Balisong butterfly knife ?

[Grimjaws]

Hey gang. I decided to look into some butterfly knives. I have a training one but now have to find some real ones. Bench made has some but WOW in the 2-300 dollar range. Local gun show had some cheap Chinese made stuff for 15 but blah.


Can anyone recommend a good butterfly knife under or close to 100 bucks? Thanks.

 

[zzzippper]

Benchmade titanium are fantastic! Just remember that balis and whiskey don't mix. And keep a box of bandaids nearby, Spoonge Bob worked best for me.

 

[Doug M.]

Remember that in some states there could be significant legal restrictions, either on possession at all, or in public. Be SURE you know what the standards are before you get out your wallet. That said: quality costs. Period.

 

[shouldazagged]

Be sure to figure in the cost of insurance to cover amputated fingers and maimed bystanders.

 

[Rastoff]

Unfortunately, just like most things worth having, you'll have to spend some money to get a nice one. The Benchmade knives are the best on the market at a reasonable price. There are some OK ones made in China and Pakistan, but you'll just have to keep your nose to the grind stone to fine one.

My recommendation is to just save a few dollars and buy the Benchmade. You'll be happy you did.

 

[Frizzman]

I would suggest starting with a cheap one. See how you like carrying and using it. I tried them many years ago and found playing with them entertaining but for practical use they were of limited value...Plus, if you drop it on pavement breaking the tip off, its no big deal...Or, if its confiscated you won't be out much money. If you find you think its worth putting a large amount of money into it then you can.

 

[steveno]

get two cheap ones and dull the blade on one for practice

 

[Autococker07]

I have carried them since the 70's (before there was a thumb stud/spyderco hole).. I have always liked that I can open quickly with one hand, and while I was military I always carried one in place of my various issued automatics.....

Until I got to making a paycheck age, I probably went through 2 dozen cheap china knock offs.... they would never hold and edge, would not close properly (damaging the fine axe-like edge they would hold) and they would eventually fall apart.... When I got into the military and issued an automatic, I ordered a Balisong and have never looked back.... kind of like a Hi-point vs a S&W..... you really get what you pay for.....

Pay attention to what Doug M. said... there is much maligned thought about these "illegal" knives, just like "civilians cannot own machine guns" ... and just because you are carrying legally, or on the edge does not mean you will not be looked at with a lot of suspicion by some in authority.... don't push your luck....

Like carrying a gun, you get used to it, and after they meet me, most folks don't think twice about my pocketknife if they see it.... but I don't go on flashy-look-at-me-avoid-amputation shows either.... they can be (and in most cases should be) opened discreetly, used, and put away.... thats really the point... but in private.... yeah, they are a lot of fun

Also, as an aside, ANY of the newer spring assisted blades will be faster than a bali, and even a spyderco, or knife with a thumb stud will be just as fast if not faster, and you will not get the suspicious looks, comments, and hassle.... .02

If you still want one, get onto some knife forums and ask around, almost everyone has a few users that they will let go of for reasonable.... I would offer you my backup, but I lost it about a year ago, so I am down to one LOL....

 

[Kiteman72]

I was just looking at a Benchmade. $297. I know, yikes. But what a sweet blade.

To answer your ? tho, I believe that the US company, Bear and Sons, makes an affordable butterfly knife. I have never handled one so I cannot speak to their quality personally but I have often noticed that they were both US made and lower priced. Good luck and let us know what you find.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

My kids went to a privet / Christian school and were allowed to carry a pocket knife in school. My older boys carried different knives as time went by, mostly they sold knives left and right. I found a Bali-song with about a 4.5 or 5 " blade and never had any use for it, so my youngest started carrying it in 7th grade. He could do the fancy moves you see in the movies, but the important thing is he never threatened anyone with it. They are tools, even very good tools, but it is the man holding it that is the difference. By the way, in six years of high school every teacher not only knew he had the knife, they had him do any cutting that needed done. And he always opened it the way you see in the movies. Ivan

 

[Rastoff]

I have carried them since the 70's (before there was a thumb stud/spyderco hole).

Me too. I think I got my first one in 1980. It was the only knife I knew of that could be easily opened with one hand. I still have it:

Then every company on the planet started making knives with a thumb stud or hole. I haven't carried my butterfly knife in years.

 

[perrazi]

many years ago carried an original bali song with a double edge. you don't do some of the moves with a double edge that you can do with a single edge. had many people tell me how good they were with one and usually had to mop up blood afterward.

 

[LennyLames]

What's it good for? Can you actually use it for hunting or is it primarily an assault weapon?

I was actually thinking of getting one and learning to practice that flicking motion to open it and to close it, but I'm not sure what the optimum size is. Too small and it would be difficult to grasp other than with 2 fingers (soon to be 1?). Too big and it would be slow, heavy, and difficult to carry.

Should I use leather gloves for protection while practicing the motion, or would that significantly affect the tactile feedback and the grip?

I didn't realize some are double-bladed. That would be bad news when using the "flicking motion." Even starting out with the wrong handle of a single-bladed one would cause blood to spurt with that flicking motion, and both handles are very similar in size and shape.

 

[Gyrene6891]

Got one in the PI in 1970, carried it for year then quit, have no idea where the darn thing went???

 

[timn8er]

I have a cheap version of the bali song that Snubby Fan posted. I carried it several years ago & had a lot of fun with it. I was always practicing & playing around with it, & luckily I never hurt myself, even though I kept it very sharp. I did well with the basic moves, but eventually stopped carrying the knife because it seemed to make people nervous. I was a parts guy at the time & always needing to open a box, & when I flipped it out to cut the tape they would step back like they were afraid of getting cut.

 

[YogiBear]

Aloha,

They are illegal along with knives with double edges.

In the past several weeks, we had several Homeless people killing each other

with knives.

Our legislators have no idea what they're doing.

 

[Rastoff]

What's it good for?

Really? This is like asking, "Why do you carry a knife?" It's a knife. It's good for anything you would use a knife for. It's just easy to open with one hand.

...I'm not sure what the optimum size is.

Mine is 4" and that's about right.

Should I use leather gloves for protection while practicing the motion, or would that significantly affect the tactile feedback and the grip?

No, just put tape on the blade until you've learned the motion.

Even starting out with the wrong handle of a single-bladed one would cause blood to spurt with that flicking motion, and both handles are very similar in size and shape.

No, the latch is on a particular way. You learn to feel where the latch is so you open it the right way. I've never seen a full double bladed one. Usually they are one and a half. Even so, if done properly, you wouldn't cut yourself because whacking your finger with the blade (even the dull side) is sloppy technique. Plus, there are different ways to open it one handed. Some are simpler than others.

They are illegal along with knives with double edges.

Sorry, but this is mostly wrong. They are illegal in some states or municipalities, but in most of the US they are legal. Same goes for double edged knives.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Wow - a blast from the past. I remember as a teen that you could walk around with a Buck folder in a belt pouch without any problems, but if a LEO caught you with a Butterfly knife, it was immediate confiscation of the knife and discussion about concealed weapon charges. I once asked an officer I knew about this, and his answer was that a Buck knife was for a working man, but one of "those" things (the Butterfly knife) was made for trouble. My eye/hand coordination was never good, so I was never interested in a Butterfly knife.

Regards,

Dave

 

[snubbyfan]

I have a cheap version of the bali song that Snubby Fan posted. I carried it several years ago & had a lot of fun with it. I was always practicing & playing around with it, & luckily I never hurt myself, even though I kept it very sharp. I did well with the basic moves, but eventually stopped carrying the knife because it seemed to make people nervous. I was a parts guy at the time & always needing to open a box, & when I flipped it out to cut the tape they would step back like they were afraid of getting cut.

I've got a Japan made Valor butterfly knife that I used to carry back in my parts guy days. The spine of the blade's 3/16 of an inch thick and I used to use it for everything including opening boxes, prying staples and cutting metal strapping.

 

[poordevil]

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