[TapOutGrapler]

http://www.balisongxtreme.com/freestyle.htm

tips and tricks!!!

http://www.balisongxtreme.com/tips.htm

[King Kabuki]

Hey Tap, post this in the Weapons Links thread as well.

[VampireMonk]

maybe not the most effective things around but lots of fun!

[johil d'o]

Looks like the guy is playing with a yo-yo or something, the way his hands are working.

[Gregster]

I have a Cold Steel Bali Song my dad, the knife nut, bought me for Xmas a couple years ago. Been flipping butterfly knifes for about 20 years, and that one is far and away the best. Great balance, very fluid, and out of the box it was sharp enough to shave with (though it could probably stand a few licks over a wetstone by now). I find that when closed, it fills the punching hand and provides a nice pommel-like striking surface for hammerfist strikes...rather versatile piece of cutlery.

I can't do anything quite a fancy-pantsed as that dude, but I can easily do the regular and the traditional Filipino inverted open (ends with the blade pointing to the floor) which for practical purposes is all you need. Opening and closing really only requires three quick movements; opening and closing it rapidly and mixing in a couple twirls, it looks a lot more impressive and difficult-looking than it realy is.

It's kind of a nice, Zen-like exercise (kind of like flipping a coin over your fingers or working the Chinese hand balls.

[VampireMonk]

to get good with a knife, you want to spend time with it,
a Butterfly knife encourages that.

so maybe it is a really GREAT knife.

[VampireMonk]

1st and foremost these things are illegal.

so get a training one. (no sharp edges)

if you can't afford those, do what I did, buy a cheap $5 one and smash the
edge so you can practice the CRAP out of it without killing your hand.

but eventually you will want a good quality one, and it will feel like royal butter
on your hands esp after you have been practicing with the piece of crap one.

I don't know if the Szabo one is better than the cold steel one, I've seen a few
custom mades ones and they are suppose to be A class, but so is the price!

[Redman0889]

VampireMonk balisongs are not illegal everywhere, in fact in most states they are legal to own but illegal to carry while in others they are even legal to carry.

Also, the Benchmade 42 is considered by almost everyone as the best production balisong to own, but it does cost around $150. If you re just getting into balisongs I suggest you get a cheap Chinese one to see if you like it, if you do I would then suggest you buy either the Spyderco Spyderfly or the Benchmade Model 42, the Spyderco is only $65. For training I myself leave the edge sharp, if there is no consequence for messing up (getting cut) then you easily pick up bad habits. However if you do want to train with one that will not cut you just tape the blade and you can only get hurt by the very tip.

Finally just as a side note the balisong is the strongest folding knife when opened in other words the way it "locks" is the strongest locking mechanism. The handles would actually have to break in two for the knife to fold.

JamEs

[VampireMonk]

legal to own illegal to carry?

I got to carry it home after I buy it! LOL

bench made if not mistaken have some good trainers,
about the bad habits, I think learning from mistakes are great
unless they really hurt you. So I encourage it.
deepend your understanding.

as for Balisong being the strongest folder,
not the handles, all it takes is the little screws holding it to break off.
that is more likely my friend.

[Soulfly]

A better idea than smashing the blade - tape it with duct tape. It'll save the blade - and your hand when you fuck up.