Month: May 2022

Categories
Balisong Maintenance

Balisong Maintenance-Pivots

Arc Angel Handles Seperated

Quick How-to for simple maintenance of Balisong Pivots – for todays example I will be cleaning and re-lubricating my Cold Steel Arc Angel Balisong.

Arc Angel Balisong with T9 Torx Driver
  1. Prepare your workspace: Balisong pivots have a lot of small parts that can easily be lost so a clean workspace makes keeping track of your pivots, screws, and washers a breeze. (Protip -work inside a large tupperware bin so that any dancing screws or parts are contained should they fall)
  2. Assemble your tools: For my Arc Angel Balisong that means; Lube, a t9 Torx Driver, small brush like nail brush or toothbrush, Blue Loctite & Acetone. (Protip- use a high quality driver like Wiha or at least Craftsman will lead to less frustration and screw stripping.)
  3. Unscrew You Male Screws from their female balisong pivots. (Protip- if your screws won’t budge they may be loctited with red loctite. Don’t keep trying in vain to unscrew that will yield stripped or broken screws. Heat is your friend – either warm the ends with a soldering iron directly on the pivot, use a lighter sparingly if metal handles or you some have success with boiling the entire knife)
  4. Place screws in small receptical filled with acetone
  5. Use Torx Driver to push pivots out. (Protip- some balisongs like the Benchmade may have press fit pivots. This means you may need to use a punch and a small soft faced hammer to tap the pivot out.)
  6. Place Pivots in same acetone filled receptical.
  7. Seperate Blade from Handles
  8. Make sure to remove washers from handle slabs. Depending on the viscousity of your balisong lube your washers may adhere to the handles or the blade. Pushing them gently with the drivertip should break them loose.
  9. Place Washers in acetone filled receptical.
  10. Use your brush tool to scrub your pivots inside and out, screws, washers, blade and handle to clean of any debris.
  11. Set all clean hardware on a paper towel an allow to air dry.
  12. Insert pivots and washers back through blade taking care to make sure that you have your latch or bite handle marker on the correct side.
  13. Put a tiny amount of blue loctite on the threads of the male screw. (Protip- less is more when it comes to loctite. You never need to add any to the female pivots and little more than a toothpicks worth of loctite will do the job.)
  14. Tighten screws to your preferred tightness taking care not to cross thread. If at any point you feel resistance or your screws will not fully seat unscrew and retry. Resistance is caused typically by either gunk in your pivots or cross threading of the screws. Reclean or rescrew to fix issue. (Protip- I like to screw the pivots to the point of handle binding and then back off a quarter of a turn or so.)
  15. Here comes the absolute hardest part – You Wait! Loctite takes 24 hrs to fully cure. If you want your screws to stay put you need to be patient.
  16. Lubricate your Balisong Pivots once your loctite has cured with your favorite lubrication. (Protip- Mineral Oil is food safe and easily purchased just about anywhere)
Dissassembled Balisong Pivots
This basic writeup doesn't take into account fixing problems such as balisong tap which can be accomplished while doing pivot maintenance but requires replacing your washers with thicker washers and then lapping them to the proper thickness. See this article for more tips on removing tricky balisong hardware
Exploded view of Cold Steel Arc Angel Balisong Pivots

Please keep in mind that some balisongs may utilize more complex pivot mechanisms such as bearings and/or bushings which can complicate this process. The same basic methodology can be utilized but you may want to watch more indepth tutorials before moving forward.

Categories
Balisong Trainers

Balisong Trainers

What is a balisong trainer or butterfly knife trainer? 

Put simply a balisong trainer is any type of balisong that lacks a live edge.  This means that while the knife can harm you potentially by pinching, scrapes or small "bites" - it is incapable of cutting you.

Balisong Trainers can take the form of pens such as spydercos baliyo, as bottle openers such as BBarFlys or more commonly in the shape of a traditional Butterfly Knife but with a blunted unsharpened “blade”.

Balisong Trainers are great tools for building muscle memory when it comes to learning how to flip butterfly knifes. Some trainers like the BBarFly due to their heaviness are good for actually building finger dexterity and strength.

Selecting your first Balisong Trainer

When deciding what trainer to purchase to start your balisong flipping journey the most important thing to understand is that: Quality isn’t cheap.

It is very tempting to head over to aliexpress or wish and purchase a CCC or Cheapie Chinese Crap balisong trainer. I won’t make fun of you for making that mistake – almost everyone does.

Reasons not to buy a cheap chinese trainer

  1. Little to no customer support from manufacturers or retailers
  2. Low quality hardware – screws will strip easily and likely to break
  3. Low quality materials – Zamak or pot metal handles are very common
  4. Poor balance – this is the biggest issue, a balisong trainer that is improperly balanced will be harder to learn on and more likely to result in frustration.

Reasons to buy a high quality balisong trainer

  1. Manufacturer support from both retailers and US based Manufacturers.
  2. High quality hardware – hardened steel pivots and screws are less likely to strip or break
  3. Better balance – purpose driven flippers are going to be balanced exactly like the live blade balisongs these same manufacturers produce. This will make your ultimate transition to flipping real balisongs quickef and easier.
  4. High quality Materials – reputable manufacturers are going to utilize aluminum, titanium and hardened steel. This will yield a trainer that will absorb all the inevitable drops, bangs and bruises as you learn how to do rollovers and more tricky maneuvers.

Which Balisong Trainers do I recommend.

There are two names that come to mind when I think about high quality butterfly knife trainers. Squid Industries and Bladerunners Systems

Squid Industries Balisong Trainers

Squid Industries is the brainchild of Lucas Cao and is the preeminent producer of training balisongs.

On the lower end he produces the Squiddy Balisong Trainer which is an all plastic trainer with a cute little snoot. This trainer is one of the least expensive least intimidating balisong trainers and is a great choice if people around you are skittish of anything that looks remotely knife-like.

Stepping up in cost and quality is the Triton Balisong Trainer. This no frill aluminum trainer features a very basic milling pattern. Now on Version 2 of this design you can be assured that the balance will be on point and the quality will be representative.

Over the years Lucas has created new blade shapes, some that offer dual functionality as bottle openers and others that incorporate G10 over liners. Basically he has a trainer for everyone and he supports the trainer market better than just about anyone.

-=BRS=- Barebones Trainer Balisong

Not to be left out of the market Ed and Lawrence launched the Barebones trainer to cater to Balisong fanatics that for whatever reason did not want a live blade.

Mimicing the design and balance of the popular Barebones Balisong the trainer features a skeletonized heat treated blade which melds perfectly with the stainless steel handle slabs.

Purpose driven the barebones trainer takes all the knowledge and skill developed over the years by two legends and brings a kickass product to market.

Buying a Balisong Trainer isn’t Rocket Science

Start with a reputable company with a solid design.  Add in US manufacturing and support and you can't lose.  That's why i recommend any product from either Lucas, Lawrence or Ed.
Categories
Balisong Trainers

Trainers vs Live Blade Balisongs

PALETHIUS CUSTOM LIVE BLADE BALISONGS

One of the toughest choices a flipper will face when starting out is whether to start their learning how to flip journey with a live blade sharp knife or a trainer without a cutting edge. 

This is one of the most controversial aspects of the flipping community.  It's been the dividing line across many competitions and internet forums, reddit communities and facebook groups.

I really don’t think that there is a wrong decision. This is one of personal choice. I do think that flipping a trainer will utilimately lead to some bad habits but either way you will build the proper muscle memory and learn the tricks.

Learning how to flip is a long journey, learning how to flip a live blade will lead to cuts, some of them bad cuts. Hang around the community long enough and you are bound to see some gore.

Trainer Balisong Pros & Cons

Pros:

No legality issues. It’s just a fidget toy or skill toy like a kendama or yoyo so you shouldn’t get hassled too much. (I wouldn’t bring it to school or on an airplane)

Easier to acquire – Can be purchased by almost anyone on Amazon for instance

Cons:

It’s not a knife, it’s basically a pocket weight and you’re less likely to actually carry it with yo.

It will lead to bad habits that will literally “bite you” later when you make a move to a live blade balisong.

Live Blade Balisong Pros & Cons

Pros:

Gain from the pain – cuts offer instant feedback on your skills.

Its a knife – you can cut stuff with it. Given it’s usefulness you are much more likely to carry it where legally allowable.

Cons:

It might not be legal to carry or own depending on your location.

You’re going to get cut – there is just no other way to slice it (literally)

Should I buy a Trainer or Balisong First?

While you can get to the final destination by following any number of paths I am always gonna recommend you start out with a live blade balisong.

The reason this is my recommendation is because even if you never learn how to flip any fancier than a basic double rollout – you still have an awesome tool at your disposal. 

If you're underage or for whatever reason can't purchase a live blade balisong then go crazy with a good solid balisong trainer.
Categories
New Balisongs Uncategorized

New Kershaw Knife Model: Lucha 5150CF Balisong!

Hot off the presses! Kershaw has launched the Lucha 5150CF a new carbon fiber and titanium version of their popular model of butterfly knife.

The 5150CF Lucha Balisong is Brand New!

Kershaw Lucha 5150CF Balisong

Released in the spring of 2022, Kershaw looks to gain market share in the balisong market with the release of this new butterfly knife model.

Featuring sandwich style construction and carbon fiber scales riding over titanium liners. The knife is quite reminiscent of the Morpho balisong model from Benchmade.

In the same vein as the Benchmade Morpho this new Lucha butterfly knife has blue anondized titanium liners and black handle scales however it goes upmarket with carbon fiber vs the G10 of the Morpho.

Swerving away however is the inclusion Dual KVT Ball Bearings at the pivots.

Kershaw Lucha KS5150CF Balisong Specifications:

Weight: 4.9 ounces

Closed Balisong Length: 5.80″ or 15 cm

Overall Balisong Length: 10.25″ or 26

Blade Style: Spear Point

Blade Steel: CPM-20CV Stainless

Handle Scale Material: Carbon Fiber

Handle Liner Material: Blue anondized Titanium

Country of Manufacture: United States of America.

A new Balisong to fill a void left by the Benchmade Model 51

Summary

This knife is a little shorter than the traditional 29cm but it’s light weight and KVT bearings should make it a fast flipper for those with hands small enough to nimbly wield it.

Most flippers prefer bushings to bearings but frankly beggars can’t be choosers and this new balisong seems like a decent choice for a beginning balisong flipper.

Regardless of your opinion on the design no one can argue that Kershaw Knives is one of the best American Knife Manufacturers currently making balisongs. If you are looking for a quality american made knife, this could be a good choice.

I look forward to seeing what the community can squeak out of this new model as far as flipping. 

You can preorder your very own Kershaw Lucha 5150CF Balisong over at Knifecenter if you want to put this sleek and sexy butterfly knife in your stable.