producing a variety of knife formats for relatively affordable prices. Their line of US-made automatics catered to a similar niche, and the modestly priced 17 balisongs are hitting the shelves with an MSRP of $121.99.

Knife in Featured image: OZ Machine Company Zoar

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