The BF-54 Green Bee-Eater is a 24cm VG10 balisong at 175g, brass and kamagong. It sits at the top of the standard-frame VG10 knives, and since it is the last one people usually look at, this is where we will put the whole range on one page and let you choose.
The entire VG10 line, honestly compared
| Model |
Frame |
Weight |
Handle |
| BF-42 Falcon |
24cm |
150g |
Brass and kamagong |
| BF-27 Cow |
24cm |
180g |
Brass and kamagong |
| BF-35 Dormouse |
24cm |
150g |
Brass and kamagong |
| BF-28 Crab |
24cm |
155g |
Stainless and kamagong |
| BF-34 Donkey |
24cm |
150g |
Brass and kamagong |
| BF-47 Frog |
24cm |
180g |
Brass and kamagong |
| BF-45 Flying Squirrel |
24cm |
150g |
Brass and kamagong |
| BF-38 Eagle |
24cm |
150g |
Brass and kamagong |
| BF-41 Elephant |
24cm |
180g |
Brass and kamagong |
| BF-51 Glow Worm |
24cm |
175g |
Brass and kamagong |
| BF-54 Green Bee-Eater |
24cm |
175g |
Brass and kamagong |
| BF-39 Earwig |
24cm |
150g |
Brass and kamagong |
| BF-30 Crane |
29cm |
225g |
Brass and carabao horn |
| BF-29 Macaque |
29cm |
225g |
Brass and deer horn |
How to actually pick one
- First balisong, no experience: the Falcon, blunt. It is the cheapest and the steel is identical to everything above it.
- You want it to carry you through a rollover: 180g. Cow, Frog or Elephant.
- You want speed for chained work: 150g.
- You are undecided: 175g, which is this one or the Glow Worm.
- You want nothing on it that corrodes: the Crab, with its stainless bolsters.
- You want a full-size traditional knife: the Crane or the Macaque, at 29cm.
Every knife on that list has the same VG10 blade, the same heat treat and the same build. The prices differ on handle work and frame size, not on how well the thing cuts.
What 175 grams is like
The knife has enough mass to keep going through a rotation without you driving it, and not so much that your forearm objects after an hour. That combination is why this weight class is the one most people settle on after they have owned two or three knives.
Coming from 150g it will feel noticeably more deliberate for about a week. Coming from 225g it will feel like a toy for about a day. Both impressions pass.
The steel and the hardness of this VG10 butterfly knife
VG10 is a Japanese stainless out of Takefu, designed for kitchen cutlery: roughly one percent carbon, fifteen percent chromium, with cobalt, molybdenum and vanadium refining the grain. Keen, long-lasting, and untroubled by damp.
We heat treat to 58-60 HRC rather than the 61 a kitchen maker might use, because balisongs get dropped and at this hardness the edge rolls on impact rather than chipping out. Ceramic or diamond to sharpen, keep our angle, once or twice a year.
Care, in three lines
Dry the blade if it gets wet. One drop of oil on each pivot twice a year, not ten. Blow the channels out before you oil them, because oil on top of dust makes a paste that stiffens the action.
The kamagong needs nothing at all. The brass will darken and that is not damage.
Trainer, sheath and shipping on this VG10 balisong knife
The unsharpened trainer is the same knife, chosen above Add to Cart. Same steel, same 175g, same balance, no edge, same price, because grinding an edge is one operation in a long build.
The sheath is leather, cut to this knife rather than to a category, and it is included. US delivery costs nothing and the rest of the world is a flat $49 per order, so one knife shipped abroad is poor value against two. Check your own knife law first.
The Green Bee Eater carries VG10 super steel on a 24cm frame, with the brass and kamagong wood handle doing most of the work for grip and balance. Once it is in hand, our guide to tuning a balisong is worth a read if the pivots ever need adjusting for a smoother swing. This model is part of our VG10 balisong lineup, and the Hamster VG10 balisong makes a good side by side comparison for anyone still deciding between the two.
Susan Bishop –
Was nervous ordering a balisong online but so glad I did. Made in the USA and shipped worldwide with no long wait on my end. Handle scales feel great in hand even during longer flip sessions. This is my new favorite in the collection.
Jacob Williams –
No regrets on this purchase at all. Fit and finish is way above what I expected at this price. Highly recommend this one to any flipper.
Susan Bishop –
Was nervous ordering a balisong online but so glad I did. Made in the USA and shipped worldwide with no long wait on my end. Handle scales feel great in hand even during longer flip sessions. This is my new favorite in the collection.
Jacob Williams –
No regrets on this purchase at all. Fit and finish is way above what I expected at this price. Highly recommend this one to any flipper.
Hiroshi Patel –
Was nervous ordering a balisong online but so glad I did. Handles have a great grip even during fast flips. This flips cleaner than knives twice the price. Action is smooth right out of the box, no break in needed. Not my first order from Balisong Butterfly and it won’t be my last. Zero complaints from me on this purchase.
Sergio Rivera –
Honestly one of my better purchases in a while. Action is smooth right out of the box, no break in needed. Beyond happy with how this turned out.
Wei Wright –
This has quickly become my favorite piece in the collection. Handles have a great grip even during fast flips. So worth it.