Batangas Knife: A Slice of Filipino Artistry

Some time in the mid 1990's there was a craze about Batangas--not the place, I'm talking about the bronze knife named after the place that is famous for crafting it.

At the height of the hype, "cool" is all about who can flick the Batangas open and close in all speed and twirling possible. It was the counterpart for young males at that time, as the wand was to a marjorette.

A Batangas is solid, relatively heavy, and perfect for slicing and stabbing. It is the offspring of the marriage of a Western dagger and a Filipino icepick. It is more of a hunting weapon than an outdoor equipment.

I recently met a guy who owns one and I took the opportunity (Please don't call the police after reading this post). The blade is sharp enough to cut your skin if you run it over.

Its compact and solid molding can resist bending, even if you try stabbing a wall (which is pointless). If you are a hoodlum in love, it is perfect for carving hearts onto a mango tree.

By reading Wikipedia, I came up with a few interesting things. I know getting info from Wiki is like playing mine sweeper--you click and click and rely on luck that you are getting facts. But let's do this anyway.

The Batangas knife is also called balisong, which may have been derived from the blending of bali (break) and sungay (horn). The etymology implies that it was originally made from carabao horn.

The best Batangas knives were made from the province of, guess where... Batangas. The Luzon province was so famous for it that their basketball team that played in the now-defunct MBA was called Batangas Blades. (not the degree, but Metropolitan Basketball Association)

This item I am showing you now is called "golden dragon," a name which evokes the spirit of Bruce Lee. I call it a knife.

I don't think I'm ever carrying this one. Looks like a jail sentence to me. Besides, human existence should be mature enough to not resort to violence. We are so in this age where should be able to settle disputes instead of just stabbing the life out of each other.

Peace and love,
The Outdoor Guy

It's as harmless as a computer mouse as long as you don't open it.

The razor of resting on its latch. It is so sharp you can not only slash your wrist with it, but cut the whole thing all the way. Don't try this at home unless you're an emo.

Craftsmanship is one reason why this knife has jugs on the top and holes in the razor. From a practical viewpoint, the holes prevents the knife from getting stuck when cutting through soft materials, such as cheese. Or your wrist.

Even if you are such a knife expert, you are not cool unless you can chug down more beer than anyone. This crown opener lets you have beer on the go.

Filipino craftsmen are in love with details. There is something Islamic about this design.

If the Batangas Blades and Socsargen Marlins merged, the logo would have been something like this.