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Thread: Balisong / butterfly knives

  1. #1
    Site Supporter JodyH's Avatar
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    Balisong / butterfly knives

    Those of you who are knife people.
    Tell me about butterfly knives.
    I know they scared the sheep back in the '80s with the flashy spin moves, but how are they in the real world?
    "For a moment he felt good about this. A moment or two later he felt bad about feeling good about it. Then he felt good about feeling bad about feeling good about it and, satisfied, drove on into the night."
    -- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy --

  2. #2
    We are diminished
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    I'm far from a knife SME, but every few years I get the bug to buy a balisong as an edc knife. And each time, I talk to some legitimate knife guys and they talk me off the ledge with relatively little effort. I don't think there are many folks these days who consider them reasonable (practical) alternatives to fixed and folding blades.

    Craig and his guys could probably give you a much better answer.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by ToddG View Post
    I'm far from a knife SME, but every few years I get the bug to buy a balisong as an edc knife. And each time, I talk to some legitimate knife guys and they talk me off the ledge with relatively little effort. I don't think there are many folks these days who consider them reasonable (practical) alternatives to fixed and folding blades.
    Pretty much the same thing for me. When I took the InSights Defensive Folding Knife 1 & 2 classes I asked about them, and the general response was "why would you carry something that sucks when there are so many awesome knives out there."

  4. #4
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    For a folding knife, you are better off going with a waved folder like the Spyderco Pikal/Endura/Delica, an Emerson (Framelocked...), or carving your own wave into something like a Spyderco with a compression lock.

    The drawstroke is complex, dexterity intensive and will be difficult to employ when reacting to an attack.

    They are not worth it in terms of pay off for the investment of time and skill required to make them work.

    I'd consider them the revolver or the SKS of the folding knife world - run it if that's what you got, but understand you have better options that will get you where you want to go that are simpler, faster and more stress resistant.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mitchell, Esq. View Post
    For a folding knife, you are better off going with a waved folder like the Spyderco Pikal/Endura/Delica, an Emerson (Framelocked...), or carving your own wave into something like a Spyderco with a compression lock.

    The drawstroke is complex, dexterity intensive and will be difficult to employ when reacting to an attack.

    They are not worth it in terms of pay off for the investment of time and skill required to make them work.

    I'd consider them the revolver or the SKS of the folding knife world - run it if that's what you got, but understand you have better options that will get you where you want to go that are simpler, faster and more stress resistant.
    This sums it up beautifully.

    In best to worse order for defensive knives:

    Fixed Blade
    Folding w/ Wave
    Folding (regular and auto assist)
    Other (Balisong falls in this category)

    The Balisong is the Ninja's EDC knife.
    Last edited by SamuelBLong; 04-24-2012 at 02:42 PM.
    "I want to see someone running down the street with a sims-gun shrieking 'I am the first revelation' " - SouthNarc

  6. #6
    Butters, the d*** shooter Byron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ToddG View Post
    Craig and his guys could probably give you a much better answer.
    Hope it's not stepping on toes to post cross-forum links, but here's a TPI thread from a few months ago about Balisongs:
    balisong: the ninja EDC

    My favorite reply was Larry's:
    Quote Originally Posted by L. Lindenman
    I find my Walkman gets in the way of my draw and my balloon pants don't have belt loops, so they are kinda hard to carry. Balisongs are sharp though, I have trimmed my mullet with em.

    Quote Originally Posted by SamuelBLong View Post
    The Balisong is the Ninja's EDC knife
    Ha! That's the exact title of that thread. And for whatever it's worth, I agree with you that FB>Wave>Folder>Bali:

    Quote Originally Posted by Byron
    The way I see it:
    Fixed blade -- full grip before drawing from sheath. Better than...
    Waved folder -- grip needs to allow the blade to open. Better than...
    Non-waved folder -- grip needs to allow the blade to open, AND for manual manipulation with the thumb. Better than...
    Balisong -- grip doesn't just need to allow the blade to open from one side, but then requires the grip to momentarily open again to grab the handle, completing the opening cycle. Even if this can be done as one fluid motion, it requires more manual manipulation (either opening the grip more, or spinning the bali to allow the handle to close again) for more time.

    As much skill as can be developed with the bali, it still requires a 360 degree arc to open (rather than the 180 of a standard folder), and still requires a more tenuous grip to allow this full arc.

    None of this even gets into issues of gravity, space, etc. I can easily imagine scenarios where a folder could be accessed (albeit with difficulty) where a bali absolutely could not. I don't see how they're even in the same league.
    Disclaimer: I am not an Operator, Ninja, or Zorro. I have never stabbed anyone, nor been stabbed. My humble opinion is based on FoF coursework, and the relative difficulty of trying to deploy various items in human tangles.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Byron View Post
    Hope it's not stepping on toes to post cross-forum links, but here's a TPI thread from a few months ago about Balisongs:
    balisong: the ninja EDC

    My favorite reply was Larry's:




    Ha! That's the exact title of that thread. And for whatever it's worth, I agree with you that FB>Wave>Folder>Bali:



    Disclaimer: I am not an Operator, Ninja, or Zorro. I have never stabbed anyone, nor been stabbed. My humble opinion is based on FoF coursework, and the relative difficulty of trying to deploy various items in human tangles.

    Great minds think alike... note to self - go register at TPI
    "I want to see someone running down the street with a sims-gun shrieking 'I am the first revelation' " - SouthNarc

  8. #8
    We are diminished
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    Quote Originally Posted by Byron View Post
    Hope it's not stepping on toes to post cross-forum links,
    Fine with us here as long as it's fine with the other forum.

  9. #9
    Site Supporter JodyH's Avatar
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    The Balisong will just have to wait.
    I bought a spare p'kal instead.
    You can never have too many p'kals.
    "For a moment he felt good about this. A moment or two later he felt bad about feeling good about it. Then he felt good about feeling bad about feeling good about it and, satisfied, drove on into the night."
    -- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy --

  10. #10
    Member jstyer's Avatar
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    Dammit!!! I was wanting to catch some video of you honing your Kill Bill skillz...
    I train to be better than I was yesterday. -F2S

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