Train them young: Balisongs

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CDR_Glock

CDR_Glock

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I flip my Balisongs when I am in the house. So when I went to the store and saw a trainer I bought it to try new moves. So my daughter says "what's that?"

I show her four moves and next thing you know, she won't give it back. I couldn't help but laugh but it is addicting.

When I was young, I got my first Balisong at age 14. My kid is 9.

How old were you when you learned?
 
When I was young, I got my first Balisong at age 14.
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A late start, but still in the ballpark. It's one of those things you want to get grooved into muscle memory as you're growing so that operating one is as natural as breathing.
 
docnyt said:
You should watch the movie "Kick-Ass" if you haven't already. My girls were awed by Hit Girl.
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I watched it last night for the second last night. That was funny. I never even thought of that movie.

I was flipping my BM51 and it was making my daughter nervous. I stopped doing it with her in the room. When I saw the practice version, I had to get it. So here I show her that it is a dull trainer, and she wants to try it out. Hopefully she doesn't have her eye out for my 42s and 51.
 
I got my one and only balisong when I was 18. It's a cheapo no-name $15 or $20 novelty thing. With the exception of a very hard to sharpen blade it's a pretty good little knife for light duty cutting. It locks up tighter than a nuns arse when open with no side to side wobble. And the little latch to lock it closed is suprisingly reliable.

The reason I got my first when I turned 18 is because my parents don't encourage my intrest in weapons and they'd have kicked my butt.

EDIT: Right now I'm only 21.
 
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CDr ---- good for you !!! My daugther is 13 and shows no interest in blades , firearms , or martial arts ---- ONLY BOYS :mad:

I got my first Bali when I was about 23 ---- so I been playing with them for almost 30 years !! Man , I feel old at times :eek:
 
i got my first one in high school; that was over 20 years ago. it was a Taylor with a weehawk blade, and solid metal handles; i'm not sure if they were steel, aluminum or what. i had it for awhile, then it disappeared. i later got another larger one, with thick, black inserts on channel-style handles and a weehawk blade. it was built like a tank. i later traded for....a skateboard? a CD player? a swinguard auto? i don't remember.

i only got into balis again recently, when i found out that i could legally own and carry them in my state.
 
my 9yr old can use one, without tape on the blade. he's very careful, though, and will only stick with the "double roll out" he has his own, it's a CCC, but a pretty nice CCC. if he sticks with it, i'm sure Santa'll find him a BM32
 
My bro got me one of these when I was young, many moons ago.
Over in the UK these are called butterfly knives and almost impossible to get hold of...
 
Rick, you sound like a great dad! I'm 30 and if I flipped a bali in front of my dad now he'd be upset. lol
 
This is a sincere question, not a challenge.

What do you guys use balisongs for? General utility knives in place of a pocketknife?
 
It depends on the balisong. Some of mine are never flipped and are part of my collection. I carry some for personal protection where legal, and I use others like pocketknives (my first CCC sees a lot of use cutting up materials to package balisongs for my store).
 
What do you guys use balisongs for? General utility knives in place of a pocketknife?
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Right now just playing around when I'm bored. I might be getting a job soon and when I can afford a good one I'll use it for EDC (if it's legal in my area I'm still a bit fuzzy on that).
 
This is a sincere question, not a challenge.

What do you guys use balisongs for? General utility knives in place of a pocketknife?
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uh.... cutting stuff. sorry, couldn't resist. seriously, though, i appreciate a balisong as a general utility EDC. so, YES, basically as (not in place of) a pocket knife. i know the media has portrayed them as weapons, but to be honest, i don't consider them as effective (for use on living hostile targets) as a fixed blade. don't get me wrong, anything sharp and/or pointy can be used to hurt someone, but i believe there are knife designs FAR MORE suited to that purpose than balisongs. i view balisongs as handy little utility knives for their ease of opening/closing, their strong lock design, and how easily they can be washed out.
 
zignal_zero said:
uh.... cutting stuff. sorry, couldn't resist. seriously, though, i appreciate a balisong as a general utility EDC. so, YES, basically as (not in place of) a pocket knife. i know the media has portrayed them as weapons, but to be honest, i don't consider them as effective (for use on living hostile targets) as a fixed blade. don't get me wrong, anything sharp and/or pointy can be used to hurt someone, but i believe there are knife designs FAR MORE suited to that purpose than balisongs. i view balisongs as handy little utility knives for their ease of opening/closing, their strong lock design, and how easily they can be washed out.
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I agree with you. That is what a Balisong was originally intended for. One handed opening for working in the fishery and farm.

I tend to side with the CEO of Cold Steel. He recommends a FIXED BLADE knife no shorter than 5". I have 3 knives that fit that bill, a Ka-Bar Bowie and two Tanto's.

62e757ea-5e73-4e43.jpg

I have three knives that fit the bill:

Caldwell and FHM 29
62e757ea-5ce1-300f.jpg

Les Voorhies:
62e757ea-5d12-7dd2.jpg

However, a Bali is stronger than any other folder on the market.

My main defensive knife? A 6" Cold Steel Master Tanto, San Mai Steel.

62e757ea-5d66-97d5.jpg
Snap cut:
62e757ea-5d77-446f.jpg

I am awaiting my Cold Steel San Mai Magnum IX tanto from a sheath maker. 9" fixed blade.

However, the knife is back up to my Pistol, a 23 or 27 Glock. 62e757ea-5df5-207b.jpg
 
I have only used my Benchmade once and then I did like the fast silent opening. Maybe fun to play with but to use seriously dropping it open worked for me, but not my favorite blade.
 
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