balisong butterfly high carbon steel

Which handle material should you choose on a high carbon balisong?

Above, we explained that the handle is where the money goes on this shelf. The obvious follow-up is which handle you should actually spend it on, and that is a question about your hands, your climate and your patience rather than about steel. We counted every handle across the 89 knives here, so you are not guessing from thumbnails.

Wood: kamagong, rosewood and narra burl

Kamagong is the Filipino ebony, and it dominates this shelf for a reason. It is heavy enough to give a 24cm knife some authority in the hand, it takes a polish from nothing more than handling, and it barely moves with humidity. Undecided? Pick kamagong and stop reading. Rosewood is a touch warmer in colour and a touch lighter, and it lives almost entirely on the D2 Filipino Traditional knives. Narra burl is the one to buy if you like looking at your knife more than using it. The figure is wild, and no two burl panels are remotely alike.

Horn and stag: the grippy option

Horn is a natural material with texture and a little give, which matters when your palms are sweaty and the knife is rotating. Philippine deer horn appears only on our 440C knives. Stag horn appears only on the D2 knives from BF-116 up. Carabao horn is smoother and darker, and like most horn it dislikes being left on a hot dashboard. Scuffs on stag look like character. Scuffs on polished wood look like scuffs.

Bone, micarta and solid brass

Bone and jigged bone are the traditional middle ground: lighter than horn, grippier than polished wood once jigged, and fine for daily carry if you do not leave the knife in a wet pocket. Micarta, on the single BF-88, is the choice for people who want a handle they never have to think about. Then there is the BF-21 Catfish, solid brass with no inserts at all. It is heavy, loud when flipped, and tarnishes to a brown you either love or polish off every Sunday.

One thing to check before you buy

The handle material is only half of the handle. The other half is the frame, and on this shelf most frames are brass while a handful are stainless steel. Brass adds weight and warmth, stainless keeps things lighter and brighter. The product title tells you which. If steel is still the open question rather than the handle, read our best steel for a balisong guide, then come back and pick the wood. Or narrow by family: 440C knives carry every deer horn handle we make, and the D2 traditional collection carries every rosewood and stag horn handle.

Handle questions we answer every week