Butterfly knife - balisongas

You are a seasoned adventurer, a survivalist or a lover of hunting in the most hostile places. It is no longer necessary to remind you that to fully enjoy these activities, you must be well equipped, especially with a survival knife. At Hattila, we propose you to discover our butterfly knives also called balisong, an accessory adapted for these types of outdoor activities.

The basics

The base of the butterfly knife blade is the tang that holds the whole knife together. Pivot rotations attach the tang to the handles. The tang pins are pins created to physically hold the blade away from the handle. This prevents them from dulling when the knife is closed. In many cases, butterfly or balisong knives may retain a second pin so that the handles do not collide when using the knife.

The blade of a butterfly knife is designed with a carefully crafted steel plate. It is located in the centre of the knife and is held in place by two handles when the knife is closed. Generally used in skilled performance, one side of the blade is very sharp. This can injure an inexperienced user. The other side is usually blunt.

The knife blade also has a blunt spine called the swedge. Many butterfly knife users sharpen their blades on the swedge on both sides, to create a more traditional blade design or a wavy edge pattern.

Essential to the circular movement that oscillates the balisong, the pivot joint consists of a pin around which the blade, tang and handle rotate.

Latches, handles and security systems

In most butterfly knives, a safe handle is the handle without the latch that closes on the unsharpened edge of the blade. For a biting handle, the handle closes on the sharpest edge of the blade. If not handled carefully and with the necessary expertise, it can cut the user by gripping the handle too close to the blade.

The bluntest edge of the balisong blade is the choil. It is located above the kicker, which makes it easier to sharpen. The kicker is the part of the blade that prevents the sharpest edge of the blade from being damaged when placed away from the inside of the handle. Sometimes the kicker is designed with an extra pin above the pivot joint.

The latch door is the locking door, a small block that resides in the channel of the knife handles. It prevents the latch from affecting and wearing out the blade. It is a standard locking system that keeps the knife securely closed. Often butterfly knives use magnets in their place to keep them securely closed.

The Batangas latch is the latch that is attached to the bite handle. The safety handle attaches to the manila latch. The spring latch, as the name suggests, uses a spring to force itself open when the accompanying handles are properly tightened.

On average, the weight of a butterfly or balisong knife is between 100 and 200g.