Kidlat Handmade Karambit Balisong Butterfly Knife | Matte Stone Washed D2 Tool Steel | Black Micarta Handle with Leather Sheath BF-176
Original price was: $305.95.$229.46Current price is: $229.46.
Stone washed D2, black micarta, no brass and no shine anywhere. If the polished ones make you nervous about the first scratch, this is the answer to that.
Blade Material – D2 Tool Steel, matte stone washed
Handle Material – Black Micarta, finger ring
Overall Length – 24 cm
Blade Length – 12 cm
Hardness – 58-60 HRC
Sheath – Fitted leather, included
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
Not quite what you want?
Pick your own blade, steel and handle in our custom balisong builder.
The BF-176 is a karambit balisong in stone washed D2 with black micarta panels. Everything about it is chosen so that using it does not make it look worse.
What stone washing actually is
The finished blade goes into a tumbler with abrasive media and is left to knock around until the surface carries a dense field of small random marks. No two blades come out identical and that is the point.
Because the surface is already covered in random marks, a new one has nowhere to stand out. Set a stone washed blade next to a satin one after a year of the same use and the satin blade looks worn while this one looks the same as the day it arrived.
It has a second advantage that nobody mentions: it does not show fingerprints. A mirror blade is a fingerprint collector and a matte one simply is not.
D2 is the right steel for this knife
High chromium tool steel, hardened to 58-60 HRC. It holds an edge substantially longer than plain carbon and it resists corrosion well enough that a wet pocket is not a crisis.
The trade is sharpening. Those chromium carbides that give D2 its wear resistance are harder than the abrasive in an ordinary aluminium oxide stone, so the stone polishes the steel around the carbides rather than cutting them. You end up working for a long time and getting a mediocre edge.
Diamond cuts carbides. A basic diamond plate turns a forty minute frustration into a five minute job, and on this steel it is not an accessory, it is the correct equipment. We would rather tell you that now than have you conclude the knife is faulty.
Black micarta, and why it feels different from plastic
Micarta is fabric in resin, so the surface has the texture of the weave running through it. It is warm to hold in a way a moulded polymer never is, and it grips better damp than dry.
Black micarta made from canvas has a coarser weave than the linen kind, which shows as a slightly more open texture. Over years of handling the high points burnish and it develops a faint sheen where your fingers sit. That is the only ageing it does.
No brass anywhere
Deliberate. Brass is warm and bright and it draws the eye, which is exactly what you want on a knife made to be looked at and exactly what you do not want on one made to disappear into a pocket. Every fitting here is steel, finished to match the blade.
Specifications for this D2 karambit balisong
| Overall length | 24 cm |
| Blade length | 12 cm |
| Blade | D2 tool steel, matte stone washed |
| Hardness | 58-60 HRC |
| Handle | Black micarta, finger ring |
| Sheath | Fitted leather, included |
Ordering the BF-176
Sharpened, tuned and checked by hand, with a fitted leather sheath and a gift box.
Or take it as a trainer instead. Identical frame, identical weight, no cutting edge, and the price does not move.
Laser engraving is $29, chosen on this page. Free shipping inside the United States, flat $49 worldwide.
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
6 reviews for Kidlat Handmade Karambit Balisong Butterfly Knife | Matte Stone Washed D2 Tool Steel | Black Micarta Handle with Leather Sheath BF-176
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
Peter Richardson –
Absolutely love this balisong. Even the smaller details like the pivot screws are finished well. If you’re on the fence just get it. You won’t regret it.
Mark Anthony Jackson –
This balisong completely won me over the moment I flipped it. Action is smooth right out of the box, no break in needed. Comes with a nice pouch which is a nice touch. Highly recommend this one to any flipper.
Melissa Harris –
This exceeded what I pictured in my head before ordering. Comes with a nice pouch which is a nice touch. This is going straight into my daily rotation.
Emily Hill –
Was nervous ordering a balisong online but so glad I did. Pivots feel dialed in with zero blade play. You can tell real Filipino makers built this. Made in the USA and shipped fast too. Couldn’t be happier with this.
Ruth Sanders –
Best butterfly knife I’ve ever owned. Hands down. Action is smooth right out of the box, no break in needed. Latch snaps shut clean every time. This is exactly why I keep coming back to this seller.
Hannah Cox –
Kept picking this up just to flip it after it arrived. Highly recommend this one to any flipper.