Butterfly knife (balisong) – top 10 training models from Aliexpress

The balisong, or butterfly knife, is one of the most popular types of folding knives. Today, knives of this type are used everywhere both in the city and beyond. Balisongs are unpretentious, resistant to dirt, have an original design, and most importantly, they open and close effectively, reminiscent of the flapping of a butterfly's wings (which is how they got their name).

From this article you will learn:

1. The history of the appearance of the butterfly knife.
2. What types of butterfly knives are there?
3. How to choose a butterfly knife.
4. Which butterfly knife is best to buy?

History of the origin of the knife

Now there are two official versions of the origin of the balisong.
One of them is Filipino, and the second is European. In any case, the knife in its classic form appeared precisely on the Philippine islands. The Asian version of the appearance of the knife is similar to an ancient legend. This story dates back to the 8th century, it was then that Filipino sailors seemed to come up with such knives. Naturally, they had a sacred meaning (what is a legend without meaning?) and were cult objects. One part of the handle symbolized the sky, the second part the earth, and the blade the surface of the water. Fishermen passed on their knives to their children and grandchildren. This version is refuted by scientists who have not found a single ancient knife of a similar design. Cunning Asians are simply actively exploiting this legend, selling their dubious products to gullible tourists.

You can forge a blade from nails, attach a handle from an old buffalo horn, and sell it as an heirloom for several hundred dollars. The main thing is to do this with tears in your eyes, repeating that the owner has no heirs left. If they come across literate travelers, the Filipinos beat themselves in the chest, become deeply offended and refer to the local village of Balisong.

The first official documents concerning the production of butterfly knives date back to 1905. It was then that the Filipino blacksmith and entrepreneur came across the drawings of the European pied de roux instrument. It was a measuring ruler, combined with a knife and consisting of two halves. It dawned on the Filipino and he began making knives of a similar design.

What determines the price of skins?

There are two main factors that influence the price of a skin, besides rarity and demand on the marketplace. Understanding them, you can roughly imagine which skins are purchased cheaper, and which ones will cost much more than the acceptable cost.

Skin wear

One of the main factors affecting cost is external wear and tear. All skins in CS:GO tend to gradually deteriorate. Thus, the “Factory New” (FN) quality level is completely devoid of any visual defects, while the “Battle-Scarred (BS)” quality level is the last level of wear and tear and such skins, as a rule, are quite cheap.

Accordingly, the cheapest quality levels on the trading platform will be “Battle-Scarred”

,
"Worn (WW)"
and
"Field Tested (FT)"
.

StatTrak™

Another thing that directly affects the cost of the skin.
StatTrak™ is a kill counter that displays the number of kills from weapons with this skin. The counter itself is reset when changing the weapon skin if you change it to another skin with this property, although the values ​​​​can be saved when using the StatTrak™ exchange tool, which will transfer all the numbers.

The victorious march of the “butterfly” around the world

The Filipinos used their original blades until the outbreak of World War II. After its completion, American soldiers brought home many similar knives, which they called “click-click knife.” Since some former warriors could not find a use for themselves in peaceful life, they became bandits. It was these Americans who began to promote balising as a weapon for criminals.

Martial arts, revived after World War II, also contributed to the popularization of the butterfly knife. Hollywood also made its contribution - action heroes of the 1970s and 1980s often famously twirled balisongs in their hands and killed their rivals. This helped to finally cement the knife as a weapon of bandits. “Butterfly” began its victorious march across the planet.

In the second half of the 1980s, balisongs came to the USSR. They immediately became the elite weapon of the punks, displacing the once popular “Finnish guns”. The police immediately outlawed the “winged” elegant knives. In addition to the USSR, these knives were banned in several European countries.

Despite their notoriety, balisongs are still produced by many companies. The most famous of them is Benchmade; their model under the index 42 is very popular in Russia.

Birth story

In the small Philippine town of Balisong lived a blacksmith master, Perfecto de Leon.

In those days, the town, like many coastal ones, relied on fishing.

And the fishermen, wanting to have convenient knives that could be quickly opened with one hand, ordered de Leon the first prototype of the current balisong knife.

Over time, having studied the structural features of existing “butterflies” and made several mock-ups, Perfecto figured out how to improve the fishermen’s original idea and added a folding handle, hinges and stops.

In this form, the balisong became known after World War II, when American soldiers began to bring such edged weapons home as an exotic souvenir.

In the 70s, American craftsmen began to produce balisongs, changing the original drawings to suit the needs of the population, and from the USA the fame of the butterfly spread throughout the world, and the knife began to symbolize various subcultures in different countries.

Balisong design

Classic butterfly knives always have the same design:

• Blade;
• Handles made of two halves;
• Fonts and hinge axes;
• Latches.

Knives differ from each other in finish and quality of materials used. The halves of the handle have grooves into which the blade fits. Currently, there are various models of knives that differ from each other in shape, size and curves of the blade and handle.

Since balisongs with a blade length of more than 90 mm are prohibited in Russia, few people know that “butterflies” are divided into several categories depending on size:

• Knives up to 29 cm long;
• Medium knives up to 24 cm;
• Small knives – 19 cm;
• Extra small or souvenir - up to 9 cm.

In addition, there are special versions of training knives, with a blunt blade or with a comb. Most models are durable, although the hinges often become loose on cheap models.

Steel of various qualities is used for the blade. If Chinese knives are made from unhardened 420A steel, then Benchmade knives are made from 440C steel with high-quality heat treatment. If factory knives lack individuality, then in the Philippines you can buy a designer model from a master. Such a knife may be made of low-quality steel, but the halves of the handle can be carved from wood or buffalo horn.

What to look for when purchasing?

Currently, many companies are producing butterfly knives. To choose a quality model, you need to pay attention to:

1. On the handle . It is better to give preference to the all-metal version. They will last longer than models in which 2 parts of the handle are connected by bolts. Wooden and plastic inserts look beautiful on souvenir knives, but if the knife is intended to be used for everyday needs, it is better to discard them: the parts break off and fly off.
2. For sharpening the blade . Most butterfly knives use a smooth grind along the entire length of the cutting edge. There are models with single-sided and double-sided sharpening. Serrated and semi-serrated sharpening is used less frequently. They are considered more dangerous. Training knives are not sharpened.
3. For the softness of movement of parts . When purchasing, you should try to open the knife. It should open and close easily.
4. On fastenings . Bolts or rivets are used to attach the blade to the handle. Bolts are more popular, as they allow you to adjust the connection - tighten it, or vice versa, loosen it. Rivets are usually installed on cheap models.
5. On the latch . It allows you to lock the knife in the open or closed position. When purchasing, you need to check its reliability. Some models do not have a latch. This allows you to open the knife in a matter of seconds. However, you must always carry it in a case to avoid accidental injuries.
6. Weight . The knife should not be too heavy so that it is convenient to take with you.
7. Blade size . Large balisongs are too heavy and uncomfortable for everyday use. You must also remember that the length of their blade is more than 9 cm and their wearing is prohibited by Russian legislation. The most widespread are medium and small models. Souvenir butterflies with a total length of less than 9 cm serve rather a decorative function.

Law and butterfly knife

In some countries, the wearing, storage, and sale of balisongs is prohibited or limited. In some places you can only wear short bowties; in others they are prohibited altogether. Due to the worsening situation with refugees and terrorists in Europe, the government was forced to tighten laws for balisong manufacturers. To avoid penalties, some companies have moved their production to China and other Asian countries.

In Russia, only models with blades up to 90 mm long are available for sale. If the blade is longer, then you have a bladed weapon, with all the ensuing consequences.

How to choose a butterfly knife based on its main characteristics

In fact, finding a good knife is not that difficult. It is enough to pay attention to the following parameters of the weapon:

1. Handle material. The following metals are commonly used:

• steel is the preferred option due to its reliability, durability and strength;
• silumin (a mixture of silicon and aluminum) is a less successful material for a butterfly knife. Models with a silumin handle are characterized by a small margin of safety: several hours of flipping can be fatal for such a balisong.

• Softness of movement. It is important that the halves of the handle close and open easily, without giving a springing effect when they hit each other. Top-class models use special ball bearings to ensure smooth movement of the elements. In budget versions of knives, metal or Teflon gaskets are used for this purpose, which are installed between the handles and the blade.
• Connection type. There are two types:
• rivet - a less popular type due to the restrictions it creates (the user will not be able to tighten or loosen the connection);
• bolted - a common option, especially common in models with steel handles. The bolts can be tightened or loosened. But you need to control the process: a loose bolt easily flies out of its “rightful” place.

• The handle, processed on the machine, is characterized by weight and smoothness to the touch. The cost of such knives is relatively high;
• the cast handle shows the opposite. It is light and has a somewhat rough texture. Products of this type usually fall into the lower or middle price segment.

Naturally, before purchasing, you need to hold the knife in your hands to understand how suitable it is for a particular person. In this case, you should evaluate the general appearance of the product - whether there are any obvious defects and irregularities on the handle, how well the blade is made, etc. Some users practice buying cheap butterflies and independently replacing their blades with more suitable ones. It is better for a beginner to refuse such experiments and immediately purchase a good balisong.

Usually, Chinese or Malaysian models are presented on the market: they are inexpensive, but are characterized by “weak” materials and unsatisfactory build quality. In the worst case, a new knife may shatter in your hands during training.

Among manufacturers, gun connoisseurs especially praise the “Americans” ColdSteel and Benchmade. But you need to focus on a specific model: if a cheap Chinese knife falls into your hand, you should take it. It doesn't happen once at a time.

The owner of a balisong must remember that owning such a “toy” imposes serious responsibility. You should not buy a butterfly knife for those who have problems controlling emotions and tend to act under the influence of the momentary mood.

Combat and household qualities of a balisong knife

Many people who have only seen “butterflies” in the hands of bandits from television series are confident in the exceptional fighting qualities of this knife. In fact, the balisong only looks effective while spinning. The thin handle is inconvenient, the knife does not have a stop, when jabbed, the fingers slide onto the blade, the knife presses heavily on the hand. Any folding knife with a blade lock will be much more convenient than the vaunted “butterfly”.

As for household qualities, the knife is also inconvenient for work. You can cut off a piece of sausage with it, but long-term work with such a knife will definitely end up with calluses on your palm.

The butterfly knife or balisong is another legendary knife whose effectiveness has been greatly exaggerated. To be convinced of this, it is enough to hold several modern models of folding knives in your hands and compare them with a balisong.

Design

The design feature of this bladed weapon is that the handles are connected by hinges to the blade and, when the “butterfly” is opened, they diverge to the sides, connecting through 180 degrees into a single handle.

This weapon is also considered one of the most economical in terms of technology. maintenance, since its design does not provide for complex closing-opening mechanisms, buttons or springs, so there are no breaking parts in it.

Of course, over time, the connections between the handle and the blade and the lock may become deformed and begin to wobble, but this will be a sign of a poorly made fake.

In high-quality balisongs, there are special recesses on the handles, and all the pins are flat. The butterfly outperforms folding knives due to speed and convenience, and over switchblade knives due to reliability. Although there is a difficulty here - you still need to learn how to handle it competently and correctly.

It is important to know: some companies produce butterflies with spring clips, allowing you to carry them in your pocket without precautions. If there is no special clip on the handle of the balisong, then it is recommended to carry it in a sheath.

Cash for a butterfly knife in Standoff 2

The ability to purchase weapons in the game is obvious. But for this you will need to either donate or play for a long time to earn the required amount of gold. The cost of this knife is quite high. There is a way to get such a knife for free - this is to use a cheat or, as it is also called a mod, a cache.

There are certain risks when using cheats:

• Your account in the game may be banned and it will most likely not be possible to restore it.
• Game quality may deteriorate. FPS and ping will drop, which may affect comfort.
• No one guarantees that the mod will work normally, or that it will work at all, since it is not an official software product. Also, its performance may change over time when the official client makes any update.
• There are a large number of different files posing as game mods, but in the end they turn out to be viruses. Therefore, be careful.