
A balisong, also known as a butterfly knife, fan knife or Batangas knife, is a type of folding
pocketknife
A pocketknife (also spelled as pocket knife) is a knife with one or more blades that fold into the handle. They are also known as jackknives, folding knives, Everyday carry, EDC knife, or may be referred to as a penknife, though a penknife may a ...
that originated in the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. Its distinct features are two handles counter-rotating around the
tang such that, when closed, the blade is concealed within grooves in the handles. A latch sometimes holds the handles together; typically mounted on the one facing the cutting edge (the "bite handle"). An exceptionally large balisong is called a
balisword.
The balisong was commonly used by
Filipinos
Filipinos () are citizens or people identified with the country of the Philippines. Filipinos come from various Austronesian peoples, all typically speaking Filipino language, Filipino, Philippine English, English, or other Philippine language ...
, especially those in the
Tagalog region, as
self-defense
Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of Force (law), ...
and a pocket utility knife.
Hollow-grind balisongs were also used as
straight razor
A straight razor is a razor with a blade that can fold into its handle. They are also called open razors and cut-throat razors. The predecessors of the modern straight razors include bronze razors, with cutting edges and fixed handles, produced ...
s before conventional razors were made available in the Philippines. In the hands of a trained user, the knife blade can be brought out to bear quickly using one hand. Manipulations, called "flipping", are performed for art or amusement. Blunt "trainer" versions of these knives are also available and can be used to practice tricks without the risk of injury.
The knife is now illegal or restricted in some countries, often under the same laws and for the same reasons that
switchblade
A switchblade (also known as switch knife, automatic knife, pushbutton knife, ejector knife, flick knife, gravity knife, flick blade, or spring knife) is a pocketknife with a sliding or pivoting blade contained in the handle which is extended ...
s or concealed weapons are restricted. Within the Philippines, it is no longer as common in urban areas as in the past.
Name
Names for the knives in English include "fan knives" and "butterfly knives" from the motion, and "click clacks" from the sound they make when they are opened and closed.
The name "balisong" is derived from
barangay
The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
(village) Balisong, part of the municipality of
Taal,
Batangas
Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( ), is a first class province of the Philippines located in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Calabarzon region. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,908,494 people, making ...
province, which along with the neighboring barangay Pandayan (now part of
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
zones 6, 9, and 10 of
Taal town proper), were the original manufacturing centers of the knives in the Philippines. The two barangays were home to a
blacksmith
A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
industry that also produced other bladed implements such as
bolo knives.
It is also claimed that the meaning of the term ''balisong'' is derived from the
Tagalog words ''baling sungay'' (literally, "broken/folding horn") as the hilt of the blade was traditionally made from carved
carabao
Carabaos () are a genetically distinct population of swamp-type water buffaloes ('' Bubalus bubalis kerabau'') from the Philippines.FAO 2013''Philippine Carabao/Philippines''In: Domestic Animal Diversity Information System. Food and Agriculture ...
and
deer
A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...
horn, as well as bones.
The traditional balisong is also known as ''veinte y nueve'' or "twenty-nine" in the Philippines because they are long when opened.
History
The origin of the knives is unclear. Oral histories claim that the knives were first created in the Philippines in 800 CE. However, there is no documentation or archeological evidence to back this. Balisong's mass production in the Philippines can only be attested to the early 1900s. Another claim is that balisong was originally an adaptation of a French measuring tool called the ''pied du roi'' ("foot of the king"), invented between the 1500s to the late 1760s. However, how it was introduced to the Philippines is unknown. There are theories that it may have been introduced by sailors in the
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...
, which was then allied with France.
Regardless of origin, the modern balisong was perfected in the Philippines, where it became much larger, and was predominantly used as a weapon, not just a tool. The quick opening techniques ("flipping") were also developed in the Philippines. In contrast, the French ''pied du roi'' was primarily a folding
ruler
A ruler, sometimes called a rule, scale, line gauge, or metre/meter stick, is an instrument used to make length measurements, whereby a length is read from a series of markings called "rules" along an edge of the device. Usually, the instr ...
, with the knife only included in some specimens as a novelty. They were cumbersome to open and unlikely to be used for self-defense, especially since they also commonly included a metal tang at a right angle from the end of the handle to aid in measuring.
There were also very similar designs to the balisong produced in
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
in the late 19th century, presumably also derived from the ''pied du roi''. But like the latter, they were primarily utilitarian tools.
Construction
There are two main types of balisong construction: "sandwich construction" and "channel construction".
Sandwich-constructed balisong knives are assembled in layers that are generally pinned or screwed together. They allow the pivot pins to be adjusted more tightly without binding. When the knife is closed, the blade rests between the layers.
For a channel-constructed balisong, the main part of each handle is formed from one piece of material. In this handle, a groove is created (either by folding, milling, or being integrally cast) in which the blade rests when the knife is closed. This style is regarded as being stronger than sandwich construction.
Additionally, the two constructions can be combined to form the "chanwich construction", which involves two halves of a channel handle screwed together. Although rare, this construction generally keeps the best elements of both constructions and discards the worst, as it retains the better handle shape channel construction is known for, while still allowing adjustment of the tightness the handles are held together with to some extent, as well as easier access to the inside of the handle for cleaning.
There are also three methods of operation balisongs use: bearings, bushings, or only washers.
Bearing-operated balisongs have small ball bearings housed in a circular concavity around the hole in the pivot. These bearings allow the handles of the balisong to rotate.
Bushing-operated balisongs have a small metal bushing slightly thicker than the tang in each pivot hole with a usually bronze disc known as a washer on each side. These washers clamp down on the bushing, but not on the tang, when the pivot screw is tightened, allowing the handle to rotate around the tang.
There are also washer-only operated balisongs which are usually much cheaper and lower quality than the other kinds, as they don't need bushings, but the handles will always bind to the tang when the screws are tightened enough and the washers, tang and handles all wear themselves down much faster due to the increased friction.
Some of the blades of traditional butterfly knives in the Philippines were made from steel taken from railroad tracks, thus giving them a decent amount of durability and toughness, while others are made from recycled
leaf springs of vehicles.
Most modern balisongs do not use tang pins. Instead, they use "zen pins", which are two small pins embedded in the top of the handles of the balisong which make contact with the bottom of the blade. While a balisong with zen pins is easier for end user to perform maintenance on for the end user and significantly easier to design; they do not hold up as long as tang pins would in a properly made knife. the force of the harder blade contacting the soft zen pins will mean they need replaced far more often than tang pins which should be mild steel so the blade doesn't crack and can cushion against soft handle materials rather than crush each other.
Some modern balisongs also have a "pinless" system, in which they do not have any pins, and instead rely on the material of the handles to make contact with the blade, similar to how zen pins work. The longevity of pinless is exceedingly short and not meant for long term usage before the system itself fails and the knife breaks.
Parts

; Bite handle: The handle that closes on the sharp edge of the blade, and will cut the user if they are holding that handle when the knife closes. This handle usually carries the latch.
; Choil: The unsharpened portion of the blade just above the kicker, that makes it easier to sharpen the blade.
; Kicker (or Kick): Area on the blade that prevents the sharp edge from touching the inside of the handle and suffering damage. This is sometimes supplanted by an additional tang pin above the pivots.
; Latch: The standard locking system, which holds the knife closed. Magnets are occasionally used instead.
; Latch, Batangas: A latch that is attached to the bite handle.
; Latch, Manila: A latch that is attached to the safe handle.
; Latch, Spring: A latch that utilizes a spring to propel the latch open when the handles are squeezed.
; Latch gate : A block inside the channel of the handles stopping the latch from impacting the blade.
; Pivot joint: A pin about which the Tang/Blade/Handle assemblies pivot.
; Safe handle: The handle (generally the handle without the latch) that closes on the non-sharpened edge of the blade.
; Swedge: Unsharpened spine of the blade. Some balisongs are also sharpened here or on both sides with either a more traditional look or wavy edges similar to a
Kris sword.
; Tang: The base of the blade where the handles are attached with pivot pins.
; Tang Pin(s): Pin meant to hold the blade away from the handle when closed to prevent dulling; and, in some cases, a second pin to keep the handles from excessively banging together while the butterfly knife is being manipulated.
; Zen Pins: Screws mounted inside the handles that collide with the kicker mounted on the tang to prevent the blade from moving around while in the open or closed position.
; Blade: The blade is a piece of steel that runs down the center of the knife that is secured by both handles when closed. One edge of the blade is sharp and will cut the user if they are not careful, especially when flipping the knife. The other side is called the spine and can have what is known as a swedge. The swedge is a blunt bevel ground in for looks and won't cut the user. The spine commonly impacts the user's hand when flipping.
;

Bushing: A small barrel of steel included in the blade so the handles can be tightened without back and forth movement. the bushing is a highly precise element of modern balisong knives and require specialized tuning to function properly.
; Replacement Parts: for a comprehensive list on parts and other issues check out the balisong wiki dedicated to parts sizes and information on active balisongs in use here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/2/d/1cYnDv67BTD9H8wd7D-R_URGXYq3AGT3MotrVE4OX6Js/htmlview
Legal status
The balisong has been outlawed in several countries, mainly due to its easy utility in crimes and its ability to be easily concealed for the same purpose. In some jurisdictions, its criminal use is considered a knife crime.
* In
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, balisongs are generally classified as a prohibited weapon, which requires a special, legitimate excuse to possess it. Australia defines balisongs as a flick knife (or other similar device) that has a blade which opens automatically by gravity or centrifugal acceleration or by any pressure applied to a button, spring or device in or attached to the handle of the knife.
* In
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, butterfly knives are illegal.
* In
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, although not specified by name as a prohibited weapon, the balisong knife is often considered by courts to fall under the
gravity knife or
centrifugal
Centrifugal (a key concept in rotating systems) may refer to:
*Centrifugal casting (industrial), Centrifugal casting (silversmithing), and Spin casting (centrifugal rubber mold casting), forms of centrifigual casting
*Centrifugal clutch
*Centrifug ...
classification and is therefore prohibited, unless
grandfathered in before prohibition.
* In the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
, balisongs, switchblades, and gravity knives are treated like normal knives.
* In
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
, butterfly knives are illegal.
* In
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
, balisongs are legal to be purchased, sold and possessed, and are treated just like regular knives and befall under the edged weapons law. Carrying one in public is permitted if the person carrying one can prove it is used as a tool.
* In
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, balisongs are legal to own if one is over 18 years of age but are illegal to carry without official authorization.
* In
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, the balisong was outlawed when the Waffengesetz (weapons law) was tightened in April 2003 in the aftermath of the
Erfurt massacre. Thus, buying, possessing, lending, using, carrying, crafting, altering and trading it is illegal and is punishable by up to five years imprisonment, confiscation of the knife and a fine of up to
€
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists of a stylized letter E (or epsilon), crossed by t ...
10,000. Using a butterfly knife for a crime of any kind – as is any illegal weapon – is punishable by from 1 to 10 years imprisonment.
* In
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
, balisongs, switchblades and gravity knives are treated like normal knives. They are legal to possess one regardless of its length, but it is illegal to carry one that is longer than in public.
*In
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, butterfly knives are illegal offensive weapons.
* In
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, balisongs are legal to own if not sharpened on both sides, but illegal to carry without justifiable reason.
* In
Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
, balisongs among other knives are legal to possess and carry as they are not considered weapons. This excludes switchblades.
* In the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, balisongs are illegal.
* In
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, balisongs are illegal.
* In
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
, balisongs are illegal.
* In the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, it is now generally illegal to carry one without identification or a proper permit in the streets of
the capital
''The Capital'' (also known as ''Capital Gazette'' as its online nameplate and informally, while the Sunday edition is called ''The Sunday Capital'') is a daily newspaper published by Capital Gazette Communications in Annapolis, Maryland, to ...
because of their prevalent use in crime and altercations. One now needs to demonstrate the need for professional livelihood or utilitarian purpose (such as cutting grass, preparing fruit and meat, being a vendor of knives, being
martial arts instructors, etc.) to be able to walk around with bladed implements in the urban areas. Another rule of thumb is that the blade of pocketknives must not exceed the length of the palm and must not be openable by one hand to be considered as a utility knife, as opposed to a weapon (thus,
Swiss Army Knives, are legal).
* In
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, balisongs, switchblades and gravity knives are treated like normal knives.
* In
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, balisongs are legal only if the length of the blade is not more than .
* In
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
, it's illegal to carry, import or trade a balisong, but legal to own and collect.
* In
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, balisongs are illegal to carry, give, lend, buy, or trade.
* In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, the balisong has been legally classified as an offensive weapon since January 1989. Carrying one in public is an offence under the
Prevention of Crime Act 1953
The Prevention of Crime Act 1953 (1 & 2 Eliz. 2. c. 14) is an Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that restricts the carrying of offensive weapons in public. The Act was passed in response to the ...
. Sale, lending, hiring, giving or importing is prohibited by the
Criminal Justice Act 1988
The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (c. 33) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Title
The title of this Act is:
Unduly lenient sentences
In England and Wales, the Act allows anybody to ask the Attorney General's Office for a sent ...
, as amended by the
Offensive Weapons Act 1996. Any imported are liable to be seized and prosecution may follow. An exception is made for knives of this type over 100 years old, which are classed as antiques.
* In some parts of the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, it is illegal to possess or carry such a knife in public. In certain jurisdictions, balisongs are categorized as
gravity knives,
switchblades, or
daggers
A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually one or two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a cutting or thrusting weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or popular-u ...
.
** In
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, balisong/switchblade knives are legal to own, buy, sell, and transport if the length of the blade is not more than . If the length of the blade is more than they are illegal to buy, sell, transfer, or possess in public although it is legal to possess one if kept at home (Penal Code section 17235 & 21510).
** In
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, butterfly knives are legal, as Florida defines butterfly knives as a type of folding knife. However, butterfly knives are subject to the same concealed carry licensing requirements as all other folding knives with blades longer than four inches.
** In
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
, it was illegal to possess, manufacture, sell, transfer, or transport any balisong/butterfly-type knife until the
9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the ban in August 2023.
** In
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
, there were once legal restrictions on butterfly knives; however, , the Kansas Comprehensive Knife Rights Act decriminalized the carrying of all types of bladed weapons.
**In
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
, it is legal to own and carry a butterfly knife.
***In
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, it is illegal to carry a concealed knife with a blade longer than . Automatic (switchblade) knives and gravity knives are prohibited, as carrying a concealed double-edged knife.
**In
Indiana
Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, it is legal to own and carry a butterfly knife both concealed and open.
** In
Kentucky
Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
, the balisong is legal for concealed and open carrying anywhere one is not otherwise prohibited from carrying a concealed deadly weapon. Kentucky's constitution and revised statutes prohibit cities and counties from enacting weapons laws and restrictions.
** In
Maine
Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
, it is legal to own, sell, and carry.
** In
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
, the balisong is legal for concealed and open carrying so long as it does not "
resentan objective threat of danger to a person of reasonable and average sensibility." Restrictions also apply depending on the area of the person carrying the knife (such as within a public school).
** In
Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
, the balisong is legal because it is classified as a
folding knife.
** In
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, balisongs are illegal (NJSA 2C:39-1), but the question of legality or illegality is open.
** In
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
, possession of a butterfly knife is illegal, because the butterfly knife is a switchblade within the meaning of the statute making possession of switchblades unlawful.
** In
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, the balisong has been determined not to be a gravity knife, and therefore not prohibited under the Penal Law
ee: People v. Zuniga, 303 A.D.2d 773 (2nd Dept. 2003)However, the law prohibiting gravity knives was found to be unconstitutional and their possession was decriminalized in 2019.
** In
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
, citizens are allowed to carry most pocketknives most of the time. Statute S.14-269, which prohibits the concealed carrying of any "
bowie knife
A Bowie knife ( ) is a pattern of fixed-blade fighting knives created by Rezin Bowie in the early 19th century for his brother James Bowie, who had become famous for his use of a large knife at a duel known as the Sandbar Fight.
Since its fir ...
,
dirk
A dirk is a long-bladed thrusting dagger.Chisholm, Hugh (ed.); "Dagger", ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 11th ed., Vol. VII, New York, NY: Cambridge University Press (1910), p. 729. Historically, it gained its name from the Highland dirk (Scott ...
, dagger", or "other deadly weapon of like kind" doesn't apply to an "ordinary pocketknife carried in a closed position".
** In
North Dakota
North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...
, it is legal to own a balisong and carry it openly. However, they are illegal to carry concealed, as they are considered to be
deadly weapon
A deadly weapon, sometimes dangerous weapon (although some jurisdictions differentiate between the two) or lethal weapon, is an item that can inflict mortal or great bodily harm. By statutory definition, certain items, especially firearms, are d ...
s.
** In
Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
, it is legal to own a balisong and carry it openly, and illegal to carry concealed, as it is considered a deadly weapon.
** In
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
, the balisong is legal for open carry but is illegal to carry concealed.
** In
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
, it is illegal to carry a concealed balisong.
** In
Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
, there are no restrictions in carrying a balisong and similar knives, whether open or concealed carrying. Restrictions on these instead focuses on intent rather than merely carrying.
** In
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, switchblades are legal .
** In
Utah
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, balisongs are legal to own and carry as long as you are not a "Restricted Person" as described in Utah State Code §76-10-503.
** In
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, the balisong is legal for concealed, and open, carrying according to state law.
** In
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
, the balisong is classified as
spring blade knife and under state law, one cannot manufacture, sell, dispose of, or possess such knives.
Balisong trainers feature a special blunt and unsharpened "blade" and are legal in some areas where balisongs are not.
See also
*
Arnis
Arnis, also known as kali or eskrima/escrima, is the national martial art of the Philippines. These three terms are, sometimes, interchangeable in referring to traditional martial arts of the Philippines (" Filipino Martial Arts", or FMA), wh ...
*
Balisword
*
Fighting knife
A fighting knife has a blade designed to most effectively inflict injury in close-quarters physical confrontations.Burton, Walter E., ''Knives For Fighting Men'', Popular Science, July 1944, Vol. 145 No. 1, p. 150Hunsicker, A., ''Advanced Skills ...
*
Filipino martial arts
*
Hackman butterfly knife
*
Jacob's ladder (knife)
*
Knife fight
A knife fight is a violent physical confrontation between two or more combatants in which one or more participants are armed with a knife.MacYoung, Marc, ''Winning A Street Knife Fight'', (Digital format, 70 min.), Boulder, CO: Paladin Press, ( ...
*
Pantographic knife
*
Pocketknife
A pocketknife (also spelled as pocket knife) is a knife with one or more blades that fold into the handle. They are also known as jackknives, folding knives, Everyday carry, EDC knife, or may be referred to as a penknife, though a penknife may a ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balisong knife
Arnis
Knives
Pocket knives
Philippine martial arts
Weapons of the Philippines
Culture of Batangas
Weapons of the Philippine Army