Butterfly knives/Switchblades
 

Anyone here own switchblades or butterfly knives? I saw a couple videos of a guy that was doing some amazing tricks with 2 butterfly knives that just blew me away.
Can anyone here open a butterfly knife properly?

yeah, I've got a few balisongs lying around. They're not that hard to open once you learn how. As for all the tricks - - that's not really my style. I'm more about using the weapon effectively than spinning it around and stuff. I'm impressed with the guys who can do it, just never felt the urge to learn myself.

They're illegal just about everywhere in the U.S. for street carry, btw, which is probably why I don't fool with 'em all that much. I tend to practice more with my folder since i can carry that with me w/o getting arrested.

I own 1 of each. Nice paperweights ;)

A Schrade Cliphanger in your pocket is much better than a butterfly knife in an evidence locker.

Both are felonies here in CA. Maybe that is why I carry a cheap gerber. It cuts what I want it to.

I can open my AXIS lock Benchmades faster than an auto or butterfly. They aren't worth the legal issues anymore.

Switchblades are illegal in Illinois. I have a butterfly knife and I had someone show me how to do the flipping and such. It's all in the wrists and the way you hold it.

Personally I like my small boot knife, it'll cut through about anything...

I like butterfly knives better just for the fact that they provide something to do while im bored. Throwing Knives can be fun too.

The video i saw was amazing. The guy had two of the balisongs and was switching them up in mid air.....wow

But the store in Florida where I bought also referred to them as "paperweights."

i had a balisong myself, they're pretty easy to open, as long as you hold it right and flick the wrist.

Switchblades are illegal in SC I think, but I found some quality switchblades at a fleamarket and grabbed some up for a good price. Not worth carrying though, if you have to use it you will get arrested as well. I would just stick with a folder.

Bit of thread revival here, but technically these knives are not switchblades, and are legal for street carry (in Britain at least, you ought to check for state specific laws.) Video here. Snazzy.

I've had a butterfly knife for a while, it's much more like a Yo-Yo to me than a useful blade. I flip it around a bit when I dig it up here an there, mildy amusing ;)

I have a switchblade and 2 butterfly knives. The switch is mainly just because I had every other kind of knife, so I felt inclined to get one. But, it's a felony to carry so I dont use it much. Butterfly knives are fun to play with and relatively easy. Not much of a challenge to "master," now I'm workin on throwing knives.

Quick question on legality......

Anyone know if balisongs are illegal in MA? They're easy enough to get, but I know that doesn't always mean the police look kindly on them.

Below are the laws regarding switchblades for each state
http://www.amatecon.com/switchblade.html

Why are switchblades so illegal in so many places? Is it beause it is small folded and more concealable or for another reason?

That is the best observation about those 2 knives I have seen in a LONG time.

I'd just guess that switchblades are illegal due to how easy they are to conceal and pull, and how often they are(were) used in street violence.

Cool for switchblades, but a switchblade isn't a balisong. Anybody know the law in MA on balisongs?

I think balisohg would fall under folding knife.

I would love to own and learn to use a butterfly knife, but it's too bad they are illegal where I live.

I know that switchblades are illegal in Washington but long ago I think I remember an army surplus store that sold a switchblade kit. It was a total POS but is or was there ever a law that let you carry or posses a switchblade if you build it from a kit?

I saw a balisong opened, once, up close and personal like, in Subic City maybe 35 years ago. I smiled politely, dropped my wallet and left.

Never, never go to a knife fight unless you bring a gun or unless you are willing to get cut. ;-)

I have a butterfly knife - had it before they were made illegal and was told that I could keep it, but they are illegal for distribution now (in England that is).

I have one TI Benchmade Balisong, waiting for when I'm done learning and a Bear MGC Balisong for learning. I love working with it. I do a lot of driving in town, so I practice in the cab of my truck a lot. My favorite opening is one where the balison is actually spun around the outside of your thumb, completely free of your hands, then caught and finished with the opening. It looks wicked. Heres a nice site for more vids and instruction.
http://www.balisongxtreme.com/techniques.htm

"Paperweights." Really, I swear. I don't carry them around at the same timeas my throwing knife necklace, really :D I sharpened them all to a razor-edge last night.

Here, it's a ninja weapon. There's a law against "Illegal posession of a ninja weapon" on the books here, dating back to an early '90's incident in which a bunch of morons walked aroud downtown smacking people and cars with nunchauks

I wonder the same thing. It just seems silly that these are illegal. I can't imagine the situation where a tragedy would be averted because the assailant took an extra half-second to get their knife open. Hell a fixed-blade knife is always open, think how dangerous those are. :p

I have a balisong. Its fun to fiddle around with, but I would NEVER use it in a fight. Takes way to long to open. Its flashy, and it looks scary, but a switchblade is much quicker to open up.

butterfly's are for show i think. automatic knives are illegal in almost every state now, irrespective of what the link above says. the link itself is dated as of 1998.

illegality still doesnt stop me from carrying them. i have a halo III and an auto-boker. i either carry one or the other. they clearly are for utilitarian use rather than defense. opening packages, envelopes, cutting cigar ends, as many of you may know, once you carry a knife, you seem to find ways to use it that make your life easier.

it's all about keeping the "auto" part of the knife a secret. i certainly don't walk down the street popping the blade in and out, and i am careful about who is around when i do use it.

it appears that the reason for making these guns illegal dates back to the 1950's when kids with knives were thought of as a growing epidemic and the interstate selling of these "gravity" knives was banned.

the larger states lock-stepped and classified the auto-gravity knives as a weapon. leaving each state to define a certain length of knife that can be concealed.

ok then

Butterfly tricks are pretty easy to learn. If you throw it in the air it automatically opens halfway due to its construction. I can do it but your fingers start hurting after fooling around for a while.

http://www.balisongxtreme.com/baliplanet2/vids/

There are a handful of movies in there. I like butterfly knives, although I don't own one.

I have a couple butterfly knives that I got while I was in high school. Haven't played with them for years, but I was alright with them back then. I carried one of them with me all the time, mostly to open boxes because I could grab a box with one hand and grab my knife and open it with the other. Never messed with switchblades thouth. I like the show of a butterfly, but they are rather impractical as a weapon.

I own 1 of each, more as a curiousity than anything else. My curiousity was easily satisfied though as they're entirely impractical. Crap quality too.