We’ve all seen the movies, we’ve been taught that a butterfly knife is dangerous and only dangerous people carry them. Couldn’t be farther from the truth! In fact, butterfly knives are an incredibly useful tool to own.
A butterfly knife can have many helpful uses. They are easily deployed with a single hand, they can be quickly opened and locked safely. These are just a few advantages.
In this article we are going to cover many aspects of the butterfly knife, but for a quick reference below are the top 5 best butterfly knives reviewed in this article.
Today’s Best Butterfly Knives
- Best and Son Large 114B Butterfly Knife
- Benchmade 51 Balisong Morpho – Orange G10
- Bradley Kimura – Spear Point OD Green
- Schrade USA Manilla Folder Butterfly Knife
- Benchmade 67 Tanto Recurve Balisong
In simple terms, a butterfly knife is a folding knife having two counter-rotating handles which opens a single blade.
It is also known by many different names like Balisong knife. Any one of the Balisong’s above would make an awesome addition to any knife collection.
Bear and Son Large 114B Butterfly Knife
Looking for a solid butterfly knife of high quality at a reasonable price? The answer is Bear & Son 114B knife.
It opens the two handles by turning them around the tang in which the knife blade is hidden. The zinc alloy handles have an epoxy black coating which makes them durable.
Its skeleton design of handles gives you good grip and makes it very lightweight weighing only 5.60 oz, the thickness of 0.44″ and 5.00″ in length.
Don’t worry if you drop it in water as the blade is made of 3-5/8” high carbon 440 stainless steel that is rust resistant.
The hollow ground blade attached to the handles with pins can be opened with just using one hand giving you a 9.00″ overall length.
You don’t have to worry about the right tension with the Torx screws. The strong lockout feature of this model increases its functionality and durability.
It’s sharp and affordable. So, it’s best for your personal defense and recreational use.
PROS
- Share stainless steel blade
- Easy to open
- Light and very durable
CONS
- Kind of hard to flip at first
- No pocket clip
- Latch fits loosely
Benchmade 51 Morpho Balisong- Orange G-10
It is an orange knife which is limited edition and can be used every day. The Benchmade 51 comes with orange G-10 handles, which is a limited edition model.
The handle has a thickness of 0.48″ with a length of 5.00″. It has plain edge type and measures 5.4” when closed and opens to an overall length of 9.4.
The skeleton handle design makes it lightweight as it weighs only 3.48 oz. and you can handle it very nicely with the orange G10 grip.
The slim handle and length ensure a nice and comfortable grip. This butterfly knife is nicely textured to prevent the knife from slipping in your hands.
The blade is made of D2 tool steel has a stone-wash finish with a modified spear-point blade shape. The blade length is 4.25″ and has a thickness of 0.1″.
The G-10 handles feature a spring latch locking mechanism that is easier to control and use. It has a titanium tip-up pocket clip for easy carry.
PROS
- G10 handle are durable
- Very sharp blade
- Good choice for beginners
CONS
- D2 blade is difficult to sharpen
- Expensive
- Some may not care for Orange
Bradley Kimura Balisong – OD Green G-10
With the Bradley Kimura Balisong you get it all. Not only is it a good looking butterfly knife, but its also super durable and made from high quality materials.
The blade is made of 154CM steel that is rust resistant and makes it a solid machine with capable edge retention.
The model has OD green color G-10 scales on the handle having a width of 1.00″, a thickness of 0.54″ and length of 5.00″.
This Kimura model also has a spear point blade that can be used for every day cutting. The blade is sharp and practical with a flat grind.
Bronze washers help to ensure consistent and smooth flipping, while Torx bits allow users to keep their knife when they see fit.
The stainless steel liners are sturdy that provide a fluid and well-balanced knife cycling. It opens up to an overall length of 8.88″.
The Bradley Kimura offers a high-quality butterfly knife at an affordable price.
PROS
- Lightweight easy grip
- Very share blade
- Practical EDC Butterfly Knife
CONS
- No pocket clip
- Stiff out of the box
- QC issues
Schrade USA Butterfly Knife – Manilla Folder
Want to buy a pocket knife having a legendary classic design? Then this Schrade Manilla folder knife is the option for you.
The knife blade is made of D2 tool steel and a satin finished. It’s the most traditional blade in the market.
The clip point lends to a more all-purpose blade, great for EDC tasks. The blade has a thickness of 0.18″ with a length of 4.125″.
With a single cutting edge this butterfly knife is ideal for beginners, if you want a knife for flipping, without risk of cutting yourself this is a great choice.
The handles are made of stainless steel that is strong and provides durability and corrosion resistance. It’s a bit on the heavy side, but its built like a tank and can take a beating.
You’ll be flipping in no time after buying this Manilla Folder knife.
PROS
- Excellent edge retention
- Versatile multipurpose blade
- Tradition blade design
CONS
- Stainless handles are heavy
- No pocket clip
- Thin tip, can break easily
Benchmade 67 Tanto Recurve Balisong
It’s another balisong from Benchmade having a unique high-quality satin finished blade and made in the USA. It comes with a recurve tanto blade that offers a fine and strong point that excels at penetration.
The overall length of 67 Tanto is 9.20″. The blade has a thickness of 0.13″ and length of 4.25″. This knife offers a great cutting force.
The skeleton design of the handle makes it lightweight and sports a stainless steel polished finish with handle length of 4.875″.
The total weight of this knife is 6.39 oz, a bit on the heavy side, but considering the handle material is made from stainless steel it’s expected.
The Benchmade 67 also features Zen pins and a common T latch for securing the knife when opened and closed.
PROS
- Razor Sharp Blade
- Strong locking mechanism
- Durable, less likely to break
CONS
- No pocket clip
- Expensive
- Little heavy
Best Butterfly Knife Buying Guide
Now that we’ve looked at some the best butterfly knives available, let’s dive a little deeper into what makes them so great and why we recommend them.
How to choose a butterfly knife?
Choosing a butterfly knife is a difficult decision to make as there are many different options to choose from. How do you choose the best one for you?
Several things have to be considered before buying a butterfly knife. These are the few things to you need to know about when buying a butterfly knife:
Purpose
Buying a butterfly knife is really a personal choice and you need to determine your intended purpose for using the knife.
For example, if you intend to only buy the knife for entertainment and fun, then I would suggest buying a lower end butterfly knife. You can have fun flipping a lower end knife just as much as flipping a high-end knife. But you’ll save money and if you decide later you really like to flip knives you can always upgrade.
On the other hand, if you’re experienced flipper and looking for a smoother action then I would definitely suggest buying a high end and would recommend the Benchmade 67. It’s expensive, but worth the cost.
So determine your usage and experience level and just pull the trigger.
Design
You should look for butterfly knifes models that give you a firm grip while you are in wet, moist or hot areas so sweaty hands is a not problem in holding your knife.
For a complete beginner, I would recommend a lightweight butterfly knife with an increased handle length. These types of knives will guarantee you a safer and much more secure grip if you plan to flip.
The weight of the handle and blade should also be well balanced, this is make for a much more enjoyable flipping experience.
Performance
Blade length can have a great impact on the performance of a knife, just like the blade material can for cutting and slicing. Longer blades can be difficult to flip, same goes for very short blades.
Find your medium, and go for the perfect sized blade in the 5″ range. For slicing and carving a nice sharp blade is necessary. All of the recommended knives have excellent steel with many great features, such as superb edge retention.
It good to remember, high quality materials with deliver high quality performance!
Price Range
We’ve all got a budget, the difficult part is staying within that budget, at least it is for me when it comes to buying knives.
I can’t really tell you how much to spend on a knife, I can only offer options that I believe to be the best values in a price range.
The knives recommended cover ranges from low to high and are excellent choices in their respective price ranges.
If you intent to buy a butterfly knife, choosing a price range is a good start. After than it’s all personal choice in which knife to buy in your comfortably range.
Size and Balance
A nine inch knife sounds like a large knife, but for a butterfly knife that is pretty standard size. If you go much larger than that they get less efficient and are more difficult to maneuver.
The perfect butterfly knife with feel comfortable in your hand and have excellent balance, this will make the knife much easier to handle and will perform much better for you.
A good weight-balanced knife will always give you a better experience in learning those butterfly flipping tricks.
Knife Materials
I would highly recommend you avoid any of the cheap convenient store counter butterfly knives, these are junk and that is really all you need to know.
I would also avoid hollow handle type, not to be confused with skeleton handles. Hollow handles are just that, hard plastic with no material inside. Skeleton handles are made from good high quality material with some cutouts to reduce weight.
Instead looks for handle materials such as hard rubbers, polymers, aluminum or stainless steel. These handles will be more durable and offer excellent textured grips. The upper echelon butterfly knives have handles made of titanium, very good stuff.
There are two construction designs: pin construction and hex screw construction. With hex screw construction, you’re likely to adjust and tighten the hex screws more often. You can adjust the tightness of the blade according to your requirements. In pin construction, the pins are not removable.
Also, the blade style should be your focus. There are many blades styles but most commonly used in butterfly knife are spear point, drop point, tanto and clip points that are sharp.
Safety Lock Mechanism
You should make sure that any butterfly knife you choose embraces a robust locking mechanism. This lock keeps the blade either opened or closed and it should do its job without fail.
This is also important because many butterfly knives utilize a pocket clip, so it’s imperative the blade stay’s closed if stored in your pocket. If the lock ins’t engage and the blade is exposed you can easily cut yourself putting your hand in your pocket.
Advantages of buy a Butterfly Knife
So what are the advantages of buying a butterfly knife? They may sound a bit gimmicky to many people, but I assure you a butterfly knife and many useful applications.
The best thing is that it fits easily into your pocket. Another comfort is that these knives do not require any sheath as the blade sits between the handles safely.
To use the blade in a scenario that requires self-defense, fewer components are required when using a butterfly knife.
These are really lightweight to carry and can cut almost anything from fruits to ropes with just using one hand.
In addition, there is a complete martial arts style that is devoted to learning and training with butterfly knives. Some individuals also use it for an entertaining purpose to show tricks.
A butterfly knife offers an unbelievable ease and smoothness that no other knife can offer.
Is a Butterfly Knife Illegal?
I’m not a lawyer, or a police officer so I’m not a legal expert. Just offering what I found on forums and other websites regarding laws about butterfly knives.
Butterfly knives are illegal in many states as they are considered as a potential weapon due to its threatening nature and rapid deployment. Carrying it in public is not allowed in many countries like the UK and Canada.
It is HIGHLY recommended to know your state rules before buying one, so do find out from AKTI’s guide about knife laws in your area.
Wrapping it All Up
The reality is that many jurisdictions consider a butterfly knife a weapon and they are illegal to carry. However, the butterfly knife is a very useful tool when used in accordance to the law. It should not be misused.
Personally I blame Hollywood, these knives aren’t anymore dangerous than a Swiss army knife. They both have sharp blades meant for cutting. Sure one may be a little more intimidating, but they server the same purpose.
Despite its bad reputation, a butterfly knife can be used just like any other pocket knife can be used. As an EDC knife, or for cutting up fruits and vegetables, or eve opening a letter.
They are extremely fun to play around with and can be quite exciting display when used by somebody with experience.
If you’ve ever been interested in buying a butterfly knife, but always believed them to be an illegal weapon, I encourage you to look up your state’s laws and if you can, certainly do buy one.
