Butterfly knives are as iconic as they are controversial. While there is an undeniable “cool” factor associated with operating a butterfly knife that is universal in fans ranging from 7th grade boys to knife aficionados, the utility and practicality of a butterfly knife cannot help but be questioned. In addition, the prickly legal intricacies of various localities may make owning or carrying a butterfly knife a losing proposition.
However, if you have decided to add a butterfly knife to your collection, you will soon find a wide spectrum of offerings, from cheap toys to seriously crafted pieces. At the higher end of that spectrum is the Benchmade Balisong 42. The Balisong 42 has the fine level of craftsmanship that one has come to expect from Benchmade. Aside from the Benchmade quality, the first thing you will notice is the weight, or lack thereof, of this knife. Despite the imposing looking handles and 4.2 inch blade, the knife only weighs 4.10 ounces, due to the skeltonized titanium construction of its handles. In this iteration of the Balisong, the safety latch is located on the “unsafe” spine-side (as opposed to the blade-side) of the knife, a detail that is important to remember when learning how to properly and safely operate a butterfly knife. Newer versions of the Balisong have a spring-loaded safety latch, while the one pictured here has the older latch mechanism.
The blade of the Benchmade Balisong 42 is Benchmade’s “Weehawk” shape, which has an unsharpened false edge on the spine-side. The myriad ways to operate a butterfly knife are beyond the scope of this review, but if style is a consideration in your butterfly knife purchase (and lets be honest, if you weren’t into style, you probably wouldn’t be purchasing a butterfly knife), the Balisong is a great blend of the iconic butterfly knife mechanism and Benchmade quality. The handles are somewhat loosely bound to the blade, which increases the sound and fury of the opening technique of the knife. If you are looking for practical reasons to justify the purchase of this knife, it is undoubtedly a knife that can be operated with one hand and the quality of materials and blade profile should allow this knife to be used regularly. In addition, the look on the faces of your friends when you open your Balisong in a flash of titanium prior to cutting that FedEx envelope open is what owning a butterfly knife is all about.
Specifications:
Overall Length: 9.40″
Closed Length: 5.20″
Blade Length: 4.20″
Weight: 4.10 oz.
Blade Material: Stainless
Pros: A supremely built butterfly knife, whose titanium handle contributes to its light weight.
Cons: Besides the potential legal liability that might accompany the purchase and ownership of this knife, at the end of the day, this knife is more toy than utility, and at a retail price of $280, it is not a cheap toy.
Summary: The legal environment of today’s world has often made the purchase and ownership of butterfly knives either questionable or outright illegal. In addition, the practicality of this knife, at this price point is not something that will attract the average knife owner. However, it is still a Balisong, and its operation harkens back to the kung fu movies of the 70’s and ninja movie of the 80’s – in short, it is cool.
TacticalGear.org Rating: 7.0/10
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