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 quality!

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 ;)).

	51 Morpho	113BTR	Manilla Folder
Brand	Benchmade	Bear & Son	Schrade
Blade	D2 razor sharp	Dull	Sharp
Tang	Excellent	Good	Excellent
Weight	3.3 oz	5.8 oz	7.85 oz

First off, before you buy a real Balisong, I recommend you buy one of the best butterfly knife trainers. They are cheap, going 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 Balisong knives, we must first figure out what we should look for in such knives. 

Things to Look for in the Balisong Knives

These are the top 3 things you should look for in the balisong knives:

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.

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.

Benchmade 51 Morpho Balisong Butterfly Knife

For a Kydex sheath for the Benchmade 51, click HERE!

Need a Benchmade Balisong Sheath to fit the 51? Pick one up HERE!

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 balisong 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. Check out reviews.

Schrade USA Manila Folder Butterfly Knife

The Taylor Manila folder from the 1980s is a legendary, iconic design, and this is a bit of a throwback to that knife. Considering this knife has D2 steel, the price and value on this is exceptional.  The skeletonized handles reduce weight, but that brings us to one sticking point.  This knife didn’t make it as our number one pick given the jump in weight from our other choices.  At a whopping 7.85 ounces, it is significantly heavier than our other picks.

Nevertheless, it’s an overall excellent balisong knife for the price, and it even comes with a steel latch for securing in both the closed and open positions.

Balisong Knives Conclusion: Which One You Should Get?

So, which one of these balisong knives 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 some of the best pocket knives, and grab yourself a butterfly knife trainer for fun!

If you have a passion for flipping, you would also like throwing knives as well — trust me, every knife flipper I know loves to throw. You can also try a throwing tomahawk, throwing axe, or survival hatchet–ok, I’m kidding, you can’t really throw a hatchet…. or can you?

Like or dislike my review? Tell me in the comment box below.