Butterfly Knives

IMPORTANT: Until further notice sales of cheap butterfly knives manufactured outside the United States have been suspended. Please see Bradley Cutlery and Bear MGC for USA made butterfly knives.

Butterfly Knives Are Fun & Handy

Butterfly knives open, close, flip, spin, pass, are convenient to carry and use. They are just so much fun, you won’t want to put it down! Choose a USA made Butterfly Knife for sale, also known as a Balisong or gravity knives, if you are looking for a well balanced and durable knife for all sorts of utility work or for the sport of it!

Butterfly Knives in History

Butterfly knives, traditionally known as Bali-song knives originated in the Philippines. The first historical reference of these the butterfly knife is recorded in a 1710 French book by the name of “Le Perret” that explains that the butterfly knife was developed in the late 1500’s for the specific use of being a utility knife. The first mention of them in United States history is when soldiers brought them back from their tours of duty during WWII (1945).

Different Butterfly Knife Styles

Butterfly knives are typically found in two types of models. There is the sandwich model or the channel model. A butterfly knife with a sandwich construction will be assembled in layers that are generally pinned or screwed together. This allows the pivot pins to be adjusted tighter without binding. When the knife is closed, the blade rests between the layers. A butterfly knife with a channel construction has a main part of each handle formed from one piece of material. In this handle, a groove is created (either by folding, milling, or being integrally cast) in which the blade rests when the knife is closed. This style is regarded as being stronger than sandwich construction, but it’s a matter of personal preference which model will work the best for you.

Parts of a Butterfly Knife

You’ll find butterflies knives are typically made of general specific parts beginning with the Bite Handle, which is the handle that closes on the sharp edge of the blade. The handle that closes on the non-sharpened edge of the blade is called the Safe Handle. A kick is an area on the blade that is formed to assure that the sharp edge of the blade will not contact the inside of the handle which would damage both the handle and the blade.

The next set of parts on butterfly knives is the latching system. The latch is a standard locking system which holds the butterfly knife closes for safe carry. A latch spring is used to propel the latch open when the handles are squeezed to create a more efficient opening for the handles. Then there is the latch gate. This is found inside the channel of the handles and is used to stop the latch from hitting the blade.

On the butterfly knife blade itself, you’ll find the Tang which is at the base of the blade where the handles are attached to the pins. This is typically the thickest part of the blade. The swedge is the unsharpened spine of the blade, unless it’s a spear point blade in which both edges are sharpened.

Some alternative features of butterfly knives are the Ikoma-Korth Bearing System. This is in the higher end knives and is a ball bearing system that maximizes smoothness. Then some not so cheap butterfly knives have a choil which is a small curve found just above the kicker and allows the blade to be sharpened more easily.

A well made butterfly knife from eBladeStore.com will last for years of good service. You’ll be amazed at how handy butterfly knives can be for your everyday cutting uses, or for a great new past-time!