Congratulations you’ve saved enough for a new balisong, but before you buy we have created this page as an ultimate buyers guide resource for you that I hope you can use on your search to find the best butterfly knife.
This page is not only filled with quick reviews of some of the most popular blades but is also littered with crucial buying points to consider.
As a first note, if you are considering buying a new blade I would hope that at this point you have already bought and practiced with a quality trainer. If you haven’t, thats OK, but I highly suggest that in addition to whatever you decide to buy you also pickup a solid training knife to practice with. Slicing your finger open isn’t fun, but its all part of the game, all you can do is try to minimize it as much as possible. For anyone new to the hobby, a balisong trainer is simply a butterfly knife with a dull blade.
Click Here to Shop For a Balisong Trainer
Click Here to Jump Straight to Our Favorite Balisongs.
For anyone who doesn’t like to read, doesn’t know how to read, or just simply doesn’t have time for that, these are our choices at different price breakpoints starting from most expensive and highest quality… but you really should read it, it’s helpful:
With that out of the way lets dig in!
What Are The First Things To Consider When Buying a Butterfly Knife?
So what makes one knife better than another? Well, there are an infinite amount of things to think about but some of the most important things that you must consider are:
- Price
- Size / Length
- Weight
- Construction Materials
- Blade Sharpness
- Brand
- Build Quality
- Spacer Type
- Handle/Blade Shape
- Balance
- Legality
- How You Plan To Use It
- Overall Look of Awe and Beauty – sometimes it just looks so pretty you have to buy it
Lets Start With Price
You can buy for as cheap as five bucks or spend all the way up to nearly a thousand dollars, so budget is definitely the most important factor. But for the most part you are going to get what you pay for, if you buy a cheap knife you are going to get a cheap knife.
As I am sure you have seen by now, overall this is a very expensive hobby, but lets get something clear right away. Just because a knife is expensive doesn’t mean it’s worth the price that is being asked for it. That being said if you are buying a reputable brand from a company people trust you can feel pretty confident that what you are buying will match up the price that you pay for it.
I have seen some really expensive knives where the screws get loose and fall out almost right away after being used. Others where the action was so tight that they could hardly be flipped which brings us to our next point about action.
A Quality Balisong Must Have a Smooth Action
When releasing the bite handle it should swing freely back and forth and not get stuck at any point. You want it to swing freely but not feel too loose at the pivot. If you have screws then you can easily loosen them with the right tool if you have binding at any point.
Do You Want Pins or Screws At Your Pivots?
Whats the difference you ask? Well at the point where the blade connects to the safe handle and the bite handle there will either be a pin or a screw as the connector.
Pin Construction is exactly that… a pin. But the most important thing to know is that this means that you can’t adjust the tightness of either of the handles. The ability for the handles to swing smoothly is locked in and can’t really be fixed if it is too tight or too loose. It is unlikely that you would find pin construction on a higher end bali so that’s something to look out for if it’s really expensive, you might be over spending.
Screw Construction is also exactly that… well a screw. Screws are great because you can easily adjust your handle swing, but the downside is that these screws can adjust on their own over time changing the feel of everything and sometimes even fall out while you are flipping. On many models you can change out and upgrade the screws that came with your knife if you don’t like how it is performing.
Ball Bearings and Washers – As you move your way up into better quality knives you will find that manufacturers use ball bearings or high end washers of different materials at the pivot connection of the blade to the handles. What you use is all a matter of preference so don’t get too hung up on this.
Handle Shape, Blade Shape, & Balance
There is no perfect answer to what shape everything should be but ideally if you are going to be using your knife for flipping then you are definitely going to want it to be balanced. If you are like most flippers then you are probably going to want equal length, equal weight, symmetric handles.
When it comes to the blade it doesn’t matter as much as the handles but if you are not sure then go with a symmetric blade as well. What people like for balance varies from person to person but sometimes the handles can get overly heavy with certain models and it throws off the ability to land certain tricks as easily.
Is A Curved Handle Butterfly Knife Good For Flipping?
The short answer is no. Curved handles are really sweet looking and if you are just looking for a cool looking knife then I say go for it! There is nothing inherently bad about them, they can still be spun pretty easily, but they are definitely not the best because the balance is very strange. Typically the curved handle balisongs have offset pivots which will really throw off your ability to do certain tricks well. Another downside is when you try to switch back to a straight handle it will be much harder to do the same tricks that you already mastered which can lead to unnecessary frustration, this hobby is already hard enough. If you are buying for the sole reason to learn how to flip then stick with the classic straight handle.
Spacer Type
Some butterfly knife handles are all one solid piece but typically you see handles that have two separate parallel sides which the blade hides between. When you have two separate pieces this leaves a gap at the bottom of each handle opposite of your pivots where a latch would go. To fill this gap you have the option to choose different types of spacers either barrel spacers or blocked spacers.
For the most part neither is really better than the other but one thing is very important, the spacer must be the correct size. If it is too short or too long then the two handle pieces will not be parallel to each other. This can mess with your balance, overall feel of the knife, and can add unnecessary stress to your pivots. Sometimes you will see lower end balisongs with the wrong size spacers in them, luckily most can be changed out as long as they don’t have pins.
Butterfly Knife Construction Materials
This is one of those decisions that can drastically affect how much cash you are going to be coughing up to get the balisong of your dreams. But its really important to first consider what exactly you want it to be used for.
What Is The Best Balisong Blade Steel?
Like all knives the quality of the blade is paramount but you can end up paying for a lot more blade than you need. If you want a hard high end blade go with a CPM-S35VN steel blade. This is only really necessary if you are going to be using it to cut alot of different things on a daily basis and is not really needed if you are only getting the bali to flip with. There’s a huge selection of much less expensive blade steels that will do everything that you want just fine. I have found that a good blade will hold an edge for up to three weeks or so of constant use before needing to be cleaned up a bit.
What Is The Best Handle Material For Balisongs?
Although there is no real correct answer the best materials would probably be titanium or steel although brass or aluminum can work just fine also depending on your use case. Titanium and steel have an awesome weight to them and are unmatched in the space in terms of the best handle material.
Titanium is great because of its corrosion proof qualities and the fact that it is much stronger and a good deal lighter than steel. Many have said that the Ti material is easier to grip than steel but that’s up to you to decide and also up for debate as the difference in feel isn’t so drastic. Titanium is awesome because it holds up to being dropped better than any other material and the amount of dings that it will get is next to none which is great because everyone loves a pretty balisong.
One of the problems with steel, although sturdy, is the rust factor but if kept well they will last you forever. You can avoid the rusting problem by going with a 303 stainless steel and you will find that there is next to no rust issues. One of the benefits of steel is that they hold up nice to constant abuse and are much cheaper than a titanium handle.
Once again we find ourselves at the place of “you get what you pay for”.
Other handle materials that also work for different situations include carbon fiber, wood, or plastic in some cases. The problem with these is they are so much lighter which makes the balance of the whole knife a little off.
What Is The Best Length For A Balisong?
This is a personal decision that is based on what feels best for your hand size. Some people prefer a smaller knife but typically what you will see in the industry will be the full length of the knife including blade and handle to be around 9 to 10 inches. Longer knives will be heavier depending on what material you end up going with so some opt to go with something shorter to avoid the bulkiness, especially if you plan to use it as your everyday carry.
One of the most important things to consider when choosing the length is to do a little bit of research on the legal restrictions in your area.
Are Balisongs Legal?
You will often find that laws restrict your ability to carry a knife in your pocket with a blade longer than a certain size irregardless of whether it is a bali or not. A quick google search including your location should provide sufficient information to help you with your final decision.
Blade length aside in many places it is flat out illegal to carry a butterfly knife at all. The reason for this is that it has been categorized as a switch blade or gravity knife. Whether this is fair or not is is really an unfortunate drawback to this hobby as a whole as my personal opinion is that a balisong isn’t any more dangerous than a fixed blade knife other than the fact that people buy them for the sole reason to juggle them.
The argument is that because the blade can be concealed inside the handle then it is more dangerous and therefore needed to be outlawed. So make sure you check out your local restrictions because getting in trouble is no fun, and nobody wants their knife that they spent hard earned money on to be taken away by law enforcement.
Is It Legal To Carry A Balisong Trainer?
The answer is most likely yes but as always you need to check with your local authorities since a butterfly knife trainer is of no threat to anyone including yourself. A trainer is simply a juggling toy so for it to be outlawed would be pretty crazy. The only reason that it might be illegal is the fact that it looks like a weapon which can be threatening, so be careful where you take your trainer.
What Is The Best Brand Butterfy Knife?
Brand and the companies behind those brands is one of those things that can go along way. You have the trust and reviews of all the flippers that have bought before you to back up what the companies are saying about their products.
Here is a list of our favorite butterfly knife brands:
As always read the reviews of what previous buyers are saying about a specific knife that you might be looking at, but as a general rule of thumb you probably wont go wrong with any of the above brands. All of them have outstanding products, teams, and customer service behind them to deliver quality knives to their buyers.
So, What Are The Best Butterfly Knives?
Below you will find a selection of our favorite blades which you will see are some of the most popular balisongs among seasoned flippers. This is by no means a complete list and we plan to add more variety as new designs are released and tested by ourselves and the community.
Best Balisong Under $600
Benchmade 87 Ti – $514.25
This knife screams quality and for the price point it better. If you’ve been thinking about picking one up but are kind of turned off about the price point, don’t be, just go for it! You wont be disappointed. The overall look and feel of this knife is unrivaled with a titanium handle and CPM-S30V stainless steel Wharncliffe blade. The Titanium handle has an awesome satin feel to it that many prefer over its steel counterpart. It comes with a unique magnetic latch that seems to work exactly as you would expect. The latch is light and doesn’t seem to get in the way when flipping as can be a problem on other lower quality designs. This thing is cream of the crop when it comes to an every day carry and does everything that you need your balisong to do. This thing is crazy light compared to the overall size of the unit which has alot to do with the titanium construction and skeleton framed handles. On first glance the knife seems incredibly wide but after a little bit of flipping you will find that it’s exactly what you need! If you want the super car of balisongs then this is definitely your go to knife.
Best Balisong Under $500
BRS Alpha Beast Infinity – $459.99
This knife comes in at a close second to the Benchmade 87 Ti and arguably crushes it in terms of its much better price point. Overall this knife seems to be the best flipping knife on the market. It seems that just about everyone who has gotten this knife loves it and this is reflected in the fact that it is just about always sold out. It comes with an incredible CPM-S35VN steel blade that does everything you need it to. This works great as an everyday carry balisong and is so fun to flip. BladeRunnerS Systems inc is arguably the best in the game, putting out quality knives designed by expert flippers on the regular. The quality of their products is so high that it is hard to compete with and this knife is no exception. This knife feels very different than the standard AB model which tends to be much more heavy in the handle, and is a great overall upgrade. You can’t go wrong picking up one of these bad boys once they are available again.
Best Balisong Under $400
Benchmade 67 Tanto Recurve – $361.25
The reputation of this knife spreads far and wide throughout the community as a knife that is absolutely worth it. If you want a classic looking beautifully styled knife then you can’t go wrong with the benchmade 67. Like the benchmade 51 it is a high quality unit but makes a huge improvement for those complaining about the weight. This thing is much heavier than the 51 which is great because many complain that the 51 is too light and this give another option for those looking to grab a knife at this level of performance. This knife comes with a D2 steel blade with a hardness rating of 60-62 RC. The tanto blade style is super unique and a nice addition to anyone’s collection. As you start to get into this level of price for a single butterfly knife you start to question whether what you are getting is really worth the price that they are asking, well let me tell you that you don’t have to worry about it when it comes to benchmade products. They always deliver and have withstood the test of time and customer reviews to truly display that they are one of the best knife manufacturers in the world.
Best Balisong Under $300
Benchmade 51 Morpho – $297.50
The first thing that you will notice about this knife upon holding it is just how light it is. For some this is a deal breaker as they want/or are used to something heavier but after using it for a bit you will find that it’s actually really nice! The problem with light knives is the feeling that it may be cheap or not quality but when it comes to the 51 it is not too light at all, just different. The jeweled blue titanium liners are a staple design feature that everyone in the community recognizes as the BM51. The blade is simply amazing,setup with quality D2 grade steel. If you are interested in starting to play around with high end balisongs but are not quite ready to completely break the bank then this knife is absolutely perfect.
Best Balisong Under $200
Bear Ops Bear Song VII Titanium – $189.95
This knife is so awesome looking with its Black Stonewash finish and spear point blade. Getting a titanium handle of this quality at this price point is fantastic. This knife comes with a 154CM stainless steel blade that is very sharp straight out of the box. The action on this bali is arguably the smoothest they have ever put out and is an all around dream to play with. At this price point you start to get the idea of what a real quality butterfly knife is all about and this knife really reflects that.
Best Balisong Under $100
Bear OPS Bear Song IV – $99.95
The bear Song IV is a great intermediate level balisong and one of the best in this price range. It has an awesome overall look to it with the ability to easily change out the blade with and un-sharpened trainer blade. This is a great go to for someone looking for the whole package at an inexpensive price point. This particular blade has a great looking black finish composed of 1095 steel. We found that this blade wasn’t overly sharp but was sharp enough to easily get the job done. The knife is such a comfortable blade to flip but the handles tended to be heaver than expected. The coating on this knife is great to keep those annoying scratches away when you drop it trying to land a new trick.
Best Balisong Under $50
Bear & Son 114B – $36.95
This is an awesome entry to mid range knife that anyone looking to get started with the hobby would be happy to have in their collection for years to come. It is made up with a great looking alloy handle that feels great to the touch. The blade is a stainless steel clip point that is very sharp and seems to retain it edge decently well. Overall this is a very tough inexpensive setup, no matter how many times you drop it this thing can take a beating. When it comes to the Bear & Son 114 you seem to be getting a lot of knife for the money especially at such a low entry point.
Final Thoughts On What Makes The Greatest Butterfly Knife
So that’s about it for this article. I hope that there was enough good information in this post to help you on your journey to find that perfect knife, or at a minimum there was something new presented that you didn’t already know.
As I am sure you have seen by now what makes a perfect balisong is highly subjective. Don’t get too caught up in the research, eventually you just have to go for it and be happy with your decision. Remember that you can always buy more than one knife as this hobby is highly addicting so I am sure that you will.
Good luck friends.
Have fun and get flipping!
-Toyskills