Balisong knife
Balisong knife is the name the Philippines uses. Butterfly knife is what the rest of the world settled on. Same object, and this page is the whole working catalogue of it, so here is how 127 knives break down before you start scrolling.
By steel: 89 listings in high carbon, 45 in D2, 30 in VG10, 22 in 440C, 8 in Damascus. That totals well past 127 because 67 models are built in more than one steel, which means the same knife can be a different tool depending on what you order.
By price: $109.45 to $247.50, median $137.50, with 72 under $150 and only 6 above $200. Ten are Traditional pattern, ten are Limited Edition, nine are stainless.
Every one is hand-forged in the Batangas tradition and arrives with a fitted leather sheath and an unsharpened trainer of the same model at the same price. If you want the top end instead, the 32 knives in our Prime and custom line run $173.25 to $549.45.
Showing 1–24 of 151 results
Alon Philippine Visayan Damascus Steel Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Beautiful Handle BF-123
Amihan Filipino Traditional Series D2 Steel Beautiful Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made With Rose Wood Handle BF-99
Antelope Handmade 440C Stainless Steel Original Filipino Balisong Butterfly Knife with Brass and Philippine Deer Horn Handle | 24cm EDC Flipper Gift for Him | BF-06
Blade Materials – 440c Stainless Steel
Apoy 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
Argentine Ant Handmade 440C Stainless Steel Original Filipino Balisong Butterfly Knife with Stainless Steel and Carabao Horn Handle | 22cm EDC Flipper Gift for Him | BF-02
Asian Palm Civet Handmade 440C Stainless Steel Original Filipino Balisong Butterfly Knife with Brass and Carabao Horn Handle | 24cm Lightweight Flipper Gift | BF-08
Aurochs Handmade 440C Stainless Steel Original Filipino Balisong Butterfly Knife with Stainless Steel and Kamagong Wood Handle | 24cm EDC Flipper Gift for Him | BF-09
Baga 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
Bagani Filipino Traditional D2 Steel Beautiful Dagger Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Rose Wood Handle BF-111
Bagwis Filipino Traditional Series D2 Steel Beautiful Tanto Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made With Rose Wood Handle BF-100
Bagyo Handmade Karambit Balisong Butterfly Knife | Satin Polished High Carbon Steel | Buffalo Horn and Bone Handle with Brass Frame and Leather Sheath BF-181
Black horn and pale bone alternating down a brass channel, with a brass ring at the butt. This is the oldest way of building a balisong handle, put on the newest shape in the range.
Blade Material – High Carbon Steel, satin polished
Handle Material – Buffalo Horn with bone spacers in a brass frame, brass finger ring
Overall Length – 24 cm
Blade Length – 12 cm
Hardness – 58-60 HRC
Sheath – Fitted leather, included
Balete Philippine Visayan D2 Steel Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Stag Horn Handle BF-122
Banded Sugar Ant Handmade 440C Stainless Steel Original Filipino Balisong Butterfly Knife with Brass and Philippine Deer Horn Handle | 29cm Full Size Collector Gift | BF-04
Barb Handmade 440C Stainless Steel Original Filipino Balisong Butterfly Knife with Brass and Kamagong Wood Handle | 24cm EDC Flipper Gift for Him | BF-10
Barn Owl Handmade 440C Stainless Steel Original Filipino Balisong Butterfly Knife with Brass and Kamagong Wood Handle | 24cm Lightweight Flipper Gift | BF-11
Batis Philippine Visayan Damascus Steel Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Beautiful Handle BF-127
The Visayan islands gave the balisong its second home, and the BF-127 is built to that regional read of the pattern - made entirely by hand.
Blade Materials – Damascus, layers of high carbon steel forge-welded and folded
Handle Materials – Brass with black micarta
Overall Length – 29cm
Blade Length -14cm
Weight – 220g
Bear Handmade 440C Stainless Steel Original Filipino Balisong Butterfly Knife with Brass and Kamagong Wood Handle | 24cm EDC Flipper Gift for Him | BF-13
Beetle Handmade 440C Stainless Steel Original Filipino Balisong Butterfly Knife with Brass and Kamagong Wood Handle | 24cm EDC Flipper Gift for Him | BF-14
Bird Handmade 440C Stainless Steel Original Filipino Balisong Butterfly Knife with Brass and Bone Handle | 24cm EDC Flipper Gift for Him | BF-16
Black Widow Spider Handmade 440C Stainless Steel Original Filipino Balisong Butterfly Knife with Brass and Carabao Horn Handle | 24cm Lightweight Flipper Gift | BF-17
Buhawi 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
Bukal Philippine Visayan Damascus Steel Blade Butterfly Balisong Knife USA Made Gift For Him With Beautiful Handle BF-130
The Visayan islands kept their own blade traditions alongside Batangas, and the BF-130 follows that line with a layered pattern no two blades repeat.
Blade Materials – Damascus, layers of high carbon steel forge-welded and folded
Handle Materials – Brass with black micarta
Overall Length – 29cm
Blade Length -14cm
Weight – 220g
Bullet Ant Handmade 440C Stainless Steel Original Filipino Balisong Butterfly Knife with Stainless Steel and Philippine Deer Horn Handle | 29cm Full Size Collector Gift | BF-01
Bumblebee Handmade 440C Stainless Steel Original Filipino Balisong Butterfly Knife with Brass and Carabao Horn Handle | 24cm EDC Flipper Gift for Him | BF-18
How do you read a balisong knife listing before you buy one?
Our product titles are long. Some of them are very long. That is on purpose, because a balisong title that says only "Butterfly Knife, Brown" tells you nothing you can check. Take this one from the page: Hare Handmade High Carbon Steel Original Filipino Balisong Butterfly Knife with Brass and Kamagong Wood Handle, 24cm EDC Flipper, BF-56. Every chunk of that is doing a job. Here is how to read it, and what to do when a title leaves something out.
The name and the BF number
The first word or two is the model name. On our Animal series it is a creature, so Hare, Bumblebee or King Cobra. On the traditional lines it is the line itself, such as Pandayan Traditional Series or Philippine Visayan. Names help you remember a knife. They do not identify it.
The BF number does. All 151 knives on this page carry one, and it is the reference to use when you write to us. It matters more than you might think: the Asian Palm Civet is two different knives, BF-07 with deer horn in a 29cm full size and BF-08 with carabao horn in a 24cm lightweight build. Same name, different knife, different number.
Steel, frame and handle
Next comes the steel. 149 of the 151 titles name it outright as 440C, VG10, high carbon, D2 or Damascus. The two that do not, BF-170 and BF-173, are high polished karambits listed in our high carbon collection.
After "with" comes the handle, and on a straight balisong it is usually two materials. "Brass and Kamagong Wood Handle" means a brass frame, or channel, with kamagong inserts set inside it. "Stainless Steel and Bone" means a steel frame with bone. On the karambit and kitchen pieces you will see "Brass Bolsters", "Brass Frame", "Copper" or "Titanium Ring" instead, describing the metal fittings. Nine titles call the handle Beautiful or Cool, which is our copywriting at its least helpful, and only BF-126 adds a material to that. Use the photos and product page for those.
Size label and finish
Ninety titles carry a size label, such as 24cm EDC Flipper, 24cm Lightweight Flipper, 29cm Full Size Collector or 15cm Pocket Balisong. The number is open length in centimetres. The words after it are our shorthand for how the knife is meant to be used. The "Gift for Him" that follows many of them is not a technical specification, and he will not mind if you buy it for yourself.
Finish shows up on the karambit and kitchen pieces: High Polished, Satin Polished, Forge Finished, Matte Stone Washed and Black Coated. Finish changes how a blade looks and how quickly marks show. A polished blade looks superb and shows every fingerprint.
| Part of the title | Example | What it tells you | Titles that include it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model name | Hare | A name to remember | 151 |
| BF number | BF-56 | The model reference to quote to us | 151 |
| Steel | High Carbon Steel | Edge, rust resistance, care | 149 |
| Handle and frame | Brass and Kamagong Wood | Frame metal and insert material | 143 name a material |
| Size label | 24cm EDC Flipper | Open length and intended use | 90 |
| Blade finish | Forge Finished | Surface look and upkeep | 21 |
| Sheath | with Leather Sheath | Stated on the karambit and kitchen titles; every knife ships with one | 24 |
If a word in a title is new to you, our balisong anatomy guide names every part, and the handle materials guide explains the inserts.
Questions about our listings
Why are some knives missing a size in the title?
The Filipino Traditional, Pandayan and Visayan lines and the kitchen and karambit pieces put shape, finish and fittings in the title instead. Check the product page for size before you order.
Does "Brass and Kamagong" mean the whole handle is brass?
No. The first material is the frame that holds the blade when closed, and the second is the insert set into it. One knife on this page, the Catfish BF-21, is described as a solid brass handle.
Is a balisong knife different from a butterfly knife?
No. Balisong is the Filipino name and butterfly knife is the English one. Both describe the same two handled folding knife.
Which handle is the bite handle?
The one the latch is attached to on our knives. It closes over the sharp edge. Our bite handle vs safe handle guide covers how to tell them apart without looking.
What does Forge Finished mean on a blade?
The blade keeps some of the darker surface from forging rather than being polished bright. It has a more traditional look and hides light scratches better than a mirror polish.
What should I quote if I email you about a knife?
The BF number and your order number, if you have one. The model name alone is not always unique.
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.