Balisong/Butterfly Knives?

[TheNatural]

I was just curious if anyone here is into balisong knives. I recently developed an interest in these knives and thought I would check here to see what the great people of keypicking have to say about them. I am looking into buying one but they get crazy expensive when it comes to getting decent quality. I am wondering if anybody knows of any less expensive, good quality butterfly knives. I really want a Bradley Kimura but all the Bradley balisongs are now out of production, which sucks because they were the most reasonably priced high quality balisongs out there. If anybody here happens to have one I would love to possibly trade or buy a kimura from them, otherwise I would love to hear whatever information people feel like sharing about these interesting knives!

[GWiens2001]

Used to like those knives myself back when I was a teenager. Don't have any of them anymore, unless there is one hidden away in a box somewhere. Which might be the case. Don't know any good sources anymore.

Gordon

[sbear2000]

http://www.knife-kingdom.com/Butterfly-Knives_c21.htm

[escher7]

Balisongs are on the Solicitor General of Canada's prohibited weapons list, along with switchblades, which makes no sense. For that matter making switchblades illegal was just a knee-jerk reaction to hoodlums of the 50's. Switchblades were originally designed for paratroopers who needed a one-handed knife in case of parachute troubles but did not want to carry a fixed blade in case they landed on it.
I have never been partial to the balisong design but there are many custom makers doing them now.Of course custom means big bucks. Here is an interesting Phillipino maker:

http://www.balisong.com/knives_4_sale.html

[Neilau]

The useful feature of the Bali-Song is the ability to open it one handed.

Then there is the “Cool” factor with the twirling.

If you are going to get into the twirling I’ll give you some advice.

1 Get a cheap one and make sure that it is blunt – particularly the point.

2 Make sure that you ONLY hold the top/back part of the handle. The part that is in line with the BACK of the blade.
Else you will cut your fingers off. If you use a sharp blade.

3 NEVER practice if you are drunk!!!

I made this mistake and as the knife fell out of my hand, I instinctively went to catch it. Unfortunately, the knife landed point up on my leg (I was sitting), My aim was off and the point went about ¾ inch into my forearm.

Being alone, too drunk to drive to the hospital and too embarrassed to tell them what happened anyway. I boiled up a sewing needle and some thread and stitched myself up.

I learnt a very important lesson from that:


Round sewing needles are VERY hard to push through skin. You need pliers to push/pull it through.


Stay safe and happy twirling.

[rerun12]

i agree w neilau, you should get a blunt one if you're looking to learn how to do some fancy twirling but
they're really more of a gimmick. it's fun to practice to look like the guy from karate kid 2 but as far as knives go they aren't very practical imo

[GWiens2001]

Also, do not get one that is fully double bladed (or even blade and a half) if you are going to be doing the twirling opening until you are good at it. My best friend from high school liked how I could spin and flick them open with both hands at the same time, and he asked to see one. He flicked off the latch, spun to open, and dropped it. He needed a quick trip to the hospital, and required surgery on the back of his hand where the blade had cut some blood vessels and nearly severed a tendon. He still has the scar.

Gordon

[Deadlock]

...Switchblades were originally designed for paratroopers who needed a one-handed knife in case of parachute troubles but did not want to carry a fixed blade in case they landed on it.

Sure about that? Far as I know, they were gravity knives (no spring).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_knife

[Josephus]

Welp, just spent an hour of my life researching switchblades. Seems they have been around since at least 1900 as a fad item to mimic the automation of tasks that was exploding at that time.

The most interesting part of the history of switchblades/flick knives and kin is how they are part of a pattern that has been repeated. Oddly the reason why they are illegal most places is because of fearmongering and blaming them for violence in the '50s. It really started kicking off when a news article in a periodical targeted at housewives blamed them for killing children and violent gang warfare. The same thing happened earlier with alcohol, and before that cocaine, morphine, drug dens and such. It continued on later in the US with handguns, then videogames, and now any gun that looks scarey. Elsewhere it had a similar pattern of blaming guns in general, then knives in general, and now just about anything pointy or bladed has become the scapegoat. Just like most of those things automated opening knives, no matter the name given, have been of limited actual use but merely popular with segments that like new things that may be violent. Meaning male youth whether they are enlisted into the armed services or gang enforcers or hooligans or whatever.

All in all it was rather interesting to read about. I wonder what the powers that be will blame for all of society's ills next. Probably something technology related. It has to be of limited practical use or there would be too much resistance. Probably noncommercial encrypted communication or private phone calls or something. Then again I am biased towards thinking about that stuff. Lets just hope it is not locksmithing tools.

On a different note I have seen many variations of balisong practice knives. Throwing it into an image search came up with some fun ones:

432196489_872.JPG

Balisong-Fork.jpg

K1459_04.jpg

[Neilau]

Just a quick comment on the comments that “assisted opening” (as the law refers to them) knives or knives that can be opened one handed are gimmicks or fads.

If you live on a farm or work around animals ( I can also think of other situations...climbing for example), a knife that can be opened one handed is very useful and often the safest option if you need a blade.

Sometimes you have to hold something in one hand while you get your knife out, open it and cut …whatever, without letting go.

A fixed blade in a belt sheath is not always practical to wear around, whereas a small folding knife in your pocket is always there and easily accessible and having the ability to open it one handed is very handy.

I agree that the “scary” factor as portrayed on TV and movies is the only (and totally irrational) reason that these useful tools are banned.

PS. Josephus Great pics.

[TheNatural]

Thanks for all the info guys, very interesting. I bought the cheapest practice butterfly knife i could find on ebay. It is an all metal comb one like Josephus posted but without the swirls, it is very plain but it was only $4.22, from China of course.

I have to emphatically agree with Neilau on the issue of knives being able to be opened with one hand. I was the only warehouse guy for a medium to large local business for 4 years. They sold fireplaces and that means tons of taped boxes, I carried a folding box knife that had a pocket clip and was able to be opened and closed with one hand and found it extremely helpful. Regular box knifes were to big to comfortably carry in my pocket and regular folding knives would have taken so much time just opening and closing if you added it up over the years. I must have used my knife, at the least, 15 times a day and in many cases much more, so to have to stop and use both hands every single time would have very frustrating.

[GWiens2001]

Am a mechanic, and have a folding knife with a belt clip like you describe. As you say, a one handed knife is pretty much essential for the job, with all the boxes and packages we open.

Gordon

[mister sour]

I carry a karambit. It has a pocket snag so it opens when I draw it.

[knifedude]

I carry a karambit as well. Is your the Emerson? I have a cheaper chinese one but it works quite well, I needed the smaller blade as it is only legal to carry under 3 inches. I also have a butterfly knife but do not carry it - worried about the legal implications although it is considered a folding knife where I am in Michigan. The blade length is more the problem. I also have a trainer karambit that I used for a knife training self defense course and the instructor was surprised at how fast I could access the blade. I do have a video link to some beginner balisong techniques if you are looking to learn how to flip. http://www.knifedude.com/pages/balisong-and-butterfly-knife-techniques-for-beginners I used to have an old benchmade balisong from the 80's that I took on a school trip to the White House and I had to get it taken when I went through the metal detectors. The butterfly knife was more expensive, but they ended up giving that one back, but took a cheap switchblade and had to confiscate it. I was pleasantly surprised when they gave back the butterfly knife.

[selim]

Benchmade makes good knives