Balisong: best knife and manual for beginner?

retzius

retzius

Joined
Sep 17, 2009
Messages
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Hi guys.

I would like to start to learn the Balisong. Any recommendations on what the best knife and instructional manual for a beginner would be?

I am a total noob on this so ALL help is appreciated.

Thanks!!
 
I'd recommend the Bradley Kimura series. It's a quality knife that won't fall apart, but doesn't cost $200+ (pretty much your only option for a lower-priced quality blade). I'm very happy with mine (the Kimura is made for Bradley by Kershaw, so the build is very solid). You can also modify it to add a spring latch using a toggle bolt spring, too. As for the tricks, there are a good number of users on youtube who have uploaded instructions on how to perform various maneuvers. Most of them describe the trick in detail and provide slow motion views.

There's also a Balisong forum here that you can visit for more info.
 
another vote for the Kimura series, might also want to check out a fellow forumite on here by the name of Nathan Dewey, makes a nice flipper for the same price.
 
I have the Bradly Kimura 2 also and would also recommend it if you are starting out. If that is even too much to spend, then the M-Tech Twister is decent in the ~$20 range to get the basics down but would recommend something better for the more complex skills.

I find the BaliYo pen from Spyderco to be too light and small to learn tricks on. Maybe it's just me.
 
I started out with a Kimura 5 and out of all I have tried it has remained the most resilient and consistent. I modified mine now and the only complaint I have about it is it is a tad bit too heavy. But nothing cheaper is even close to the quality. Don't use a cheapo, you will get frustrated because most tricks you see on youtube are impossible to do smoothly with a low quality knife.

I also learned from youtube.
 
I started with a CCC and now have a Spyderfly. I love the spyderfly and think its a great flipper. I would recomend a Spyderfly or Bradly Kimura.
 
spyderfly is awesome for beginners because it flips so slowly. it sorta looks like its in slowmotion which allows you to perfect what your trying to go after before doing it so quickly that you cant really use your eyes for everything. its also an awesome looking knife and I love the way it is setup. Kinda hard to find new now adays though.

P.S. that blade on the spyderfly is sharp and will cut ya. sure you can tape the blade but it really f's with your mind later when you take it off and you get afraid of getting cut. Just dont try to catch a missed ariel and you should be ok...
 
The spyderfly is an awesome knife and flips great. I love how the handles are a little thinner than normal. However, I have had two original vg-10 NIBs and they both had defects. I was really surprised by the lack of quality control and I had to sell them. Wish I could find one that was perfect because it is such an awesome balisong.
 
Knife - Bradley Kimura

Instruction - Michael Janich's video & YouTube

Advice - tape the blade while trying tricks you're uncomfortable with, wear shoes, keep pets an children far away.

Have fun :-)
 
As far as what butterfly knife to get that's been covered, though I recommend getting a good quality balisong, not some china cheapie. Stay away from die-cast handles. Back in the 80's, on a couple occasions, I was flipping my balisong, it broke. One time I was standing in a friends living room in his trailer, next thing I know I'm standing there with part of a handle in my right hand while the blade and other handle go flying into the kitchen....Yikes! Lucky for me no one was in the path of the flying parts.....

As for manuals, well there are: The Balisong Manual and The Advanced Balisong Manual by Jeff Imada. Several sellers on Amazon have the Advanced book, though if you check used book seller indexes you could probably find the 1st book as well....
 
jspeters88 said:
The spyderfly is an awesome knife and flips great. I love how the handles are a little thinner than normal. However, I have had two original vg-10 NIBs and they both had defects. I was really surprised by the lack of quality control and I had to sell them. Wish I could find one that was perfect because it is such an awesome balisong.
Click to expand...

i do hear that there are a lot of defective ones out there. my is fine in terms of mist of the stuff that is common with them
 
I personally think Kimuras are too heavy to learn to flip on, but that's just me. I just think they're too hard to control efficiently. If money isn't an issue I would recommend a BM 51.
 
I'm waiting on a Kimura 5 I ordered. Would learning on a heavier balisong make it easier to switch to lighter ones?
 
JahRo225 said:
I'm waiting on a Kimura 5 I ordered. Would learning on a heavier balisong make it easier to switch to lighter ones?
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The Kimura isn't a heavy balisong, it's 5.4 ounces, or only 1.3 ounces heavier than a BM 42.

The 51, if you ask most people who actually flip, is a bit too light. Lightness does not always equate to a better flipper because there's a point at which the balisong becomes too light to have much momentum.

If you went from an actual heavy balisong (like the SWAT Brass Tiger) to a lighter (as opposed to too light) balisong like the BM 42, then you would probably flip better. If you went from an already kind of light balisong like the Kimura to a too light bali like the 51 though, I don't think it will help you. The loss of momentum would offset whatever finger strength you've gained from the heavier one.
 
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