VG10 Super Steel Balisong Butterfly Knife – Gerbil, Bone & Steel Handle | Authentic Filipino Balisong BF-49

Gerbil Balisong Butterfly Knife (BF-49)

Named for constant, restless motion. The BF-49 gerbil balisong butterfly knife is hand-forged in VG10 Super Steel on the traditional Batangas pattern in the Philippines, by smiths working the way balisongs have been made for generations.

Blade & Steel

VG10 is what the blade is ground from: fine-grained, cobalt-alloyed Japanese stainless run at roughly 60–61 HRC. It sharpens to a keener apex than most stainless steels and holds that apex noticeably longer. Slightly more work on the stone than 440C, considerably more edge life in return.

Handle, Bolsters & Balance

Handle inserts are bone, sanded and polished by hand. Bone is light, cool to the touch and dimensionally stable, and it is the classic budget-conscious counterpart to stag on traditional Filipino patterns. The frame around them is stainless steel, which sets the knife’s weight and gives the inserts something rigid to sit in.

How It Flips

At 6.17 oz (175 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.

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-49 suits anyone moving up from a mass-market balisong to a genuinely hand-made one. 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 × Gerbil 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