The "Bagwis" Agila Balisong
The eagle is often seen as a symbol of power and freedom, known as the King of the skies and a bird of prey that soars high and hunts using its sharp talons and powerful beak.
Allegorical myth has it that when an eagle reaches 30 to 40 years of age, its talons become dull, its beak becomes bent, and its feathers become heavier due to old age. This can make hunting and flying difficult for an older eagle. If an eagle is unable to fly or hunt, it can eventually die of starvation. To overcome this, the eagle goes through a challenging and painful process of rebirth.
It is said that the eagle isolates itself on top of a mountain, where it beats its talons and beak on a rock until they break or fall off. This allows the eagle to regrow a new set of sharp talons and a beak. The eagle then plucks out its old feathers to make room for a new, lighter set of feathers. This process takes months to complete and requires the eagle to exhibit patience, tolerance of pain, and determination to live before it can take its "rebirth flight" with renewed power and glory.
The "Agila" is an iconic classic Filipino balisong design featuring an eagle on its tang. This vintage design is highly sought after for its intricate details, craftsmanship, and the passion that the artisan put into each piece. Unfortunately, as modern balisong designs gain popularity, the intricate details of the "Agila" design are fading away, and the artistry is being lost as older artisans fail to pass on their skills to the younger generation. Consequently, finding a well-crafted "Agila" balisong has become increasingly rare.
"Bagwis," which means "wings," is my rendition of the classic agila balisong. It is a 29 cm balisong with a recurved blade made from leaf spring steel, featuring an intricately detailed eagle on its tang. The handle has a skeleton-type construction using 3mm thick brass housing with bolsters, and the latch is made of stainless steel. The handle scales are made of vintage narra and kamagong, held in place with stainless rods.
The "Bagwis" balisong project represents the "flight of rebirth", a rejuvenation of the agila balisong design. It is also to inspire my fellow balisong artisans to refine our skills, rediscover the artistry in our craft, and create each piece with a passion so that we can take pride in engraving our names in each piece that our hands create and present for everyone to appreciate.