Butterfly knives have been in the media in films, they have been in martial arts demonstrations, and they have been crafted beautifully for a large part of history. To put it simply, the butterfly knife (also known as a balisong, Batangas knife or a fan knife) is a folding type of pocket knife that has two counter rotating handles that rotate around the bottom of the blade, or the tang. This is so that when the knife is closed the blade fits into the grooves of the handle. In the hands of an experienced trainer, using only one hand, these butterfly pocket knives can be quickly brought to bear the blade

These knives are commonly used by Filipino people. But there the knifes are simply used for utility purposes in most cases. This is partly why Filipino people are associated with this type of knife and the urban legend exists regarding everyone there having one at all times.

Buyers often ask, are butterfly knives illegal or where are they illegal? In some of the US states this particular knife is illegal. In California they are illegal if the blade is longer than two inches. This is because they are known as automatic knives, which are illegal to own in a household. In New York, they are legal because New York law decided that these knives don’t classify as a “gravity knife” which are illegal. The butterfly “trainers” are knives where the blades are dull to be less harmful to the user and others.

Along with the uniqueness of these exotic knives there is also something to be said about the craftsmanship and durability of these knives. Benchmade butterfly knives are knives produced to have simple yet sturdy and reliable mechanics. The pivot pins are designed to have the perfect amount on smoothness that many users would enjoy.