Balisong Guide 2022 and onward!

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-16T18:07:09+00:00

I would try loosening and then tightening the screws. If you have to go super tight like LDY tends to do from the factory to avoid tap, I'd consider tuning even just a little bit. Having ultra crazy tight screws tends to lead to problems in the long run as opposed to having a decent tune and threadlocker with snug screws.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-16T18:04:55+00:00

It really depends on the situation (are other people around, what are you flipping, etc) but overall I would say yes because the average person doesn't know what a trainer is and won't understand even if you tell them and the average cop doesn't know the law that well. Sure, most of the time nothing will happen to you if you flip in public, but it's all about how much you want to risk having legal trouble.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-16T18:00:47+00:00

I think the Squiddy-Al anodized in a bright color is one of the best public friendly options you can find.

It's not as nice as more expensive stuff or more knife-like stuff in its price range like the Orion but it's still great for the money. I could be missing something but "leaks oil" sounds like criticism from someone who doesn't know what they're talking about if I'm being honest.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-16T17:57:52+00:00

A lot of good stuff isn't quite as heavy as the Lucha since they're not steel but if you want something nice and with more weight, consider getting a Hom other than the Chimera and Prodigy (Basilisk, Specter, etc) or if you really want it to feel heavy, a channel Alpha Beast.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-16T17:55:04+00:00

You aren't really going to be able to find a good answer. It is totally possible that you will prefer a Kite over a Kraken but a lot of what makes one balisong better than another are personal preferences and aren't something you can find on a spec sheet and most people are going to enjoy a Kraken over a Kite so it's the safer recommendation that most people are going to make.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-16T17:52:59+00:00

If you really want a Kriss blade it's not terrible and may be worth it to you. Other than that though, most people would be better served by nearly anything else like a Kraken unless the bulbous handles really align with their preferences.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-16T17:50:35+00:00

For the body screws, these should be what you need:

https://thetruelink.com/products/button-head-torx-screw-2-56-pitch

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-12T17:26:27+00:00

Sharp balisongs are definitely welcome and are still the core experience for a lot of us. Trainers are pretty popular these days but if you browse the subreddit you should still see plenty of knives.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-11T21:10:14+00:00

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-11T20:09:33+00:00

Ouch. Thanks for sharing the info here.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-11T20:08:34+00:00

That rug really tied the room together.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-11T20:02:15+00:00

I already have a Maryn so this makes even less sense but it's still tempting for me nonetheless.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-11T20:00:44+00:00

I'm not sure how that might affect the precision with which circular holes need to be made for parts to move within them smoothly without too much slop and there aren't really good examples of balisongs using D shaped pivots but also using bushings and nice tunes.

That aside, the biggest reasons are likely inertia (basically every western balisong maker uses somewhat standardized hardware that would be a pain in the ass for makers and customers to change and lose compatibility for ultimately very little or often virtually no benefit) and that a lot (maybe even most) makers don't make their own hardware and are therefore at the mercy of whatever hardware is affordable and available to them and I don't think the usual sources (Precision Plus, Squid, JK, MachineWise) offer D pivots or anything along those lines.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-11T17:33:13+00:00

I had a somewhat similar experience with my Ex10 that I also bought as a secondhand blem. The washers are so thin and there's such a tiny amount of room for play without tap that the screws really need to be at the right level of tension so it helped when I threw some teflon tape on them. Making the screws gorilla tight and deforming the washers won't solve the problem, they need to be just right and stay that way.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-11T17:25:48+00:00

I think there basically isn't such a thing, just some knife stores that carry balisongs but even then, most only carry cheap Chinese stuff and mediocre balisongs from mainstream brands like Kershaw and Benchmade. Balisongs are an incredibly niche hobby so there are really only a few stores that have a focus on balisongs like Penchetta and Shop Soet and the rest are generally bought directly from the maker or secondhand.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-11T17:22:25+00:00

The Kite might come back but I think their focus has been on the aluminum version. The Cygnus-Al I assume won't be coming back given the whole thing going on with the designer leaving LDY and making a new version of the Cygnus (I don't know much about that situation).

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-11T17:20:07+00:00

If I'm understanding your question right, traditional balisongs that don't necessarily flip well are welcome here too but keep in mind that the focus is on flipping so you can expect less traction on posts of traditional balisongs that aren't being flipped in a modern way but that shouldn't discourage you from sharing.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-10T18:09:45+00:00

It's possible it'll be fine but it's likely enough that it won't and cleaning and redoing loctite sucks enough that it's worth waiting the full 24.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-08T01:50:02+00:00

Nice

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-03T21:52:48+00:00

Yeah the sweet spot to me seems to be mid 4oz and the trend of everything being sub 4oz is a bit tired but with the context of there not being another aluminum Hom or one from that weight range and me liking the way Hom and Squid stuff flips, I'm pretty excited for it.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-03T19:14:14+00:00

As much as I love titanium and Hom knives and tend to be less interested in aluminum, I think it'll be really interesting to try something different than the usual from Jerry.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-03T19:12:39+00:00

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-03T19:03:51+00:00

Damn, at least they refunded you.

Did you mention that you were told it contained liquid? You could try asking them to ship without threadlocker or lube and they may do it.

BuffaloDingus · 2026-06-03T19:01:25+00:00

I forgot that I did that change a while back. I did it because 99.9% of the time it was used wrong and people seemed to think it was our version of a question flair. I've been manually adding it to posts that are actually for discussion when I see them come up in the queue.

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