isn't a balisong a safety knife

Originally posted by davebolton
i thought that a balasong was a safety blade...
designed to be opened by one hand.
lock together safely.
cut effectively.

isn't it?
Click to expand...

Mr. Bolton,

Well, you are probably not going to hear a dissenting voice in here about what I am going to say...

Personally, I think the Balisong offers the strongest lock, if not the strongest lock in a folding knife. That means safety...when it is latched, it is incredibly strong.

I think it suffers from a bad image from movies and oppressive attitudes from some in Law Enforcement and Politics, but the bottom line is, it is an incredibly safe knife to use because of the strength factor.

Even if it is not latched, or you have a Latchless Balisong, the knife is as strong as your grip. Your hand is squeezing the handles together, locking it up.

If it is closed, it is also safe, the edge and point being totally encased in some form of metal. It gets no safer than that.

It can be opened with two hands, or with some practice, one hand. I think one of the things that Law Enforcement and Politicians do not realize is, the amount of time and dedication that it takes to learn to open these things with such reliability that the knife could even be used for fighting.

Furthermore, I don't think they care that it takes more skill than your average criminal is willing to acquire.

More and more, their (Law Enforcement and Politicians) "job" is to ban things, regardless of any sort of logic or facts...just throwing up hysterical ramblings like a knife is "menacing."

Anyway, the knife is incredibly strong when open, and even safe when closed...it has many positive attributes and actually, in unskilled hands, it is a terrible weapon to even attempt to use offensively.

That is probably why they are hardly, if ever, used in crimes. Why risk fumbling if you are really hell-bent on attacking a Police Officer who has a Baton and a Handgun, why risk failing to open the knife when there are so many other items that are viable as weapons? If the criminal fails on the opening, they would be immediately clubbed, sprayed or shot for their trouble.

Butcher knives, screwdrivers, any number of things are better for the criminal element to utilize...that's why these items are used more often than any type of knife.

It is just an excellent pocketknife that I am terribly fond of, and it is a shame that they are not legal everywhere and that people do not give them the respect they deserve. Even on Bladeforums you will see some respected Knifemakers refer to them as, "toys." But most of them would be hard-pressed to make a knife as strong as a well-built Balisong Knife.
 
Well said,Don.

Unlike many other folding knives,the balisong is very safe.The handles completely enclose the blade (except on some custom knives),and when being used,you do not need to use the actual lock mechanism since your hand keeps the handles together which in turn keeps the blade in place for use.There are several types of "locks" on regular folding knives,but none of these can match (in my and other's opinions) the lock on the balisong.

On some of these other folding knives,if you happen to be carrying the knife in a pocket (if you don't have a sheath for it),it's possible for the blade to slide out so that you end up cutting yourself when reaching into the pocket,or poking yourself in the leg.

For me,the balisong is the quickest folding knife available,and is the safest design I've ever found in any folding knife.
 
Originally posted by MacCanine
For me,the balisong is the quickest folding knife available,and is the safest design I've ever found in any folding knife.
Click to expand...

I have done Test after Test with a Camcorder using borrowed Microtech Autos (very fast) and Benchmade Autos (not so fast) as well as Original Guardfather™ OTF Auto Spikes, Second Generation Guardfathers that people mistakenly think are Originals, and the GF IV OTF Spike...

I can Latch Drop the Balisong incredibly fast (Thanks Clay) and on Camcorder, even as fast as I can do it, it is slow when compared to a Microtech Automatic. Now, Clay can probably beat a Microtech Auto as I have seen Clay in person and I believe his Latch Drop is indeed faster...Clay is the exception to the Rule.

Clay is the person you point to when people say, "Balisongs are slow compared to Switchblades," or, "Balisongs are slow compared to other One-Hand Openers."

I think there is Pure, Blinding Speed, and then there is Tactical Speed.

Just how fast is, "Fast Enough?" Well, I like all the edge I can get, pardon the pun, and since the Emerson Waved Folders (look for them to be Legislated against soon in certain areas because of this, it is already a gray area in Massachusetts...) open while they are being drawn and at no time after, if you are using The Wave Opener, that is my EDC. That is not to say the Balisong is not fast. It is a matter of movements. Grasp, draw, open. Since the Waved Folder combines two of the movements, for most people, it is going to be the absolute fastest folder they can have.

Like I said, there are exceptions to every rule.

Technically speaking, film does not lie, and I have found through my own Experiments and Filming that an Inertia Snapped Liner Lock, Axis Lock and Rolling Lock are in most cases even faster than a Switchblade...that's the truth. The blade can hardly be seen in slow motion, when compared to most Automatics, the blade of the Automatic can be visible in "flight" for several frames. Believe it or not.

As for locks, I agree the Balisong is probably only rivaled by an Integral or Frame Lock, like is found on the Chris Reeve Sebenza.

However, I have never had an Emerson Liner Lock fail on me yet, although some have reported failures.

I have spoken extensively with Kit Carson, Kit has yet to see one of his Liner Locks fail...period.

So I tend not to go for the maximum I can get when it comes to strength, etc., but there is no doubt in my mind that a properly built Balisong Knife is about the epitome of the Folder.

Even though many think it is a "toy," or a piece of garbage, and all you have to do is go to the Microtech Forum to find people that do not like the idea of Microtech making a Balisong [The Tachyon].

In fact, one person even went so far as to hint that MT making a Balisong might hurt their reputation as the Balisong is, "The Bad Boy..."

And this left me completely befuddled as Switchblades have been a Big No-No for most people for quite some time, yet, the Balisong paranoia came about some 25 years later...your guess is as good as mine...
 
Well,as I said,for *me* it is the fastest and safest.

The "latch drop" (aka: "drop & pop") isn't the only opening or closing that can be done with speed,whether it be blinding,tactical or both.
I've seen many people using a balisong beat a switchblade using one of several opening (or closing) moves (and a lot of those were taped for comparison purposes).As for some of the newer tactical folders and such,I wouldn't know...because I don't bother with them.

I myself don't care for any "liner-lock" or other locking knives,as they do not appeal to my needs or sensibilities.The balisong is the *only* folding knife for me.Other than these,I only deal with fixed-blades.

Edited for a spelling mistake..
 
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