Butterfly knives (aka “balisongs”) have evolved into meticulously crafted pieces of cutlery. Many of the best capitalize on state-of-the-art blade and handle materials coupled with progressive and modern designs that advance the genre toward the close of the century’s second decade.
Brous Blades B3

The B3 from Brous Blades is a modern butterfly knife with its stainless steel handles and D2 recurve tanto blade style. The handle interiors have cavities milled out to reduce weight. The knife has great action as a result, without the need to use bearings in the pivots. MSRP will vary depending on the finish, though this one is $320.
Bear Ops Bear Song VI
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The hollow-ground 1095 carbon steel blade of the Bear Ops Bear Song VI has great edge geometry for all your cutting chores. A textured black epoxy coating guards against corrosion. MSRP: $174.99.
Mantis Knives Vuja De
Best Buys for Blade Readers:
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Disclosure: These links are affiliate links. Caribou Media Group earns a commission from qualifying purchases. Thank you!
The Vuja De from Mantis Knives marries the karambit’s large finger ring and hook-shaped blade with the free-swinging individual handles of a butterfly knife. The scales are textured black G-10 for both durability and grip quality. The blade is Mantis’ proprietary MV-1 stainless steel.
Emerson Knives Bali Commander & CQC7
The recurve clip-point blade of the Bali Commander (left) from Emerson Knives, Inc., is easily sharpened using a round profile sharpener to effectively capture the blade’s gentle sweeping curve.
The Emerson Bali CQC7 (right) in the background sports the chisel-ground blade like that of the iconic Emerson CQC7 tactical folder.
Attend a Flipping Competition at BLADE Show

Among the many exciting events at BLADE Show 2018 this June in Atlanta, you’ll flip to know that there’s a balisong competition at this year’s show. It’s included with your admission. Buy tickets here.