D2 Tool Steel Balisong Butterfly Knife – Mongrel, Kamagong Wood & Brass Handle | Authentic Filipino Balisong BF-81

Mongrel Balisong Butterfly Knife (BF-81)

Named for the mixed-breed dog — no pedigree, better instincts. The BF-81 mongrel balisong butterfly knife is hand-forged in D2 Tool Steel on the traditional Batangas pattern in the Philippines, by smiths working the way balisongs have been made for generations.

Blade & Steel

D2 tool steel makes up the blade. Originally a die steel, D2 carries a heavy carbide load that translates directly into edge retention — this is the alloy to pick if you want to sharpen as rarely as possible. At 58–62 HRC it is hard, it is abrasion-resistant, and at roughly 12% chromium it resists staining without being fully stainless.

Handle, Bolsters & Balance

The inserts are kamagong — Philippine ebony, one of the densest hardwoods in Southeast Asia and the traditional material for Batangas-made balisongs. It is heavy for wood, close to non-porous, and it darkens with handling, so the handles you carry for a year will not look like the handles you unboxed. The frame around them is brass, which sets the knife’s weight and gives the inserts something rigid to sit in.

How It Flips

At 7.76 oz (220 g) this is a substantial knife, and it flips like one. The extra mass smooths the arc and makes openings feel deliberate rather than snappy — you are steering momentum instead of generating it. Flippers who like a knife with presence in the hand tend to prefer exactly this range. 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, this is a full-size Batangas pattern. Long handles mean a longer arc and more leverage, which flippers describe as the knife ‘doing the work’ — it is the traditional proportion, and the one that photographs best on a display stand.

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-81 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 × Mongrel 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

Keep a light film of mineral oil on the blade, wipe it dry after every session, and never store a carbon blade in a leather sheath long-term — leather holds moisture. 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