Danger; is the name of the game. Who doesn’t love a little bit of chaos once in a while? The balisong or butterfly knife is an invention of many colors; it’s sharp and dagger-like, having the ability to deliver devastating blows while being gentle and artistic at the same time. It can provide fun in times of boredom and be a master of tricks and talent.
Who wouldn’t want one? Or even more, who wouldn’t like to learn how to do tricks with a razor-sharp piece of cold hard steel. I once saw a guy performing butterfly tricks and skills, and to my amazement, he didn’t slice open his hand! “It’s safe, come closer,” he said while swinging the knife right next to my face. We’re going to offer some insight into this unique set of skills and give you a guide on step-by-step butterfly knife tricks. Let’s get started.
What Is A Butterfly Knife?
It’s essential to know a few critical points about balisong or butterfly knives before we get started. These knives were created in the Philippines, and as of today, they are banned in most states of the USA and Canada. These knives became very popular in the early 2000s and quickly got a bad name from crime movies that often portrayed terrible guys and criminals with butterfly knives.
So they became illegal to have shortly after they increased in demand. Butterfly knives are typically made from two handle pieces and one blade. The handles are constructed around the blade with one piece onto and one below. They are joined to the handle on rotating screws and free movement spools which allows the handles pieces to fling up and down.
It creates a sort of butterfly wings motion hence the name of the knife. People have learned how to control this movement without getting stabbed in the process. So that’s what we’re going to share with you now.
Butterfly Knife Tricks Step By Step
Disclaimer: These knives are sharp and dangerous, so it is recommended that you buy a blunt or rubber training knife before using an actual sharpened blade. These knives are illegal in several countries, so you should consult your local laws regarding whether or not you can own this type of knife.
First Things First
Wear closed shoes, preferably hard-cased shoes, because you will drop the knife when first learning the tricks. If you are using a sharpened knife, then you need to cover the blade with duck tape or rubber fabric to avoid accidentally cutting yourself if you grab the sharp edge.
Otherwise, the training knife is what you should use if you can. Now you’re ready to rumble. Go ahead and unlock the safety latch at the end of the handles to release the handles and the blade to move freely.
Fundamental Butterfly Knife Trick
This is the basis for all tricks, including the advanced ones, baby steps first. Hold the safe handle between your index finger and thumb, then flip the rest of the knife over the back of your hand. Then rotate the knife 180 degrees to make the blade move downwards, and by moving the thumb out of the way and flipping the knife back up, the trick comes to completion.
These steps should be done in one fluid motion, and it should feel as natural as rotating your wrist round and round. It will take a couple of tries to get used to it, but you should get it down reasonably after about an hour of practicing. When the blade stops touching your knuckles, then you’re ready to move onto the next step.
The next step is to make the same motion but in reverse. That is how you close the knife again. Repeat the same wrist motion in the opposite direction, and the handles will fold up against the blade and make a beautiful clicking noise when it shuts. Which is probably the most satisfying part of the whole trick.
The Y2K Trick
This move is not such a simple butterfly knife trick and will require a bit more coordination to master. It entails spinning the entire knife around your thumb. An excellent place to start is by turning a pen or pencil around your thumb to begin with. After you’ve become familiar with that, move onto the next step. Grab the knife by the bite handle between the index finger and the thumb.
Push your index finger down in a quick snapping motion to swing the safe handle out and around the thumb. Then release the knife with your index finger and let the knife spin around your thumb until the safe handle is in range to catch with your other fingers. Then get your thumb out the way and bring the knife back up to extend the blade outward. To get the best results, use your whole arm in the motion, not just the wrist. And you’ll see a considerable improvement.
The Helix
This one is an advanced motion and not one of the easy butterfly knife tricks. To start the helix butterfly knife trick, perform the Y2K as mentioned previously. The only difference is that after spinning the knife around your thumb. You need to catch it with the other three fingers and then turn the palm downwards with the index finger on the top of the handle that you’re holding.
Spin the knife around your index finger and catch the safe handle with your thumb. You then bring the knife back up to perform a basic butterfly trick motion. All the movements and steps should flow from one to another to create one fluid motion which looks like an ancient ninja type of knife dance. It takes a long time to get good at the more advanced tricks but keep trying because practice makes perfect.
Final Thoughts
These tips should provide an excellent grounding on how to do butterfly knife tricks, and with practice and time, you’ll become a master of the art. It is awe-inspiring to watch someone who can perform lightning-fast tricks with a butterfly knife, so why not be that person.
It’s a fancy trick to show off to your friends and family. And it’s worth the effort to learn because it ends up being a gratifying and satisfying thing to be able to do it and watch other people try and fail. Keep at it and revert to our step-by-step butterfly knife tricks guide often, and you’ll have it down in no time at all.
There are tonnes of videos on tricks with butterfly knives, so go on and see how experts do it. And what it looks like in real-time to see what your goal to get to is. Please don’t hurt yourself and be wise about using the butterfly knife because it is still classified as a dangerous weapon and remains illegal in many places. But it doesn’t hurt to use a training balisong to learn and get good.
Hopefully, these tips were helpful and motivational enough to get you started right away on the beautiful art of butterfly knife tricks. Don’t forget to share what you’ve learned with friends after you’ve blown them away with your skills.
