Quick question

C

Ccnati

Joined
Feb 16, 2014
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Bali section is pretty dead so I'll ask here... anyone have a suggestion for a Bali $150 or less that has a pocket clip or a cheap sheath available? I like the bear ops bear song but couldn't find a sheath for it...
 
use any regular old belt sheath. Doesn't need to be made specifically for the knife. Balisongs are easy to go sheath shopping for. I used a nylon buck 110 sheath long ago for a balisong. As for which knife to get. If the bear ops will be fine for a utility type knife but they're not good flippers in my experience. If flipping is priority, either pony up for the BRS barebones or check out pinot steel.
 
Not into Balis but my friend used a Maxpedition Expandable Baton Sheath to carry his. It wasn't a perfect fit but very usable. Collapsible baton come in different sizes so you can probably find one that will work. I just looked up the Max sheath, about $16.

After a quick search, it doesn't look like you have a ton of choices for Balis in that price range. Bear and Sons are what I see.
 
keep your eyes open for a used BM 51 Morpho....may need a few extra bucks but its worth it. Otherwise look for a Bradley Kimura and have a kydex sheath made. Don't waste money on those bear ops bear songs...they suck if you actually want to learn to flip:-)
 
BM 51 is personally my favorite bali but even with ti scales I don't like flipping it. Amazing EDC knife though.
 
I've had a couple of cheaper balis (an mtech I sold to a friend and a "regal flipper" which I enjoyed. When I got it they had a pocket clip, now they ship with a kydex sheath. Either one seems good to me.)

Also, the ~$100 bear song balis have had nothing but good reviews from what I've heard. They're aluminum handles vs the pot metal of the cheaper ones... I'm looking for a Bali that doesn't totally suck to flip, but is primarily a daily use knife.
 
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Ccnati said:
I've had a couple of cheaper balis (an mtech I sold to a friend and a "regal flipper" which I enjoyed. When I got it they had a pocket clip, now they ship with a kydex sheath. Either one seems good to me.)

Also, the ~$100 bear song balis have had nothing but good reviews from what I've heard. They're aluminum handles vs the pot metal of the cheaper ones... I'm looking for a Bali that doesn't totally suck to flip, but is primarily a daily use knife.
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If primary use is utility a bear ops should be alright. But at $100 you're already half way to a BM51 which is just an awesome knife :)
 
$100 would already be the most I've ever spent on a knife. I'm a 19 year old college student. Other than that my most is my boker kalashnikov.
 
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Ccnati said:
$100 would already be the most I've ever spent on a knife. I'm a 19 year old college student. Other than that my most is my boker kalashnikov.
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Was merely a suggestion. If $100 is your absolute limit then bear song for utility, or a pinoy steel bali for flipping.
 
Don't blame you I usually have a tight budget and have to keep things cheap. The bear songs get boo'd a lot because the handles are aluminum so the balance is weird and the steel pins will deform the aluminum handles after time. But with minimal flipping it should be ok. Make dang sure you loctite your screws though
 
Rival1314 said:
keep your eyes open for a used BM 51 Morpho....may need a few extra bucks but its worth it. Otherwise look for a Bradley Kimura and have a kydex sheath made. Don't waste money on those bear ops bear songs...they suck if you actually want to learn to flip:)
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You can still find Kimuras??
 
Ccnati said:
I'm setting $150 as the absolute limit, I just liked the look of the bear song for less than that lol
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You might be able to find a Benchmade 32 Mini Morpho for around or a little under your max limit. I have a limited experience with balis, but it seemed to flip pretty good. Felt pretty balanced but it's smaller and lighter which, from what I understand, aren't really great characteristics of a good flipper. Fun knife, has a nice blade, and is very aesthetically pleasing IMO.

You also might find a BM 53 for around your max. Probably not as a great a flipper since the blade shape lends itself more towards utility work but works well for a regular knife with an added bonus of being pretty fun.
 
stonproject said:
Don't blame you I usually have a tight budget and have to keep things cheap. The bear songs get boo'd a lot because the handles are aluminum so the balance is weird and the steel pins will deform the aluminum handles after time. But with minimal flipping it should be ok. Make dang sure you loctite your screws though
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I lost my last Bali to not loctite-ing. Let someone borrow it and now I'm missing a screw in the handle. Is there anything to do to negate the deformation of the handles by the pins on the bear songs?
 
Ccnati said:
I lost my last Bali to not loctite-ing. Let someone borrow it and now I'm missing a screw in the handle. Is there anything to do to negate the deformation of the handles by the pins on the bear songs?
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The handle deformation will only happen with heavy flipping, the pins in the blade are steel, and when they make fast/strong impact with the aluminum handles over time they will wear out rhe pin cups in the handle. I haven't seen it happen but it could. If you're willing to push budget up to $150.. why don't you get a bearsong to carry all day, and grab a pinoy steel for flipping when you get home? Then you've got a carry knife, an at home flipper you can beat the hell out of, and you'll have 2 balis instead of 1!! :)

You'll probably be fine with the bearsong for flipping though if you're not investing a lot of hours into it. But the bali addiction starts when you learn that first rollover :)
 
stonproject said:
The handle deformation will only happen with heavy flipping, the pins in the blade are steel, and when they make fast/strong impact with the aluminum handles over time they will wear out rhe pin cups in the handle. I haven't seen it happen but it could. If you're willing to push budget up to $150.. why don't you get a bearsong to carry all day, and grab a pinoy steel for flipping when you get home? Then you've got a carry knife, an at home flipper you can beat the hell out of, and you'll have 2 balis instead of 1!! :)

You'll probably be fine with the bearsong for flipping though if you're not investing a lot of hours into it. But the bali addiction starts when you learn that first rollover :)
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I've had a couple of balis before, and enjoyed it. I'll probably end up with the bear song because I never really plan on doing super heavy crazy flips, just some basic stuff when bored and also using it like a utility knife... I'll either have a kydex made or just use a nylon for another knife.
 
Ccnati said:
I've had a couple of balis before, and enjoyed it. I'll probably end up with the bear song because I never really plan on doing super heavy crazy flips, just some basic stuff when bored and also using it like a utility knife... I'll either have a kydex made or just use a nylon for another knife.
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The bearsong I got a while back came with a pocketclip. Just since it wasn't said, make sure you know your state and.county laws around carrying balisongs, they're not treated the same as a regular pocket knife in many jurisdictions
 
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