The Construction of a Balisong

Every balisong is made up of a core set of components. Understanding how these parts work together helps you make better purchasing decisions, maintain your knife, and talk about it intelligently in the community.

The blade is the central element. The tang is the portion of the blade that extends beyond the cutting edge and sits within the handle assembly — it is what the handles pivot around. The choil is the unsharpened section just above the handle, and many balisongs have a swedge (a false top edge) for aesthetic and balance purposes.

A balisong has two handles — the safe handle and the bite handle. The safe handle is the one facing away from the blade edge when the knife is closed. The bite handle faces toward the edge. Knowing which is which matters for tricks, as most moves require specific handle awareness to avoid contact with the edge.

The pivots are the points around which the handles rotate. They are typically screws or pins that pass through the tang and handles. Pivot type has a major impact on the feel of the knife — this is where bushings, washers, and bearings come in (covered in the next topic).

The latch keeps the knife in the closed position. It is typically attached to one handle and catches on the other when the knife is folded shut. Latch style is a major point of personal preference in the flipping community — many experienced flippers prefer latchless designs.

Pins are stops that limit how far the handles can open and close. They prevent the handles from over-rotating and protect the blade from hitting the handles. Pin style — tang pins, zen pins, or pinless — significantly affects how the knife feels during flipping.