Are you looking for an awesome Balisong knife to flip? Look no further, we reviewed 3 top-selling Balisong knives and, guess what, price does not equal to quality!
First off, before you buy a real Balisong, I recommend you buying a cheap Balisong trainer. They go for about $8 and some of them can also be used as a bottle opener. It’s a win-win because you’ll save yourself some cuts :). I even have a guide about how to make a Balisong training knife at home if you are so inclined.
So, before we can start grading Balisongs, we must first figure out what we should look for in such a knife.
This is a fairly misleading offering on Amazon. I just found it on Amazon and it looks halfway decent. It’s $10 and the reviews online are pretty disappointing. Most people who buy these are amateurs who are still learning how to flip. If this is you, I totally recommend you buying a trainer knife instead of this. It’ll save you a lot of cuts and most trainer knives are of higher quality than this cheap thing.
By higher quality, I mean that the blade will swing out smoother without any wobble. It’ll also last longer if you happen to drop it. Some reviewers online stated that they dropped this knife and it just simply broke in half! If you are going to be cheap, you can actually get great, cheap pocket knives.
This is a decent trainer. It has a better construction profile than the Tac Force so it’s definitely a step up. The blade is a high carbon stainless steel so it is rust resistant, but this knife is just a trainer. The blade is 3 inches long and the handle is 4 inches long. It weighs 3.8 ounces–on the light side for sure! Have fun and flip away. It’s not going to cut you …. too badly! Some reviewers mentioned that while the blade it technically “dull”, it can still pierce a soda can, so it’s best to be careful.
What I really liked about this knife is that the action is very smooth. The construction is decent. However, the criticism is the small size. Tiny hands like this knife best!
This is sort of common with coated knives.
Benchmade is a huge name in knives. Made by a Filipino-American, Benchmade started out as the first company producing Balisongs in America. Their name and quality soon spread and Benchmade is now known for a wide range of knives.
The Benchmade Morpho family of balisongs is a very high-end product. This model is very, very light compared to the above two butterfly knives–3.3 ounces. Instead of using metal for the handles, Benchmade made the handles out of fiberglass. This gives the handles a wood-like feel.
The blade uses D2 steel. D2 steel is a carbon alloy steel that is used in making tools. It is very hard and keeps a blade very well. However, it can rust easily without proper care. The blade also has a mean looking finish.
The reviews online are very positive for this knife. It gets about a 4.5 star rating on most websites. Some reviewers give this knife a lower rating because it feels too light. This, however, is just a matter of taste. The lighter handles swing faster than a heavier handle; it’ll take a few days to get used to the lightness.
Oh yeah, surprise, this model retails for over $300! No one said Benchmades were cheap. It sells Benchmade’s website.
So, what bali should you get? First off, stay away from those cheap flea market Balisongs. They might snap in half during a flip and you might just injure yourself. If you are in that price range, consider a trainer since they have better dynamics and some of them look like a real balisong.
If you are on a budget, and you’re still in the learning stage, get the Moon Boat practice knife. I didn’t feature it in our reviews above only because we don’t need anymore practice bali’s. However, the Moon Boat received TONS of excellent reviews, and at a price point around $10 as of this review, it’s hardly a bad deal! The Benchmade is featured here because it’s a contrast to the lower priced practice units on Amazon. It’s a very high-end tool (over $300)! I’ll pass. If you have the cash for that, get it if you’d like an elite balisong. If not, save your cash and get a great pocket or survival knife, and grab yourself a practice butterfly knife for fun!
If you have a passion for flipping, you would also like knife throwing as well — trust me, every knife flipper I know loves to throw. You can also try throwing axes, tomahawks, and hatchets–ok, I’m kidding, you can’t really throw a hatchet…. or can you?
Balisongs, also called butterfly knives, are a type of traditional Filipino knife that originated in a town called Balisong. In fact, that town still produces Balisong knives today. The legality of these things are sort of questionable but you can buy butterfly knives online with no problem (if you know where to look ;)).
  |   |   | |
| Name | Tac Force |
113BTR
| Morpho |
| Brand | Flea Market Cheapo | Bear & Son | Benchmade |
| Blade | Sharp-ish | Dull | Sharp |
| Tang | Questionable | Good | Excellent |
| Weight | ??? | 5.8oz | 3.3 oz |
| Amazon | Latest Price | Latest Price | Latest Price |
| Rating |  |  |  |
So, before we can start grading Balisongs, we must first figure out what we should look for in such a knife.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN A BALISONG KNIFE
- Some reviewers online complain about how their butterfly knife’s screws feel out after a few days. This isn’t really a defect–it is just them being dumb. Any real knife enthusiast knows that you must take the screws out and place a drop of Loctite in there to protect the knife. This goes for Balisongs, pocket knives, or any other non-fixed blade knife. You can basically ignore those reviews if you see them.Blade – some knives come razor-sharp, others are dull (usually the flea market type). Depending on how skilled you are at flipping, you might want to go with a dull, cheap one first ;).
- Tang – the tang is the part that connects the blade to the handles. Some poorly made knives tend to break after a lot of use if the tang’s metal is weak.
- Weight – Heavier butterfly knives are easier to learn than lighter ones. Some people think it is the other way, but this is what I felt was easier.
TAC FORCE “BUTTERFLY” KNIFE
WOULD YOU TRUST BUYING YOUR BALISONG HERE?
By higher quality, I mean that the blade will swing out smoother without any wobble. It’ll also last longer if you happen to drop it. Some reviewers online stated that they dropped this knife and it just simply broke in half! If you are going to be cheap, you can actually get great, cheap pocket knives.
BEAR AND SON 113BTR TRAINER BUTTERFLY KNIFE
This is a decent trainer. It has a better construction profile than the Tac Force so it’s definitely a step up. The blade is a high carbon stainless steel so it is rust resistant, but this knife is just a trainer. The blade is 3 inches long and the handle is 4 inches long. It weighs 3.8 ounces–on the light side for sure! Have fun and flip away. It’s not going to cut you …. too badly! Some reviewers mentioned that while the blade it technically “dull”, it can still pierce a soda can, so it’s best to be careful.
What I really liked about this knife is that the action is very smooth. The construction is decent. However, the criticism is the small size. Tiny hands like this knife best!
This is sort of common with coated knives.
BENCHMADE MORPHO BALISONG
BEAUTIFUL, HIGH-QUALITY KNIFE.
The Benchmade Morpho family of balisongs is a very high-end product. This model is very, very light compared to the above two butterfly knives–3.3 ounces. Instead of using metal for the handles, Benchmade made the handles out of fiberglass. This gives the handles a wood-like feel.
The blade uses D2 steel. D2 steel is a carbon alloy steel that is used in making tools. It is very hard and keeps a blade very well. However, it can rust easily without proper care. The blade also has a mean looking finish.
The reviews online are very positive for this knife. It gets about a 4.5 star rating on most websites. Some reviewers give this knife a lower rating because it feels too light. This, however, is just a matter of taste. The lighter handles swing faster than a heavier handle; it’ll take a few days to get used to the lightness.
Oh yeah, surprise, this model retails for over $300! No one said Benchmades were cheap. It sells Benchmade’s website.
CONCLUSION TO WHAT BUTTERFLY KNIFE YOU SHOULD GET
ANOTHER CASE OF YOU GET WHAT YOU PAID FOR.
If you are on a budget, and you’re still in the learning stage, get the Moon Boat practice knife. I didn’t feature it in our reviews above only because we don’t need anymore practice bali’s. However, the Moon Boat received TONS of excellent reviews, and at a price point around $10 as of this review, it’s hardly a bad deal! The Benchmade is featured here because it’s a contrast to the lower priced practice units on Amazon. It’s a very high-end tool (over $300)! I’ll pass. If you have the cash for that, get it if you’d like an elite balisong. If not, save your cash and get a great pocket or survival knife, and grab yourself a practice butterfly knife for fun!
If you have a passion for flipping, you would also like knife throwing as well — trust me, every knife flipper I know loves to throw. You can also try throwing axes, tomahawks, and hatchets–ok, I’m kidding, you can’t really throw a hatchet…. or can you?
