440C Stainless Steel Balisong Butterfly Knife – Bumblebee, Carabao Horn & Brass Handle | Authentic Filipino Balisong BF-18

Bumblebee Balisong Butterfly Knife (BF-18)

Named for the bee that flies heavier than it should and manages it anyway. The BF-18 bumblebee balisong butterfly knife is hand-forged in 440C Stainless Steel on the traditional Batangas pattern in the Philippines, by smiths working the way balisongs have been made for generations.

Blade & Steel

This one runs a 440C stainless blade. In practical terms: high chromium means real corrosion resistance, a 58–60 HRC heat treat means it keeps its edge through normal use, and the fine grain means you can bring it back sharp yourself instead of sending it out. It is the steel most collectors recommend for a first serious balisong.

Handle, Bolsters & Balance

Handle inserts are carabao horn — water buffalo horn, cut and fitted by hand. Horn warms to the hand faster than steel or wood, is naturally shock-absorbing, and carries its own grain, so streaking and tone vary panel to panel. No two sets are the same. The frame around them is brass, which sets the knife’s weight and gives the inserts something rigid to sit in.

How It Flips

At 6.17 oz (175 g) it lands in the middleweight band, which is where most experienced flippers end up. There is enough mass to carry momentum cleanly through a rollover — the handle finishes the arc for you — without the swing feeling slow. If you have no strong preference yet, this is the weight to start from. The brass in the handles pushes the balance point outward, which steadies the swing further and is why brass-handled balisongs feel calmer in the hand than their weight alone suggests.

Open, it measures in the compact-to-standard Batangas range — the size most Filipino makers settle on, and the size that suits the widest range of hands. Large enough to feel like a real knife, small enough to carry comfortably.

Specifications

Every knife is finished by hand, so dimensions and weight may vary by roughly 3–5%, and natural handle materials differ piece to piece. Yours will not be an exact twin of the photograph.

Who This Balisong Is For

The BF-18 suits anyone moving up from a mass-market balisong to a genuinely hand-made one. It is a working knife rather than a wall piece — it can be carried, flipped and sharpened — but the fit and the handle material make it a legitimate display piece too. If you are buying a gift, this is the price bracket where a balisong stops feeling like a novelty.

What’s Included

• 1 × Bumblebee Balisong Butterfly Knife
• A handmade wooden presentation box is included with every order over $170.
• Care card with oiling and pivot-tuning notes

Care & Tuning

Wipe the blade dry after handling and put a drop of light oil on each pivot every few weeks. If the handles develop play, seat the knife closed and tighten the pivot screws a quarter turn at a time until the play disappears without the action binding. Zen pins and tang pins can be dressed with a fine file if the handles start to strike the blade — do this a few strokes at a time.

Live blade, sold to adults 18 and over. Customers are responsible for knowing and complying with the knife laws that apply where they live.

Frequently Asked Questions