440C Stainless Steel Balisong Butterfly Knife – Caterpillar, Bone & Brass Handle | Authentic Filipino Balisong BF-20

Caterpillar Balisong Butterfly Knife (BF-20)

Named for the stage before the transformation, which is a fair description of a closed balisong. The BF-20 caterpillar 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

The blade is ground from 440C stainless steel — roughly 0.95–1.20% carbon with 16–18% chromium, heat treated to about 58–60 HRC. That chromium load is what makes 440C the sensible choice for a knife that lives in the hand: it shrugs off fingerprints, humidity and sweat far better than a carbon blade, and it comes back to a shaving edge on a basic ceramic rod without much effort.

Handle, Bolsters & Balance

Handle inserts are bone, sanded and polished by hand. Bone is light, cool to the touch and dimensionally stable, and it is the classic budget-conscious counterpart to stag on traditional Filipino patterns. 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 7.76 oz (220 g) this is a substantial knife, and it flips like one. The extra mass smooths the arc and makes openings feel deliberate rather than snappy — you are steering momentum instead of generating it. Flippers who like a knife with presence in the hand tend to prefer exactly this range. 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, this is a full-size Batangas pattern. Long handles mean a longer arc and more leverage, which flippers describe as the knife ‘doing the work’ — it is the traditional proportion, and the one that photographs best on a display stand.

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-20 suits flippers who want a real Filipino-made knife without going into custom territory. 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 × Caterpillar 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