Butterfly Knives and BaliSongs

The butterfly knife, called a Balisong in the East and sometimes known as a Batangas knife, is a form of a folding pocket knife. The two handles counter-rotate around the tang so that when closed the blade is concealed within the grooves in the handles. In the hands of a trained user, the knife blade can be brought forth quickly using one hand. Manipulations (flipping) are performed for art or amusement and require great skill.

 

Where did the butterfly knife, balisong, come from? There are three main legs of its history, with the truth likely some cross section of all three:

 

1) The book "Le Perret" shows an obvious sketch of a butterfly knife or balisong knife, and is dated 1710 A.D. The book itself suggests the balisong was developed in the late 1600's or early 1700's A.D.

 

2) The balisong is a traditional weapon of the Flilipino fighting art of Eskrima, dating back to around 800 A.D., but it was not prominently featured in the arts until much more recently

 

3) The knife was invented around 1900 A.D. in the Philippines and spread by American soldiers returning from World War II.

 

Please note that butterfly knives cannot be sold or shipped to California or Massachusetts.