L. Rivera's Balisong: Shopping for a Knife in Taal

 


I planned a side-trip to Taal so Guijo could better appreciate his lessons on Spanish colonial society. We went to see the old stone Basilica of St. Martin de Tours and the heritage houses or bahay-na-bato the town is known for.  But I don't think the architectural features of the town is the most memorable part of the trip for my son.  I think the most exciting moment of this trip is when my husband brought Guijo balisong shopping!  

The balisong is a folding pocket knife, sometimes called a butterfly knife, fan knife, or Batangas knife. It can be a pocket utility knife (like the Swiss army knife) but its use as a self-defense weapon is probably the greater reason for its fame.  Taal is considered the "balisong capital" of the Philippines and there were many stores selling balisong. Not all shops are created equal. Some shops sell items made from elsewhere and offer an assortment of knives for various uses - not just folding knives; there are also other bladed weapons, or non-bladed ones used for street-fighting; there were also balisong-themed products like keychains, or related goods (like a folding comb version that uses the same mechanism!) 



Some shops felt a bit too tourist-y, or seemed to be selling things made in China, and that missed the whole point of going to Taal to get a Batangas blade. We were turned off by some of the items we saw, and the tourist-trap pricing! But we kept looking and looking. 

Fortunatelymy husband found L. Rivera's Balisong, a local store that sells hand-made blades crafted in Barangay Balisong! Yay! Guijo's getting a Batangas knife! He already has a Swiss Army Knife (my father, a military man, gave my son his own Victorinox knife, a vintage piece worth treasuring) and this balisong will be his first Philippine-made knife.

Since he is only ten years old, Guijo got a training balisong, which is blunt and doesn't have the famed weapon's lethal sharp edge. Mr. Leo Rivera himself, a balisong celebrity, taught Guijo tips and tricks for how to practice his flipping skills safely.  When asked to pose for a photo, Mr. Rivera even brought out a giant balisong for Guijo to hold and pose with!  What a gracious fellow!  



All the way home, Guijo kept flipping his balisong, and he got better and better at it. We also watched L. Rivera' interviews on YouTube and looked at some balisong flipping vids. I don't think he will soon forget Barangay Balisong in Taal. The handcrafted blade in his hand, and the man who sold it to him, are the kinds of things a kid won't soon forget. And for me too, I learned something new - I haven't ever held or tried to flip a balisong, until now.  


Date of Visit: 23 January 2022

L. Rivera's Balisong Shop

Barangay Balisong, Taal, Batangas                                                                                                                       


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