Kawit Handmade Karambit Balisong Butterfly Knife | Forge Finished High Carbon Steel | Rose Wood Handle with Leather Sheath BF-169
Original price was: $292.95.$219.71Current price is: $219.71.
A karambit blade on a butterfly frame. Two designs that came from opposite ends of the world and turn out to fold together rather well.
Blade Material – High Carbon Steel, forge finish with polished edge
Handle Material – Rose Wood, skeletonised frame with 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-169 is a karambit balisong, forged high carbon steel, rose wood panels, finger ring at the butt. It is a hybrid, and hybrids deserve an explanation before they deserve a sale.
Two traditions, one knife
The karambit came out of the Indonesian and Malay archipelago as an agricultural tool, a curved blade for raking through root and stem, with a ring for the index finger so a wet hand could not lose it. The balisong came out of Batangas as a folding knife that protects its own edge between two handles.
Nobody planned for these to meet. They meet well because both are built around the same idea, which is that a knife should stay attached to your hand and out of your way when it is not working.
What the ring is actually for
Retention. Your index finger goes through it and the knife stays with you whether or not your grip is any good. On the original tool that mattered because hands get wet and slippery in a field. On a folding version it matters because it gives the knife a fixed pivot point in the hand, which is why karambits feel so different to hold from a straight knife.
It is not a knuckle duster and it is not a trick handle. It is the least glamorous feature on the knife and the one that defines it.
The curve, and what a curved edge is good at
A curved edge cuts by drawing rather than pushing. The contact point moves along the edge as you pull, so the same force does more work than it would on a straight blade meeting the material flat.
That makes a karambit very good at anything you pull through: rope, cardboard, webbing, packaging. It makes it poor at anything you push into, and hopeless at anything that needs a point held flat against a board. Buy it knowing which half of that you want.
Forged finish on a curved blade
The dark flat is forge scale, the oxide layer left by working the steel hot. It is part of the blade, not sprayed on top of it, and it wears rather than chipping. The edge bevel is ground back to bright steel because scale cannot be left where the apex is.
On a curved blade that contrast follows the curve, which shows you the geometry rather better than a uniform finish would. You can see exactly where the grind changes along the belly.
Rose wood, in the hand
Dense, naturally oily, close grained. It does not get slippery when your hands are damp, which is more or less the whole requirement for a handle you hold through a ring. It darkens to a deeper red brown over the years and it needs a little mineral oil once a year at most.
Specifications for this karambit balisong
| Overall length | 24 cm |
| Blade length | 12 cm |
| Blade | High carbon steel, forge finish with polished edge |
| Hardness | 58-60 HRC |
| Handle | Rose wood, skeletonised frame with finger ring |
| Sheath | Fitted leather, included |
Ordering the BF-169
Sharpened, tuned and checked by hand, with a fitted leather sheath cut for this frame and a gift box. It is high carbon, so wipe it dry and keep it out of the sheath between uses.
Or take it as a trainer instead. Identical frame, identical weight, no cutting edge, and the price does not move. A curved blade on a folding frame is not the thing to learn on sharpened.
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
3 reviews for Kawit Handmade Karambit Balisong Butterfly Knife | Forge Finished High Carbon Steel | Rose Wood Handle with Leather Sheath BF-169
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
Christopher Gonzalez –
Did not expect this level of fit and finish for the price. Pivots feel dialed in with zero blade play. Latch snaps shut clean every time. Blade came shaving sharp straight out of the box. Balisong Butterfly’s attention to detail is honestly unmatched. Couldn’t be happier with this.
Omar Hughes –
Best butterfly knife I’ve ever owned. Hands down. Handles have a great grip even during fast flips. This is why Balisong Butterfly is my go to for anything balisong related. Already planning my next pickup from this store.
Eric Martinez –
Absolutely super impressed by this balisong. This flips cleaner than knives twice the price. Already thinking about what to order next from this company.