Handmade D2 Steel Balisong Knife| Stag & Brass Bolsters Handle | Premium Butterfly Knife with Leather Sheath BF-159

The BF-159 is a D2 blade on a 22cm frame with stag panels and brass bolsters. We build most knives at 29cm and a few at 22cm, and the single most common question we get is which one somebody should buy. Here is the actual answer.

The short version

Why length changes everything

The handles are levers rotating around the pivots. A longer lever takes longer to swing through the same arc for the same input, which is why a 29cm balisong feels unhurried and a 22cm one feels alert.

Longer means more time between you starting a move and the knife finishing it. That time is where correction happens. It is why every experienced flipper recommends a bigger knife to beginners, and it is not about the knife being better.

The mistake people make

Buying the small one first because it seems less intimidating. It is not less intimidating, it is less forgiving, and a beginner with a fast knife drops it more, gets discouraged faster and often concludes they are bad at this when what happened is they picked the harder tool.

If this is your first balisong, buy 29cm. Then buy this one in a year when you want something quick in your pocket. That order works. The other order mostly does not.

Stag and brass on a small frame

Shed antler between brass bolsters. On a shorter handle the grip matters more, because there is less handle to hold and less time to recover a slip. Stag is the best gripping natural material we use, particularly when your palms warm up, and it needs no maintenance whatsoever.

The brass carries the pivots and takes the wear. It will dull from bright gold to warm brown across the first year. That is oxidation, not neglect, and a cloth reverses it in a minute if you would rather it stayed bright.

D2 at 58-60 HRC on a butterfly knife

High carbon, high chromium tool steel. It holds an edge for a long time, sharpens without special equipment, and resists rust without being stainless. Dry it, oil it occasionally, and it will outlast your interest in it.

Who this is for

Somebody who already flips and wants a pocket knife rather than a bench knife. It is one of the two cheapest in this block, and both of them are the small frame.

Specifications for this D2 drop point balisong

In the box with this D2 stag horn balisong

The knife, sharpened and tuned by hand before it left the bench. A fitted leather sheath, cut for this frame rather than bought by the dozen. A gift box, because a good number of these are bought for somebody else.

You can have this one unsharpened instead: same frame, same weight, no edge, and the same price either way. Choose it on this page.

Engraving is optional. Initials or short text $19, a custom logo $29, chosen before you add to cart. Shipping is free within the United States and a flat $49 everywhere else.