Custom Made Butterfly Knifes/Swords (Chinese)

[jtny]

Helo:

I'd like to know if there are any knife/sword makers that can make 2 sets of butterfly knifes/swords.

What I'm looking for is simply put the best possible construction using modern materials but staying true to the traditional look, balance and feel of the original.

Traditional butterfly knives use spring steel, brass and wood, I'd like to replace the wood and brass with more durable material...maybe 304SS and carbon fiber or something like that.

The blade is a real challenge, spring steel was used because it is cheap and the blade needs to be thin to keep weight down since the blade is about 3.5 to 4" wide and 11 to 14" long. If possible I'd like to use an exotic SS but this depends on what can be used without front loading the blade in terms of balance.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[J. Modell]

Modell Design LLC, http://www.modelldesignllc.com can do custom Chinese Butterfly Knives for you (that's basically me, our forge master associate (ALI), and "associated" folks from time to time who provide input, like Sifus who want something for their school). If the knives are for Wing Chun, we did several designs for the largest Wing Chun supply house, http://www.everythingwingchun.com that might fit the bill already. The EWC flagship line has hot drop forged AISI 304 stainless steel D Guards, Dymondwood/Pakkawood type material (good reasons for that) handle scales on a full tang, and either Bohler D2 or Bohler 440C professionally heat treated blades. I don't know of anyone else besides Modell Design and EWC who would begin to agree to use 304 SS for bolsters, let alone D guards, and that includes most custom Western Knife makers. Modell Design also does full custom Butterfly Swords.

Oh, Modell Design also did the long-gone now famous integral Wing Chun knives ... and the Sasquatch-style Butterfly Swords (with permission of Doug Kennefick) of power hammered then ground 9260 spring steel (down from 15 mm thick to about half that) available from Modell Design's web-site or Arizona Custom Knives (look it up under Sasquatch).

I don't check the forum regularly, and I don't want to violate any forum rules by accident by giving you an e-mail, but if you use the contact info at my web-site I will get back to you. There are a couple of Western Knife makers who also have made some really nice Butterfly Swords, like Jay Maines of Sunrise River Custom Knives -- he let me use one of his pics in my article on modern BJD --, but they got their knowledge from Chinese martial arts clients so while they can give you their current design, or execute your design (exclusive off the 304 SS), they can't help you get what you want if you aren't already an expert on it.

Also, if you haven't read my two articles published in Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine on Butterfly Sword Design, both traditional and modern, you might want to pick up a back issue. The appropriate length of these knives, for folks who use them, is based on the style, precise lineage/school and your body size. You should NOT be willing to accept a 3" variance if you are a user (you could cut a tendon), and I would be happy to help you figure out the length you need.

Cross Reference to other Butterfly Sword Forum Post with pics of some modern stuff:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...d-Pictures?highlight=butterfly+sword+pictures