Does your collection have a butterfly knife, also known as a balisong? If not, you might want to get one (or several). These knives are a ton of fun to learn to use, more practical than you might imagine, and super collectible. Here are all the best reasons to get one if your collection is lacking.

What Is a Butterfly Knife (AKA a Balisong)?

First, let’s take a closer look at what a butterfly is. Also known as balisong knives, butterfly knives are a unique type of folding knife that is connected to two separated scales that are attached by hinges to the base of the blade.

When the knife is closed, the two halves of the knife’s scales close over the blade; to open, the scales must be pivoted and rotated around each other to expose the blade.

The origins of this knife are unclear; some claim they originated in Europe, others that they originated in Balisong, in the Philippines, but there is no hard evidence that explains the pattern’s origins.

What we do know is that these are highly utilitarian knives, and that your collection should definitely have one.

So Why Get One?

Need some justification for adding a butterfly knife to your collection? Here are our top five.

1.  They’re so much fun

Trust us, you will not get tired of flipping a balisong open and closed. If you don’t take any of these other reasons to heart, take this one.

These are likely the most fidget friendly knives that have ever been in production. Even after hours and hours of experimenting with the different ways you can open and close one, you’ll still have more to learn.

Plus, it takes a lot of practice to get proficient with a butterfly knife, as, despite the fact that they’re not hard to open, it does take some getting used to - just like using thumb studs or thumb holes.

At the end of the day, butterfly knives offer endless, untapped potential for fun and enjoyment.

2.  The cool factor

There’s not too much to beat to death on this claim. The fact of the matter is that balisong knives are very unique, not just in their profile, but how they are deployed and handled. For better or worse, there is a solidly entrenched mystique surrounding them that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

3.  They’re practical for EDC

There are some people that will tell you with a straight face that butterfly knives are a gimmick and are not practical for daily use. Clearly they have not ever carried one before. That’s the only reasonable explanation for how an opinion like that could have formed.

Are there more practical knives? Yes, and there always will be. But that does not discount butterfly knives from having practical applications.

We can admit that for rough tasks, a fixed blade would serve better. But for light chores? A butterfly knife is as good if not better than any other folding knife. There isn’t even a lock that could conceivably fail - just two hinge points.

So, for daily carry and general purpose utility that requires the use of a blade, you could do a lot worse than to carry a balisong.

4.  There are tons of tricks you can learn

There are tons and tons of videos out there of people willing, if not outright eager, to show you not just how to open and close a butterfly knife safely, but how to perform tricks with them - and there are tons and tons of tricks to learn.

Again, an investment in a balisong for your collection is an investment in an endless stream of potential diversions.

Also, there are trainer balisongs that you can get to practice so you can minimize the risk of an accidental injury arising from practicing with a live blade.

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5.  They’re collectible

Lastly, butterfly knives are highly collectible and there are tons of different sizes and styles of knives out there for you to investigate and collect.

Take a closer look through our collection of butterfly knives at the previous link and see what appeals to you. There’s plenty of variety in there to appeal to a wide range of different tastes.

Explore Butterfly Knives and More Here

So there you have 5 solid reasons that you should add a butterfly knife to your collection, if you don’t want to add several. Get a closer look at our collection and see if anything pops out at you.

Otherwise, if you’re looking for something specific, either a brand or a model, and you don’t see it listed, feel free to get in touch with us at WhiteMountainKnives@gmail.com. We may be able to find what you’re looking for even if it isn’t currently listed on our website.