How to twist a butterfly knife, various tricks with the blade and how to perform them correctly

The balisong knife, better known as the “butterfly” knife, was originally invented in the Philippines. There it is used for its intended purpose, but in our latitudes it is used mainly to perform various tricks and tricks.

Theoretically, anyone can master butterfly knife tricks, but this will require patience and constant training. It is better for beginners to master the simple tricks that will be described in this article.

The history of balisong

Surely no one can tell you about the origin of the butterfly knife. But there is an opinion that the blade comes from the Philippines. Where this design was invented solely for work purposes. In the old days, no one thought about how to twist a butterfly knife.

A blade with such a design was necessary to adapt to harsh reality. Storms at sea are not uncommon. There were situations when it was necessary to simultaneously hold the gear and cut the rope. And the design of the product allows you to open the knife with one hand.

Which was quite convenient for the current situation. After World War II, the butterfly knife became widespread among residents of the USSR. It was then that the younger generation, having watched enough American films, sought to learn how to twist a knife like in the movies.

In the dashing 90s, this blade found its niche among racketeers, bandits and local punks. This greatly influenced the reputation of the butterfly knife. Its use was prohibited by law. It remains possible to use a knife, only with a blade less than 90 mm.

Spreading the knife around the world

Increased interest in the butterfly knife was revived after the end of World War II. American soldiers brought home many of these devices, which were jokingly called “click-click knives.”

Also, some revived types of fighting arts contributed to the interest in the “winged” knife.

Cinema in its own way contributed to their distribution. In films they were often masterfully wielded:

1. Backstreet punks.
2. "Bad guys".

This strengthened the view of the image of a knife as an element of a gangster’s device. In any corner of the world in the criminal chronicle you can find a crime committed with the help of such a knife. In many countries, wearing them is punishable by law.

Despite the prejudiced attitude towards this device, it does not lose its popularity. The companies involved in their production supply these products all over the world.

Butterfly knife design

In order to learn how to twist a butterfly knife, you should first become familiar with its design. The first important point will be to determine the dangerous and safe handle of the blade. The butterfly knife design includes the following elements:

• a pair of hinge axes;
• latch;
• two handles;
• a pair of pins;
• blade.

Butterfly knife.
The handle of a knife can be made of various materials: bronze, brass or bone. The design of the knife is adapted for opening the blade with one hand, but modern man has found a different device for the knife. Flipping is the artistic rotation of a butterfly knife.

Frequently tilting the handles can eventually become deformed at the point of contact with the latch.

Also, due to continuous rotation, the butterfly knife may become shaky. This, in turn, can lead to injuries during flipping.

In a product specially designed for artistic rotation, small indentations are made at the handle and the diameter of the pin is increased. There are knives with a spring-loaded latch. It can thus save you from the problem of fixing the blade.

Application in military affairs

In military affairs, butterfly knife designs can be used. They are made of high-quality steel and are distinguished by precise mechanical processing using technological alloys. For example, models of the “BLUECLASS” series:

• 32 MORPHO;
• the blade has steel D2 (59-61HRC);
• with a thickness of 2.57 mm;
• 82.6 mm long;
• Crowned Spear-Point blade;
• handle G10 6AL 4V Blue Anodized Titanium;
• thickness 11.25 mm;
• make a clip from stainless steel;
• Next Generation Spring Latch;
• weighing 76.54 g.

Another representative of this company:

• 42 BALI-SONG;
• the blade has steel 154 cm, (58-60HRC);
• length 106.7 mm;
• thickness 3.18mm;
• the blade has a Weehwak type;
• Skeletonized Cast 6AL-4V Titanium handle;
• thickness 13 mm;
• Stainless steel is used for clips;
• Integrated Spring Latch;
• weighing 116 g.

Russian also produces balisongs:

1. Knife "Scat M Knox". Hinged frame design with a sleek, sophisticated design. Small in size, weighing 56 g.
2. Hinged frame butterfly knife "Scat B". This model looks universal, practical, with a comfortable blade. Suitable for everyday and travel needs.

Nowadays, balisongs are being developed with a combination of a set of tools that help in solving various problems. The manufacture of blades in these knives involves combining them with a steel tool plate. This allows them to be used as a tool with multiple functions.

The Werewolf2 model was developed by the popular Russian knife designer I. Skrylev. His presentation took place at the exhibition dedicated to “Rescue Means 1994”, where he attracted interest from army representatives, special services, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Subsequently, this design was adopted for arming the special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the army, and special services, as an army survival knife.

"Werewolf" does not have similar designs abroad.

Thanks to its functions and capabilities, it is a priority for most foreign and Russian devices created to overcome difficulties in extreme situations.

Knives in the history of weapons have always played a supporting role. The design of the knife depended on the main weapon. Because over time their role as weapons for military purposes has diminished, they have become a universal tool in the fight for survival.

Tips for Beginners

A real balisong is a serious weapon. For training, buy yourself a simpler product. Training products are inexpensive and have holes in the handle and blade. They are not heavy and well balanced. You will also need to learn some safety rules:

• If the training knife has a sharpened blade, it can be sealed with masking tape. If this part gets on your hand, and this definitely cannot be avoided, then in this way you can prevent a cut;
• For turning tricks, use only a working knife. Balisongs may have problems with the clasps coming loose;
• It is necessary to distinguish between balisong handles, safe - safe and bite - dangerous. The dangerous handle has a buckle that holds both parts together. To avoid confusion with the name, the handles can be painted in different colors;
• tricks should be divided into several parts. And they should be performed in order. It will be difficult to perform the entire feint at once.

How to twist a butterfly knife: instructions for beginners

In order to learn how to properly rotate a butterfly knife and not get hurt, it is important for beginners to understand the following:

Handle grip

The grip of the handle when performing a trick should be comfortable. If the blade falls out of your hand, nothing will work and injury cannot be avoided.

Dangerous knife

Butterfly knives are quite dangerous. Use special training products for training. If you are working with a real knife, then be careful and perform complex tricks step by step. It will be even better if you find yourself an instructor.

Prohibited product

In the US, balisongs are illegal in most states. In Russia you can use products with a blade no larger than 90 mm.

Examples of butterfly knives.

Story

How did the balisong style—skillful rotation of a compound structure with a knife—come about? It is generally accepted that this hobby migrated to us from the Philippines, where such weapons have been used by fishermen for centuries to satisfy everyday needs.

Originally, the folding butterfly knife was double-edged. But later, to ensure safety when performing tricks, one of the sides of the blade was blunted. Perhaps it is for this reason that almost every training butterfly knife has a one-and-a-half or one-sided sharpening.

Tricks for beginners - safety first

The tricks available to beginners are based on keeping the handle securely in your hand. There is the simplest trick called “trabucco”. Almost anyone can perform such a maneuver with a knife. With the correct rotation of the blade, the trick is not difficult.

For beginners, the best option would be to use a training balisong. This will help protect your fingers from injury. The blade on his blade is not sharpened. Such products are made with holes in the handle and on the blade itself for proper balancing of the knife.

The blade of a butterfly training knife is much thicker than that of the working versions. Having mastered the trick on a training apparatus, you will not have any difficulties with a real balisong. You can also seal the blade with tape on the working knife, this will prevent possible injuries.

Model selection and purchase

The butterfly knife itself is not a bladed weapon. Purchasing and wearing is not prohibited by the legislation of the Russian Federation, which means you can easily find a model that will meet all your needs and selection criteria. As a rule, you cannot find worthwhile copies in ordinary stores; most often they are souvenirs. You can contact specialized weapons stores or online stores.

Even on AliExpress there are quite interesting models, the only negative is the raw materials used for production. That is, the practical qualities of such a knife may tend to zero, but it is beautiful and well-balanced, just what you need for flipping, and it’s also inexpensive. The types differ in design and specialization. The blade itself can be straight or wavy, with varying degrees of sharpening. First of all, they are divided by size:

• Large - 24-28 centimeters;
• Average - 19-24 centimeters;
• Small - 9-19 centimeters;
• Ultra-small - up to 9 centimeters (blade length less than 4 centimeters).

Opening and closing the knife

Training product.
According to some historians, the balisong first appeared in the Philippine Islands. The version of the appearance of the knife is very similar to the legend. This story dates back almost 8 centuries; according to one version, it was then that the butterfly knife was invented.

One part of the handle symbolized the sky, and the other – the earth, the blade symbolized the surface of the water. Products were passed down from generation to generation. But again, this version is questioned, since not a single old blade of a similar design has been found.

Protect yourself and cover the blade with masking tape. For training you will need a butterfly knife and instructions. The simplest trick is opening and closing the knife. Once you have mastered the technique, you can continue to try other tricks.

In order to deftly open the knife, you need to turn its safe handle towards you. All fingers, with the exception of the thumb, should be on the dangerous side of the handle. Next follow the instructions:

1. With a sharp movement, twist the balisong so that your index finger holds the safe handle on the right. The remaining fingers remain in the same position.
2. Then release the bottom of the knife until it is in a free position.
3. Next, you should raise the hand up and move it forward, thus throwing the lower part of the knife over it, and the blade, on the contrary, down. Then you should grab the safety handle from below, keeping your thumb slightly higher.
4. We sharply raise the hand and remove the thumb, the handles should connect.
5. To close the butterfly knife, turn the blade away from you. At the same time, place the dangerous handle behind your index finger.
6. Then you need to lower the blade down, holding the second handle to the side. And then with a sharp movement you need to return it back.

The attitude of the law to this knife

In famous countries such as:

1. Great Britain.
2. Switzerland
3. Germany.
4. Australia.
5. Canada.
6. Hong Kong.
7. Philippines.
8. USA, in some states.
9. Russia.

Wearing, using, or storing balisong is prohibited by law or a special permit is issued.

Due to the spread of terrorist and extremist groups, many countries have their own measures to limit the use of these types of knives.

To avoid various sanctions for the production of butterfly knives, many manufacturing companies have moved to Southeast Asia.

If the blade of a knife reaches 20 cm, then it is classified as a full-fledged edged weapon.

Those models that are available in stores are made with a blade no more than 9 cm, with small handles that do not provide support for the fingers, and this excludes them from the range of effective military weapons.

But when a knife is used for self-defense, it combines striking and blade properties. This measures the influence on the attacker, taking into account the current situation, the transition from a shock-painful technique with a folded device or the application of piercing, cutting blows with an unfolded knife.

And this, according to the law, is qualified as an excess of self-defense and threatens with a real sentence.

Therefore, when purchasing such a knife, be guided by the law; ignorance of the law does not excuse you from answering.

Trick "Ventilation"

The element refers to the simplest tricks. To perform safely, follow the instructions:

1. Grasp the blade by the safe part.
2. The blade should be lowered down and the fingers folded into a tube. It is necessary that the thumb and forefinger lightly hold the blade. The handle should move freely between the unused fingers and the hand.
3. Next, you should make a rotational movement, in any available way.
4. To return to the starting position, you need to catch the moment when the handle is located above the hand. And you should slow down its movement as much as possible. The knife should close on its own.

Latch Throw Technique

The trick is a little more difficult than the previous one, but it is not so difficult that you can master it without problems. We follow the following steps:

1. You should take the knife with the blade away from you. The latch should be pressed against the index finger and held with the thumb.
2. A sharp downward movement is made with the movement of the hand; the two halves of the handle should also descend automatically.
3. In this case, the latch should be held with your thumb and forefinger. The remaining fingers should be moved to the side.
4. After connecting the two handles, the balisong must be taken by the dangerous part and the hand is clenched into a fist.

Spectacular butterfly opening

The main manipulation is performed as follows:

• Firmly grasp the knife, squeeze the handle in your palm and use your little finger to release the latch.
• Holding the closed balisong in front of you (pointing forward), slide it so that the handle is on the outside, away from your palm.
• Twist your wrist sharply so that the knife opens and the side of the Bite handle hits you between your thumb and index finger.
• Flip the knife over, aiming your wrist down, which will force the knife to close again;
• Lift your thumb and flip the knife over again, with the last upward throw the handle will hit your first two fingers again, and the butterfly itself will remain in the open position.

If you decide to join the ranks of novice flippers and buy a butterfly knife, be prepared in advance for increased attention from friends, acquaintances and relatives. Watching videos of complex stunts being performed, you can’t help but feel admiration for the dexterity of the performers, but quite a strong impression is also made by photographs of serious cuts and wounds to the hands, which are generously posted on thematic forums by beginners who overestimated their strength and neglected safety.

Simple rotation technique

For those interested in how to spin a balisong, this basic technique will seem worthy of interest.

• Take the knife by the Safe handle, holding it with all fingers except the thumb, which should remain free.
• Start rotating the brush, moving the knife with your fingers as you move.
• While the butterfly is open, it is thrown over the middle finger, and at the same time the ring finger moves to the safe side. Then the sharp handle is placed on the index finger.
• The main thing when rotating is to make sure that at the moment of connecting the two handles, the thumb is removed from the area where it could be injured when performing a trick with a sharpened balisong instead of a training one.

The butterfly training knife completely eliminates the risk of cutting yourself during training. You can buy this option in an online store absolutely inexpensively, and besides, you can master the skill of flipping somewhat more comfortably and easily than by covering a sharp blade with an adhesive plaster.

Trick “Latch Throw”

This maneuver is also considered quite simple, but looks very impressive.

• Grip the knife with the blade facing forward, pressing the latch against your index finger and holding it with your thumb.
• Sharply lower the hand with the balisong down so that both halves of the handle also drop.
• Continue to hold the latch with your index finger and thumb, and move the rest to the side.
• When the handles are connected, the butterfly knife is taken by the dangerous part, and the hand is clenched into a fist.

Learning to twirl a butterfly knife is a laudable goal, since achieving it, in addition to being awesomely cool, will also bring you real benefits. By regularly practicing balisong rotation, flippers develop motor skills, mobility of fingers and hands, attentiveness and reaction speed, and coordination of their movements in general. Let us remind you once again that, although wounds and cuts from training with an unprotected blade will become a kind of incentive to be more attentive and careful, it is still better not to count on such powerful motivation and completely remove the risks by purchasing a training tool. In the catalog of the online store wellgo.ua you can choose a decent, high-quality and aesthetically attractive balisong for safely practicing feints at literally a symbolic cost.

Spinning a butterfly is a technique that requires a certain dexterity, skill and, most of all, training. To paraphrase Goethe, the skill of flipping is 1 percent talent and 99 percent sweat. If you make an effort, any trick will be available.

Simple rotation

The Basic Twirl trick requires more preparation. It is a little more complicated than the previous options. The knife should be taken with the safe side and should be held with all fingers except the thumb, it should be free.

When the movement is performed, the blade is moved with the fingers. The Bolisong should be thrown over the middle finger and at this time the ring finger is moved to the safe side. While the butterfly is open, you need to have time to do these movements.

When rotating the butterfly, it should hold onto the part first with the middle and index fingers, then the thumb replaces it. It is necessary to remove your thumb in time while folding the knife, otherwise injury cannot be avoided.

Structure and rotation patterns of the knife.

Difficult tricks

There are tricks that are more complex. Here are some of them:

Features of application

To use a butterfly knife, hold it by the safe side of the handle.
This region can be distinguished by the absence of a horse's tail. The most unpleasant thing with such a grip may be the butt of the blade hitting your fingers. Experienced users who know how to twist a butterfly knife can also hold the product by the other half to perform complex tricks. The likelihood of injury increases significantly. This grip should only be used in rare cases.

Have you tried twisting a butterfly knife?

Of course! Not yet...

Starting a new hobby

The most common domestic butterfly knife is suitable for training. You can perform tricks with it without undue caution, since if it breaks quickly, you can purchase a similar cheap tool.

How to twist a butterfly knife? To protect your own limbs, you will first have to wrap the blade with a thick layer of plaster. Otherwise, it will not be possible to avoid suffering from minor wounds that will certainly appear during the learning process.

The simplest basic butterfly knife trick is performed as follows:

• the safety handle is tightly clamped between the thumb and index finger;
• the second part of the handle goes down, after which the remaining fingers fold into a tube-like position;
• Rotational movements of the hand are performed, repeating the outlines of the figure eight.

How to handle a butterfly knife so that it lasts a long time

The knife should be handled carefully to avoid injury. The following instructions will help you with this:

• Training products with holes in the handle and blade must be washed regularly. This will prevent dirt and debris from accumulating and affecting the balance of the product;
• It is also recommended to periodically rinse the real balisong under water, then wipe the product and dry it;
• The disadvantage is the gap between the linings, regardless of the type of product;
• knife elements that move should sometimes be lubricated with gun oil;
• tricks should be performed where you don’t mind the floors, the product can often fall out of your hands;
• It is not recommended to throw a knife at a wall, it is not a throwing weapon, it may fail;
• Sometimes the pin that holds the blade may become loose; it can be tightened with a screwdriver.

Examples of butterfly knives.

Examples of inexpensive copies

CS ON THE GO Karambit is the leader among the products presented on Ali. The knife is a chameleon. This is a classic layout of a Filipino knife. It has a wide range of colors, sometimes there are various images on the blade, and the shape is curved. It may also be called "karambit". Price range from 400 to 800 rubles, weight - 240 grams, total length - 25 centimeters.

Golden Elephant 1863 is a butterfly with a wooden handle. It is presented to the general public as a hiking model with a one-sided sharpening that easily cuts thick tree branches. Able to help during the construction of a hut, cutting various products. The price is quite affordable - 300 rubles, weight - 124 grams, length - 19.5 centimeters, of which there is 8 blades.

There is a choice for every taste and budget. Therefore, there is nothing difficult in purchasing or even choosing. You can buy a beautiful toy to start training in flipping, or more useful knives that can not only please the eye, but also provide all possible assistance during any hike. It all depends on the preferences and requirements of each individual.

Originally posted 2018-05-29 06:26:57.

How long does it take to master balisong techniques?

The techniques of simple tricks can be mastered in half an hour. But for the feint to be perfect, it will take repeated practice. You should start from simple tricks to more complex ones. You should move to the next level when simple ones are performed automatically.

It is clear that the more complex the trick, the longer it will take you to learn it. The ability to handle a butterfly knife also plays a role. You need to train your fingers. The better they are developed, the easier it will be for you to perform tricks.