Balisong Butterfly
Authentic Filipino Handmade Balisong Blades | BalisongButterfly.com
From the hands to who’s culture it belongs. Authentic traditional Filipino handmade Balisong or Butterfly knives. Free US shipping, worldwide $49.
Every authentic balisong here is an original balisong knife from our own smiths: a Filipino butterfly knife made the way Batangas taught. If you are searching for a Filipino balisong for sale, a traditional balisong knife or a genuine Philippines balisong, this is the page: the balisong knife Philippines collectors recommend, with a Batangas balisong for sale in Damascus, D2 and high carbon, shipped worldwide. Many collectors call it the Philippines butterfly knife; others say Philippine butterfly knife, or simply the Philippine balisong: the butterfly knife Philippines is famous for. From a traditional Filipino balisong to a vintage Filipino balisong pattern revived on our bench, every Batangas knife for sale here is forged the old way. The Batangas butterfly knife is the blade Pinoy steel made famous. Read the background in our guide to the Batangas balisong, the original Filipino knife.
Showing 1–24 of 159 results
Antelope 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-06
Blade Materials – 440c Stainless Steel
Argentine Ant 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-02
Asian Palm Civet 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-07
Asian Palm Civet Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-08
Aurochs 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-09
Banded Sugar Ant 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-04
Barb 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-10
Barn Owl 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-11
Bear 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-13
Beetle 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-14
Bird 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-16
Black Widow Spider 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-17
Bullet Ant 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-01
Bumblebee 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-18
Cat 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-19
Blade Materials – 440c Stainless steel
Caterpillar 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-20
Blade Materials – 440c Stainless steel
Catfish 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-21
Centipede 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-22
Chicken 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-23
Cockatoo 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-24
Cockroach 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-25
Common Buzzard Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-26
Cow Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-27
Crab Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-28
What makes a balisong authentically Filipino
The word "Filipino" on a product listing does not make a balisong Filipino. Almost every butterfly knife sold in the United States is stamped out overseas from a template, assembled by people who have never handled a Batangas knife, and sold on the strength of the word alone. What separates the real thing is not the label. It is who shaped the blade, and how.
An authentic Filipino balisong is defined by three things. The blade is ground and heat-treated by hand rather than blanked in a press, so no two are truly identical. The handle is fitted around that blade individually: the tang, the pins and the bolsters are matched to the piece, not to a batch. And the pattern itself descends from Batangas: the long, slim profile, the pinned bolsters, the slight forward bias that makes a Batangas knife fall open the way it does. Change any one of those and you have a butterfly knife. You do not have a balisong.
Every knife on this page is made by Filipino smiths and metalworkers, many from families with generations at the bench, now working in the United States. That is why these knives carry a Batangas lineage and a US address at the same time: the tradition travelled with the people who hold it. If you want the longer version of that story, it is on our origin page.
The steels, and what each one actually costs
Steel is where most of the price difference lives, and it is the decision worth spending five minutes on. The numbers below are pulled from our own live catalogue, not from a supplier's brochure. They are what these knives cost on this site today.
| Steel | Knives in that collection | Price range | Typical price | What it is good at | What it asks of you |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High carbon | 89 | $110 – $247.50 | $140.80 | Takes the keenest edge of anything here and sharpens back easily on a stone | It will rust if you leave it wet. Oil it. |
| D2 tool steel | 47 | $121 – $357.50 | $181.50 | Holds an edge far longer than carbon; semi-stainless | Harder to re-sharpen at home |
| VG10 | 30 | $109.45 – $178.75 | $130.08 | Japanese stainless; a fine edge with real corrosion resistance | Slightly more brittle at the tip than carbon |
| 440C stainless | 22 | $110 – $247.50 | $137.50 | The forgiving choice. Low maintenance, easy to live with | Gives up some edge retention to D2 |
| Damascus | 19 | $154 – $549.45 | $228.25 | Pattern-welded, no two alike; the display and collector end | Costs the most, and the pattern is cosmetic. It does not make the steel stronger |
If this is your first Filipino balisong and you want it to be a flipper rather than a display piece, high carbon is the honest recommendation. It is the traditional Batangas steel, it is the cheapest to keep sharp, and a scratch or a patina on a carbon blade is the knife telling you it has been used. If you know you will not oil it, buy 440C or VG10 instead and stop worrying.
Handles: kamagong, horn and bone
Handle material on a traditional balisong is not decoration. It sets the weight, the balance point and how the knife feels after twenty minutes in the hand.
| Material | What it is | In the hand |
|---|---|---|
| Kamagong | Philippine ebony, one of the densest hardwoods that grows in the islands | Heavy, dark, close-grained; the most traditional choice and the one that ages best |
| Carabao horn | Water buffalo horn, the classic Batangas material | Warm, slightly translucent at the edges, no two panels the same colour |
| Philippine deer horn | Antler, used in the older village patterns | Lighter than kamagong, with a textured grip that holds in a wet hand |
| Bone | Polished bone insert | Pale, bright against a dark blade; the lightest of the four |
Every knife ships with a fitted leather sheath, and every knife passes the same four-step check before it leaves the bench: hand inspection, smoothness and pivot testing, blade alignment, then durability and finish. A knife that fails any of the four does not go out.
What is in this collection right now
This collection holds 159 hand-forged balisongs across every steel we work in, from $109.45 to $549.45. Half the shelf sits between $133 and $192, with the median knife at $162.25. Individual knives are named for animals, Hare, Heron, Hornbill, King Cobra, Leopard Cat, Magpie, because each one is finished individually and the name is how the bench keeps track of it.
Every knife here can be ordered as a live blade or as an unsharpened trainer, and the trainer costs nothing extra. Same smith, same steel, same handle, same fittings: the trainer simply is not given a cutting edge, so you can learn the openings safely. Choose which one you want on the product page. To specify the steel, handle and finish yourself rather than pick from a shelf, use the custom balisong builder. For a name, a date or a logo cut into the bolster, that is personalised engraving. Text is $19, a logo is $29. Engraving is permanent, so engraved knives are final sale, and it adds one to three business days.
Ordering
Shipping inside the United States is free, with no minimum order. Most orders leave the bench in one to three business days and arrive in four to eight across the US. International orders ship worldwide with tracking and typically take eight to fourteen business days; the shipping rate is shown at checkout. If a knife is out of stock it is handcrafted to order, which takes two to three weeks. That is the cost of these being made rather than picked off a pallet. Please check your local law before ordering.
Questions people ask
What makes a balisong authentically Filipino? The blade is ground and heat-treated by hand rather than pressed, the handle is fitted to that individual blade, and the pattern descends from Batangas: the slim profile, pinned bolsters and forward bias. The label on the listing is not what makes it authentic; who shaped it is.
What is a Batangas balisong? Batangas is the province in the Philippines where the balisong tradition is centred, and a Batangas balisong is a knife built to that regional pattern. Long and slim, with pinned bolsters and handles fitted in horn, bone or kamagong.
Which steel should I choose for my first Filipino balisong? High carbon, if you intend to flip and sharpen it. It takes the keenest edge, it is the traditional Batangas steel and it is the easiest to bring back on a stone. Choose 440C or VG10 instead if you know you will not oil a blade.
How much does an authentic Filipino balisong cost? This collection runs from $109.45 to $549.45. The median knife is $162.25 and half the shelf sits between $133 and $192. VG10 is the least expensive way in; the top Damascus pieces are the dearest.
Are these knives handmade or machine made? Handmade. Blades are ground and heat-treated by hand and handles are fitted individually, which is why no two knives in this collection are identical and why out-of-stock pieces take two to three weeks to remake.
Does every balisong come with a sheath? Yes. Every knife on this page ships with a fitted leather sheath.
Can I have my balisong engraved? Yes. Text engraving is $19 and a logo is $29, cut into the bolster. It is permanent, so engraved knives are final sale, and it adds one to three business days to dispatch.
Do you sell trainers as well as live blades? Yes, and the trainer costs nothing extra. Every knife here is offered as either a live blade or an unsharpened trainer. Same smith, same steel, same handle, same fittings. Pick the option you want on the product page.
How long does delivery take? Most orders leave in one to three business days and arrive in four to eight business days inside the United States, where shipping is free with no minimum. International orders ship worldwide with tracking and usually take eight to fourteen business days, with the rate shown at checkout.
More reading: our balisong guides, the knife care page for keeping a carbon blade from rusting, and the Balisong Prime collection if you are looking at the collector end.
Knives on this page that deserve more attention than they get
Every knife we make lives on this page, which means a fair few of them never get looked at. These are the ones that get skipped, sorted cheapest first, and there is nothing wrong with any of them. Fitted leather sheath included, trainer or live blade at the same price, 58-60 HRC, free US shipping.
- BF-40 Eel Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $132.00
- BF-51 Glow Worm Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $132.55
- BF-50 Glass Lizard Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $133.10
- BF-49 Gerbil Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $133.65
- BF-54 Green Bee-Eater Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $134.20
- BF-39 Earwig Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $134.20
- BF-48 Gecko Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $134.75
- BF-43 Fire-Bellied Toad Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $134.75
- BF-53 Golden-Crowned Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $135.06
- BF-58 Heron High Carbon Steel Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $138.05
- BF-66 King Cobra High Carbon Steel Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $139.70
- BF-55 Hamster Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $140.25
- BF-30 Crane Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $162.25
- BF-07 Asian Palm Civet 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $162.25
- BF-04 Banded Sugar Ant 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $171.60
- BF-94 Pandayan Traditional Series D2 Steel Beautiful Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made With Cool Handle - $176.00
- BF-29 Macaque Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $176.00
- BF-31Crocodile Vg10 Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife - $178.75
- BF-115 Filipino Traditional D2 Steel Beautiful Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Rose Wood Handle Best Quality Knife - $181.50
- BF-114 Filipino Traditional D2 Steel Beautiful Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Rose Wood Handle Best Quality Knife - $181.50
- BF-113 Filipino Traditional D2 Steel Beautiful Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Rose Wood Handle Best Quality Knife - $181.50
- BF-106 Filipino Traditional D2 Steel Beautiful Dagger Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Rose Wood Handle - $181.50
- BF-122 Philippine Visayan D2 Steel Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Stag Horn Handle - $192.50
- BF-112 Filipino Traditional D2 Steel Beautiful Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Rose Wood Handle - $192.50
- BF-109 Filipino Traditional D2 Steel Beautiful Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Rose Wood Handle - $192.50
- BF-105 Filipino Traditional D2 Steel Beautiful Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Rose Wood Handle - $192.50
- BF-104 Filipino Traditional D2 Steel Beautiful Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Rose Wood Handle - $192.50
- BF-110 Filipino Traditional D2 Steel Beautiful Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Rose Wood Handle - $192.50
- BF-97 Pandayan Traditional Series Hunting Balde D2 Steel Beautiful Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made With Rose Wood Handle - $192.50
- BF-103 Filipino Traditional D2 Steel Beautiful Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Rose Wood Handle - $206.25
- BF-102 Filipino Traditional Series D2 Steel Beautiful Dagger Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Rose Wood Handle - $209.00
- BF-101 Filipino Traditional Series D2 Steel Beautiful Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made With Rose Wood Handle - $220.00
- BF-100 Filipino Traditional Series D2 Steel Beautiful Tanto Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made With Rose Wood Handle - $220.00
Guides worth reading before you buy
We wrote these because the same questions keep landing in our inbox, and because most of what the internet says about balisongs is wrong.
- What is a butterfly knife? The anatomy, the real Batangas origin, and the 1710 myth that will not die.
- Butterfly knife tricks, in the order you should actually learn them.
- Balisong for sale: how to tell handmade from CNC, and what a fair price looks like.
- Karambit butterfly knife: what the curved blade changes.
- Butterfly knife trainers: the same knife unsharpened, same price, chosen above Add to Cart.
About our balisongs
The balisong began in Batangas, in the Philippines, and every knife in this collection is made in that tradition. Our knives are made by Filipino artisans and metalworkers, many from families with generations of experience, now working in the United States.
Blades are ground in 440C stainless, D2 tool steel, VG10, high carbon and Damascus steel. Handles are fitted in kamagong ebony, carabao horn, Philippine deer horn and bone, and every knife ships with a fitted leather sheath. Both live blades and trainers are offered.
Before a knife leaves the bench it passes a four-step quality process: detailed hand inspection, smoothness and pivot testing, blade alignment checks, and durability and finish quality control. If a knife doesn't meet our standards, it never reaches our customers.
Most orders ship in 1 to 3 business days and arrive in 4 to 8 business days across the USA, or 8 to 14 business days internationally. Out of stock knives are handcrafted to order in 2 to 3 weeks, and every order ships worldwide with tracking.