New Tanto FGX Balisong

T

The Whip

Joined
Jan 28, 2007
Messages
969
I figured that someone would beat me to this, but I haven't even seen it mentioned anywhere else. Cold Steel debuted a new tanto version of its FGX Balisong at Blade Show this past weekend.

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It's a big knife! Here's a side-by-side with an XL Voyager for perspective.

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Based on the comments I've seen about the dagger-bladed original, people were clamoring for a single-edged model. This is a very nice fulfillment of that request, and it seemed to be very popular at the Cold Steel booth. (Balisongs were all the rage throughout the show this year.) Price was the same for both versions.

In true Cold Steel fashion, on Saturday you could try your hand at meeting a performance challenge. Cold Steel had marked one of the new balisong tantos about three quarters of the way up the blade. If, in three tries, you could stab the knife into stacked cardboard all the way up to the mark, you received an FGX Balisong tanto for free. Most people couldn't do it, but not for lack of trying! More than a few earned their free knives, however.

Me? I was a sucker and bought mine the day before the contest....

-Steve
 
I purchased one of the double-edged models last week. I didn't know about this one, but I think I'll have to buy one. The former is a little dicey for practicing flipping. Lynn says that the reason he decided to go with the double-edged version initially was because he felt it would be a better self-defense knife. At first glance, I thought that the CS plastic products were foolish, but I've found that I now own several of them. They are usefull and provide a lot of bang for the buck.
 
johnnywizzo said:
At first glance, I thought that the CS plastic products were foolish, but I've found that I now own several of them. They are usefull and provide a lot of bang for the buck.
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You aren't kidding! These FGX balisongs are especially amazing values for the price. With butterfly knife prices continually climbing for even entry-level models, I think Cold Steel is going to sell these knives like hotcakes.

-Steve
 
The Whip said:
I figured that someone would beat me to this, but I haven't even seen it mentioned anywhere else. Cold Steel debuted a new tanto version of its FGX Balisong at Blade Show this past weekend.

IMG-5759.jpg


IMG-5760.jpg



It's a big knife! Here's a side-by-side with an XL Voyager for perspective.

IMG-5765.jpg



Based on the comments I've seen about the dagger-bladed original, people were clamoring for a single-edged model. This is a very nice fulfillment of that request, and it seemed to be very popular at the Cold Steel booth. (Balisongs were all the rage throughout the show this year.) Price was the same for both versions.

In true Cold Steel fashion, on Saturday you could try your hand at meeting a performance challenge. Cold Steel had marked one of the new balisong tantos about three quarters of the way up the blade. If, in three tries, you could stab the knife into stacked cardboard all the way up to the mark, you received an FGX Balisong tanto for free. Most people couldn't do it, but not for lack of trying! More than a few earned their free knives, however.

Me? I was a sucker and bought mine the day before the contest....

-Steve
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How did they fare in the cardboard jabbing? Any of the break? Did they lose what little edge they had to begin with?
 
jstrange said:
How did they fare in the cardboard jabbing? Any of the break? Did they lose what little edge they had to begin with?
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We haven't had one break yet. They are very strong and very sharp. They do lose some edge when stabbing through cardboard repeatedly, etc. These are designed to be self defense knives. Chances are if you're using it in that manner, it doesn't matter if it loses it's edge after the "job is done" for $12-$16. Get another one, get five, place them around your home for defense because they are weather resistant. Everyone is vulnerable in the shower, plastic doesn't rust.
 
I received mine today. Less than $20 delivered.

jstrange jstrange IMO It appears to be a sturdy thrusting tool. It does have a semi sharp edge that would cut but I don’t think that’s its intended purpose.
 
I'm gonna get one of these for sure. My fiancee gave me one of the double edge ones and I really like it. I think the double edge is probably a lot more effective. But a single edge will be a lot more fun for flipping.

jstrange said:
Thanks. Will they slash at all or are they limited to stabbing?
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They definitely can do some ripping, if my fingers have anything to say haha
 
I wonder how much flipping they will take before the hinge pins/pivots get really loose or even bent ?

They are cheap enough that it doesn’t really matter I’m just curious.
 
jeepin said:
I wonder how much flipping they will take before the hinge pins/pivots get really loose or even bent?
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Far more than the peened-pivot balisongs of my youth would take. And this knife is the same price as the cheapest of the butterfly knives that I was buying more than thirty-five years ago!

People may scoff at the idea of an all-plastic balisong, but there is definitely a market for these knives. After all, most people buy balisongs to play with, not as everyday carry knives. So cutting performance and construction strength have routinely been secondary considerations in their design anyway. I think Cold Steel just took that idea to a logical conclusion, sort of like Spyderco did with its BaliYo. I like Cold Steel's result a lot better.

The FGX Balisongs might look like toys, but they're far more rugged in person than pictures would lead you to believe. Like all of Cold Steel's FGX products, they'll function well within the parameters for which they were designed.

-Steve
 
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