Handmade Balisong Kitchen Knives, Chef and Steak
Balisong kitchen knives put a real chef blade on the same butterfly frame this workshop is named after: iconic butterfly-style handles, professional-grade blades, and a handle that folds closed over the edge so the knife protects itself without a block or a drawer guard. Forged and fitted by hand in the Batangas method in high carbon, D2 tool steel and hand-forged Damascus, with stag, ram horn, buffalo horn, bone and burl wood handles, brass or copper bolsters, and a fitted leather sheath in the box. The shelf runs from chef knives with a full 7 inch blade to balisong steak knife sets for the table. Culinary precision built the way the rest of our handmade butterfly knives are built. Hand wash and dry them, as our knife care guide explains, and make one a gift with custom engraving.
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Handmade Balisong Kitchen Chef Knife | Forge Finished High Carbon Steel | Stag Handle with Copper Bolsters and Leather Sheath BF-172
Same forged blade as the BF-165, but the bolsters are copper, and copper is the one metal on a knife that is supposed to change colour.
Blade Material – High Carbon Steel, forge finish with polished bevel
Handle Material – Stag with copper bolsters
Overall Length – 30.5 cm (12 in)
Blade Length – 18 cm (7 in)
Hardness – 58-60 HRC
Sheath – Fitted leather, included
Handmade Balisong Kitchen Chef Knife | Forge Finished High Carbon Steel | Stag Handle with Leather Sheath BF-165
The black on this blade is not a coating. It is what the forge left behind, and we ground the edge bevel bright so you can see exactly where one ends and the other begins.
Blade Material – High Carbon Steel, forge finish with polished bevel
Handle Material – Stag with steel bolsters
Overall Length – 30.5 cm (12 in)
Blade Length – 18 cm (7 in)
Hardness – 58-60 HRC
Sheath – Fitted leather, included
Handmade Balisong Kitchen Chef Knife | High Polished High Carbon Steel | Buffalo Horn Handle with Leather Sheath BF-163
A 12 inch chef knife on a butterfly frame, mirror polished, with buffalo horn between the bolsters. It is the least sensible finish we offer for a kitchen and the one people ask for most.
Blade Material – High Carbon Steel, high polished
Handle Material – Buffalo Horn with steel bolsters
Overall Length – 30.5 cm (12 in)
Blade Length – 18 cm (7 in)
Hardness – 58-60 HRC
Sheath – Fitted leather, included
Handmade Balisong Kitchen Chef Knife | Matte Stone Washed D2 Tool Steel | Ram Horn Handle with Leather Sheath BF-164
Stone washed D2, a row of hollows drilled through the flat, ram horn panels and a skeletonised frame. This is the one to buy if you would rather use a knife than curate it.
Blade Material – D2 Tool Steel, matte stone washed
Handle Material – Ram Horn, skeletonised frame with brass pins
Overall Length – 30.5 cm (12 in)
Blade Length – 18 cm (7 in)
Hardness – 58-60 HRC
Sheath – Fitted leather, included
Handmade Balisong Steak Knife and Fork Set | High Polished High Carbon Steel | Rose Wood Handles with Leather Sheaths BF-166
A steak knife and a matching fork, both on butterfly frames, both in rose wood. The knife has a plain edge, which is the entire argument this page makes.
Pieces – Steak knife and fork, 2 pieces
Blade Material – High Carbon Steel, high polished
Handle Material – Rose Wood with steel bolsters
Overall Length – 24 cm each
Blade Length – 12 cm
Hardness – 58-60 HRC
Sheath – Fitted leather, included
Handmade Balisong Steak Knife Set of Three | High Polished High Carbon Steel | Rose Wood Handles with Leather Sheaths BF-171
Two steak knives and a fork, all three on butterfly frames in rose wood. The three piece exists because two people eating steak need two knives, which sounds obvious until you try buying a set that admits it.
Pieces – Two steak knives and one fork, 3 pieces
Blade Material – High Carbon Steel, high polished
Handle Material – Rose Wood with steel bolsters
Overall Length – 24 cm each
Blade Length – 12 cm
Hardness – 58-60 HRC
Sheath – Fitted leather, included
Handmade Damascus Steel Balisong Kitchen Chef Knife | Buffalo Bone Handle with Brass Bolsters and Leather Sheath BF-167
A 12 inch Damascus chef knife with buffalo bone panels and brass bolsters. Bone is the quietest handle material we work with, which is precisely why it sits well under a busy blade.
Blade Material – Damascus Steel
Handle Material – Buffalo Bone with brass bolsters
Overall Length – 30.5 cm (12 in)
Blade Length – 18 cm (7 in)
Hardness – 58-60 HRC
Sheath – Fitted leather, included
Handmade Damascus Steel Balisong Kitchen Chef Knife | Walnut Burl Wood Handle with Brass Bolsters and Leather Sheath BF-168
Damascus on the blade, walnut burl on the handle. Two patterned surfaces on one knife, which is a decision that either works or looks like a mess. This page explains which and why.
Blade Material – Damascus Steel
Handle Material – Walnut Burl Wood with brass bolsters
Overall Length – 30.5 cm (12 in)
Blade Length – 18 cm (7 in)
Hardness – 58-60 HRC
Sheath – Fitted leather, included
A Chef Knife on a Butterfly Frame
This is the odd corner of the workshop. A balisong kitchen knife is a real chef knife, forged and ground like any other blade we make, mounted on the same two-handle butterfly frame the shop is named after. The handles fold closed over the edge, so the knife protects itself without a block, a sheath or a magnetic strip.
Nobody needs a butterfly kitchen knife. That is worth saying plainly, because most listings for unusual cookware will tell you the opposite. What you get is a working blade with a closing action that keeps the edge off the drawer, made by hand in the Batangas method, in steels and handle materials that a factory chef knife will never carry. Prices on this shelf run from $245 to $395.
What Is On This Shelf
Two things, and they do different jobs.
Balisong chef knives. The main blade, meant for the board: onions, herbs, breaking down a chicken, the ordinary work. Forge finished high carbon, high polished high carbon, matte stone washed D2 and Damascus.
Balisong steak knife sets. A set of three, and a knife and fork pairing, both in high polished high carbon with rose wood handles. These are table knives. They are the reason people notice the set before they notice the food, which is either the point or a nuisance depending on your guests.
Steel, and What It Means at the Board
| Steel | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| High carbon, forge finished | The sharpest edge on this page, easy to bring back | Will patina. Dry it or it rusts |
| High carbon, high polished | Table sets, the look | Same care, shows marks sooner |
| D2 tool steel, matte stone washed | Holds an edge through a long prep session | Harder to resharpen at home |
| Damascus | Pattern, gifts, the knife that gets talked about | Costs more without cutting better |
If this is going to be used daily by someone who already sharpens their own knives, buy high carbon. If it is going to be used hard by someone who does not, buy D2. If it is a gift, buy Damascus and accept that you are paying for the pattern. That is the whole decision.
Handles a Factory Chef Knife Will Never Have
Stag, ram horn, buffalo horn, buffalo bone, walnut burl and rose wood, with copper or brass bolsters. These are selected and fitted by hand, one pair at a time, which is why no two are the same and why a horn handle costs what it costs. Copper is the interesting one: it is the single metal on a knife that is meant to change colour, and it will, and that is not a fault.
Natural handle materials are not dishwasher materials. Neither is the pivot. Wash by hand, dry properly, and this knife outlives the person who bought it.
Looking After One
Hand wash, dry immediately, oil the blade if it is high carbon and the kitchen is humid. A drop of light oil at each pivot once in a while keeps the action smooth. Do not put it in a dishwasher, do not leave it in the sink, and do not use it to open packaging, which is what the karambit balisongs are for.
Sharpening is the same as any other knife. If you have never done it, a $30 whetstone and ten minutes of video will serve you better than sending it anywhere.
Questions Cooks Actually Ask
Is a balisong kitchen knife actually usable, or is it a novelty? It is usable. The blade is forged, ground and heat treated the same way as every other knife in this workshop, and the geometry is a normal chef knife geometry. The butterfly frame changes how it is carried and stored, not how it cuts. It is slower to open than pulling a knife from a block, so it suits a cook who likes the object as much as the job.
Can I get one of these as a trainer? No, and deliberately so. Every other balisong on this site can be ordered with a blunt trainer edge, but a chef knife that does not cut is a paperweight with good manners. The Sharp or Trainer chooser is switched off on this category for that reason.
What is the difference between a balisong chef knife and a normal one? The handle. A normal chef knife has one fixed handle and needs a block, a sheath or a drawer guard. A butterfly handle chef knife closes over its own edge, so it stores flat and travels without cutting the inside of your bag. Everything from the bolster forward is a conventional kitchen blade.
Are these dishwasher safe? No. Natural horn, bone, stag and burl wood are not dishwasher materials, and neither is a pivot. Hand wash and dry. A dishwasher will ruin a handle faster than years of cooking will.
Will a high carbon kitchen knife rust? It will patina, which is a grey or blue film that forms as the steel reacts with food acid, and that film actually protects it. It will rust only if you leave it wet. Dry it after use and it behaves.
How much does a handmade balisong kitchen knife cost? On this shelf, $245 to $395. That is what hand forging, hand fitting and natural handle material cost. A $40 chef knife is a stamped blank with a moulded grip, and it is honestly fine for most kitchens. This is not that, and it does not pretend to be.
Do the steak knife sets come as a set? Yes. There is a set of three and a knife and fork pairing, both in high polished high carbon with rose wood handles, sold together rather than as singles.
Does a balisong kitchen knife come with a sheath? Yes. A fitted leather sheath is included with every knife and set on this shelf, cut for the closed knife rather than bought in a generic size. With the handles folded over the edge and a sheath on top, this is the rare chef knife you can put in a bag.
How long is the blade on a balisong chef knife? The chef knives run about 18 cm, roughly 7 inches, on a 30.5 cm overall length with the handles open. Hardness is 58 to 60 HRC, the same heat treat spec as every other knife in the workshop.
Can a balisong kitchen knife be engraved? Yes, engraving is available as an add-on and it is done by hand after the order comes in, so allow extra time. It is the obvious move on a wedding or housewarming gift.
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.