Poltergeist Works Produces New Phenomena 2 Bali

Jakub Wieczorkiewicz of Poltergeist Works has finished the second knife in his Phenomena custom series. The Phenomena 2 blends traditional balisong form with intricate, meticulous construction and an innovative latch design.

The idea behind the Phenomena series is simple. Each Phenomena release is a one-off, never-to-be-repeated custom knife design. Wieczorkiewicz says the idea came from his desire to heighten custom knife building even further. “I wanted to take that concept to the next level, and create a series of pieces that will never be made again,” he tells us. “These are true one of a kind pieces, not just one of a kind versions of existing designs.”

40 individual handmade parts went into the Phenomena 2’s construction including three-part liners, positioning pins, customized hardware, and a tanto blade made from S35VN steel. Wieczorkiewicz created these many of these components on manual equipment, and even lavished attention on non-visible elements. The cage for the bearing pivot, for instance, was custom made and anodized blue. “You don’t see them, but I like to pay attention to even the hidden parts,” Wieczorkiewicz says.

He also notes that many balis with a latch require a spring to make it function. But to save space and maximize the blade:handle ratio, Wieczorkiewicz came up a design that operates with two rubber o-rings instead. “It’s quiet (will not rattle) and takes much less room,” he says. “[The] latch is also hidden, meaning it’s not visible from the outside when the knife is locked in the open position for a super clean look.”

Wieczorkiewicz remains committed to the Phenomena philosophy and says there will be no more Phenomena 2, even in a production translation. “The Phenomena series are truly one of a kind knives and whenever they find a customer I feel obligated to make sure he has the only knife like that in existence.” As for other balisongs from his portfolio, the tricky legal hurdles make them unlikely candidates for production runs. “I don’t think there will be a production balisong of my design anytime soon, but I’m not giving up on the idea,” Wieczorkiewicz concludes.

Końskie, Poland-based Wieczorkiewicz expanded his ‘standard’ custom line with a new Delta model already this year. He says there is more to come for production fans as well. “I’m definitely excited about some things that we are working on in collaboration with Real Steel – some may surprise you! There might even be a possibility or a different collaboration, so stay tuned and follow my social media!”

Wieczorkiewicz is considering an auction for the Phenomena 2, but says he is open to offers if a collector is interested in making one.

Knife in Featured Image: Poltergeist Works Phenomena 2