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30th December 2008, 03:48 PM
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#1 |
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(deceased)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast USA
Posts: 3,191
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Just love the pics. I would be a kid in a candy shop if I were there.
 Too bad these guys don't have a website.  Thanks for sharing. Lew |
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30th December 2008, 04:24 PM
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#2 | |
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Manila, Phils.
Posts: 1,042
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Quote:
Yup, I was on a drool-mode too all the time I was there As for the contact info of that store I bought from, I'll PM you their number in case you'd like to get in touch with him.Full disclosure: I don't know the guy from Adam! Just met him today. 
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30th December 2008, 07:17 PM
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#3 |
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Kernersville, NC, USA
Posts: 793
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Man, those look great! I'm so jealous. $5 for a good balisong? Incredible.
Steve |
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30th December 2008, 08:12 PM
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#4 |
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(deceased)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast USA
Posts: 3,191
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Yes a $5 foot long
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31st December 2008, 01:48 AM
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#5 | ||
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Manila, Phils.
Posts: 1,042
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Quote:
Quote:
Yup the price is unbelievable. In fact I have to ask the storeowner 3 to 4 times as I can't believe my own ears  But upon closer examination, the Taal, Batangas pricing of Usd 5 looks logical -- about 30 miles (50 km) away in the neighboring Laguna province, there's this roadside balisong store in Alaminos town (pics below). I also checked out that store and they sell their balisongs (made also in Barangay Balisong, Taal, Batangas) for Usd 10 each (the veinte-nueve kind). So it's Usd 5 if it's "farm gate price" right in Bgy. Balisong in Taal, and then the price doubles at a store merely 50 km away. From Bgy. Balisong to Manila, it's about 120 km (70 miles) away. Am sure that in a Manila store that pays rent in a mall with hired storekeepers (vs. a mom and pop operation in the provinces with no rent & overhead to cover), the same balisong will go for anywhere between Usd 15 to 20. And make the same balisong cross the Pacific Ocean, then I guess the retail price would already be anywhere between Usd 40 to 60. Which perhaps is just right given that the crappy smaller balisongs sell in the US for Usd 10 to 20: Video of a crappy balisong that you can bend with your bare hands! More balisongs of the Usd 10 to 20 (local US price) kind |
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31st December 2008, 01:54 AM
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#6 |
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Manila, Phils.
Posts: 1,042
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... more pics from the same Alaminos, Laguna store:
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1st January 2009, 07:13 AM
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#7 |
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Manila, Phils.
Posts: 1,042
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With nothing else better to do on a New Year's day holiday
I put one of the Batangas balisongs under the acid test -- the piercing of the local one-peso coin via the blade's tip.The long and short of it is that it's so far so good (pic below). I think though that I lack the technique because the coin is supposed to be pierced through to the other side. My furious stabbing of the defiant coin pierced the coin only halfway at best! I don't have a good camera with me at the moment thus the pic below is crappy. But the tip of the balisong even after that mindless  stabbing episode remained sharp and pointy.
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