High Carbon Steel Filipino Balisongs Butterfly Stainless Steel with Ram Horn Inserts Black Mamba Knives World Class Knives | BMK-435

Description

Nine inches of butterfly knife with dark ram horn set into steel, built in the traditional Filipino sandwich pattern rather than screwed together from milled slabs.

Suits: flippers who want a full-size handle and collectors drawn to natural materials. The handle halves are steel channels with ram horn panels pinned inside, so the weight sits along the whole length instead of bunching at the ends.

How it moves

At 9.1 inches open with 4.7 inch handles, this is a large balisong by modern standards. Long handles rotate slowly, and slow is easier to read while you are learning. Aerials take more clearance than a compact model, and a rollover feels deliberate rather than snappy. Experienced flippers chasing speed will find it lazy. Anyone still building muscle memory will find that a gift.

Ram horn, and what it does over time

Ram horn is keratin, not bone, so it flexes slightly and warms in the hand within seconds. The colour is never uniform. Ours runs from near black through smoky grey with pale streaks, and no two pairs of panels match. Over years it develops a soft sheen where your fingers ride. What it dislikes is dry heat: a sunny dashboard or a radiator shelf can shrink the panels and open a hairline gap at the pins. Keep it indoors and out of direct sun.

Construction, and why it matters here

The channel handles enclose the blade on three sides when closed, which protects the edge and gives the latch something solid to seat against. It also means grit finds its way inside and stays there. Read balisong construction explained before you take the pivots apart the first time.

Upkeep: a butterfly knife lives or dies by its pivots. Blow dust out, put one drop of light machine oil on each pivot every few weeks of regular flipping, and work it in by fanning the handles. Check the pivot pins for play and have them peened tight if the action goes sloppy. Wipe the blade with a dry cloth after handling, since fingerprints etch a polished surface. Never oil the ram horn.

Common questions

Is it sharpened? Yes, this is a live blade, not a trainer. Learn the basic openings slowly before you attempt anything with a catch.

Will the latch hold in a pocket? It holds, but a balisong this size rides better in a pouch than loose in a pocket.

What should I learn first? Start with the basic and reverse opening. Our beginner butterfly knife tricks guide sequences them. If you would rather have a tool-steel blade, the D2 balisong with brass liners is the harder-wearing option.

Model: BMK-435