Bullet Ant 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-01
Original price was: $196.95.$147.71Current price is: $147.71.
Blade Materials – 440c Stainless steel
Handle Materials – Stainless Steel with Philippine Deer Horn Inserts
Overall Length – 29cm
Blade Length -14cm
Weight -210g
Handmade in Austin, TX. Ships Worldwide.
Every knife is built by hand in our workshop in Austin, Texas, by Filipino makers trained in the Batangas tradition. We ship to any country we are allowed to send a knife to. Free shipping inside the United States, 49 USD flat everywhere else. Shipping and delivery times
BF-01 is the first knife in our catalogue and it is still one of the best arguments for 440C. A 29cm traditional frame, a 14cm blade, 210g, stainless bolsters with Philippine deer horn inserts.
What 440C steel actually is on a balisong
440C is an American high-carbon stainless steel, and it has been the default for good production knives since long before anyone was writing blog posts about super steels. Roughly one percent carbon, about seventeen percent chromium, which is a great deal of chromium and is why it does not rust.
The high carbon is the part people miss. There are three grades in that family, 440A, 440B and 440C, and only the C has enough carbon to harden properly. If a listing says “440 stainless” without the letter, that is not a shortening, it is a hiding place.
We heat treat to 58-60 HRC. At that hardness 440C takes a keen edge, holds it perfectly well for normal use, and comes back on a stone without an argument. Its carbides are larger than the ones in VG10, so the apex is very slightly coarser at maximum sharpness. In practice that difference is visible under magnification and invisible while you are cutting rope.
Where it sits against the other steels we use
| Rust resistance | Edge retention | Sharpening | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 440C | Excellent | Good | Easy. Any decent stone | Owners who want low fuss |
| VG10 | Excellent | Very good | Moderate. Ceramic or diamond | The finest stainless edge |
| D2 | Good | Excellent | Stubborn. Diamond | Long gaps between sharpenings |
| High carbon | Poor | Moderate | Very easy | People who enjoy maintenance |
440C is the one with no difficult column. It is not the sharpest and it is not the longest lasting, and it is the steel we would hand somebody who wants a knife rather than a project.
Stainless bolsters and deer horn
This is the only combination of its kind in the 440C run: stainless handle frames rather than brass, with Philippine deer horn inserts. The stainless keeps the weight at 210g on a frame that would carry 300g in brass, and it does not develop a patina, so the knife will look in ten years roughly the way it looks now.
The horn will not. It runs cream through smoky brown, streaked and uneven, and it will take a polish where your fingers sit. No two pieces match, no piece matches the photograph, and if that bothers you the answer is a synthetic handle rather than a different animal.
Twenty-nine centimetres, which is the original size
The Batangas smiths called it veinte y nueve. It is the size a balisong was before the export trade decided every knife should fit in a jeans pocket, and there is a good reason it lasted.
A longer handle sweeps a longer arc, so the knife rotates more slowly for the same wrist movement. That extra fraction of a second is where you notice a mistake and correct it. What a 29cm knife does punish is a loose grip, because there is more of it and 210g will find out whether you were actually holding on.
Living with a deer horn balisong handle
- Keep it out of prolonged direct sun. Horn dries and fades, exactly as it would have on the animal.
- Do not put it away wet. The 440C could not care less. The horn cares.
- It needs no oil, though a light wipe once or twice a year keeps the colour deep.
- Colour and streaking that do not match the photo are horn. A loose insert or a crack is our problem and we will fix it.
Trainer, sheath and shipping on this 440C butterfly knife
The unsharpened trainer is the same knife, chosen above Add to Cart. Same steel, same 210g, same balance, no edge. It costs the same because grinding an edge is one operation in a long build, and on a 29cm knife it is a serious recommendation rather than a beginner’s option.
A fitted leather sheath is in the box, cut for the 29cm frame rather than the standard 24cm one. US shipping is free, flat $49 to anywhere else for the whole order. Balisong law varies by country and by US state and is worth checking before you order.
Every knife is checked for lockup, pivot action and edge before it goes in the box. Nothing ships that we would not keep for ourselves.
Processing
Most orders leave the bench in 1 to 3 business days. If the knife you picked is not in stock we forge it for you, which takes roughly 2 to 3 weeks. Engraving adds a little time on top of that.
What shipping costs
- United States: free on every order.
- Everywhere else: a flat 49 dollars for the whole order, however many knives are in it, so two at once ship for the same as one.
How long it takes
- USA: 4 to 8 business days
- International: 8 to 14 business days, longer if customs takes an interest
Those are carrier estimates, not promises we can enforce.
Tracking
A tracking number reaches you by email as soon as the parcel is collected. Carriers often take 24 to 48 hours to start showing movement, so a quiet first day is normal.
Customs and local law
Import duty, VAT and customs fees are set by your own country and are yours to pay. Balisong law varies by country and by US state, so it is worth checking yours before you order.
The full detail lives on Order and Shipping and Return or Exchange.
Hand-forged in the Batangas tradition
The balisong was born in Batangas, Philippines. Every knife in this catalogue is made by Filipino artisans and metalworkers, many from families with generations of experience, now working in the United States. Blades are ground from 440C stainless, D2 tool steel, VG10, high carbon and Damascus, and fitted to handles of kamagong ebony, carabao horn, Philippine deer horn and bone.
Checked four times
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.
Engraving available
Initials or short text $19 in the font you choose, a custom logo $29. Select it above Add to Cart and upload the logo file at checkout.
A sheath with every knife
Every knife includes a fitted leather sheath. Both live blades and trainers are offered, and every order ships worldwide with tracking.
Buying more than one?
Trade pricing starts at ten pieces and reaches 45% under retail at volume, with your logo on the bolster. See wholesale and bulk, or design one from scratch.
Owner reviews
What owners say
201 reviews for Bullet Ant 440c Original Filipino Balisong butterfly Knife BF-01
Shipping and returns
Processing
Most orders ship in 1 to 3 business days.
USA delivery
4 to 8 business days, tracked door to door.
International
8 to 14 business days. Customs times vary by country.
Made to order
Out of stock pieces are handcrafted for you in 2 to 3 weeks.
We ship worldwide. The customer is responsible for customs, VAT and local legality.
Returns and exchanges Read the warranty
Alex S. (verified owner) –
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