440C Stainless Steel Balisong Butterfly Knife – Catfish, Brass Handle | Authentic Filipino Balisong BF-21

Catfish Balisong Butterfly Knife (BF-21)

Named for the bottom-dweller with barbels like whiskers and armour where it counts. The BF-21 catfish balisong butterfly knife is hand-forged in 440C Stainless Steel on the traditional Batangas pattern in the Philippines, by smiths working the way balisongs have been made for generations.

Blade & Steel

Blade steel here is 440C stainless, the highest-carbon alloy in the 400 series and originally a bearing steel. Hardened to roughly 58–60 HRC, it holds a working edge well, resists rust in a way plain carbon steel never will, and is forgiving on a stone — which matters when you are flipping a knife daily rather than leaving it in a drawer.

Handle, Bolsters & Balance

The handles are solid brass. Brass adds mass exactly where a balisong wants it — out at the ends of the handles — which steadies the arc through a rollover and slows the swing in a way that makes complex openings easier to control. It will patina to a warm gold-brown; polish it back or let it age.

How It Flips

At 6.53 oz (185 g) it lands in the middleweight band, which is where most experienced flippers end up. There is enough mass to carry momentum cleanly through a rollover — the handle finishes the arc for you — without the swing feeling slow. If you have no strong preference yet, this is the weight to start from. The brass in the handles pushes the balance point outward, which steadies the swing further and is why brass-handled balisongs feel calmer in the hand than their weight alone suggests.

Open, it measures in the compact-to-standard Batangas range — the size most Filipino makers settle on, and the size that suits the widest range of hands. Large enough to feel like a real knife, small enough to carry comfortably.

Specifications

Every knife is finished by hand, so dimensions and weight may vary by roughly 3–5%, and natural handle materials differ piece to piece. Yours will not be an exact twin of the photograph.

Who This Balisong Is For

The BF-21 suits collectors and serious flippers. It is a working knife rather than a wall piece — it can be carried, flipped and sharpened — but the fit and the handle material make it a legitimate display piece too. If you are buying a gift, this is the price bracket where a balisong stops feeling like a novelty.

What’s Included

• 1 × Catfish Balisong Butterfly Knife
• A handmade wooden presentation box is included with every order over $170.
• Care card with oiling and pivot-tuning notes

Care & Tuning

Wipe the blade dry after handling and put a drop of light oil on each pivot every few weeks. If the handles develop play, seat the knife closed and tighten the pivot screws a quarter turn at a time until the play disappears without the action binding. Zen pins and tang pins can be dressed with a fine file if the handles start to strike the blade — do this a few strokes at a time.

Live blade, sold to adults 18 and over. Customers are responsible for knowing and complying with the knife laws that apply where they live.

Frequently Asked Questions