Info on Balisongs

[Guindesigns]

ok I'm show my true colors here and ask. why are they called balisongs and not just a butterfly knife. i've always heard the term butterfly so its confusing for me to be seeing balisong. so if anyone has the time and the will to bring me to school on this topic I thank you.

-Young pup.

 

[STUGLY1]

My understanding is the word balisong (with a hyphen BALI-SONG is trademarked by Benchmade) means 'broken horn' - horn being the very common knife handle material, broken for how the knife is a folder. I believe the term 'butterfly' was coined here in America when Bruce Lee & his movies became so famous. The way I see it is that I respect knives very much, have a rather nice balisong collection and would NEVER call one a butterfly; its degrading to such a great type of knife In any case, I'm not 100% positive on this, only about 90% BTW, posting some pics of mine, take a look if you get a chance. Hope I didnt confuse things...

 

[Guindesigns]

Thank u so much for the reply I've been so busy trying to get my shop up n running I don't have time to check my replies anymore. This however helps me a lot to understand the terms n hopefully one day make one of my own. P.s. where a good place to get a beginner bailsong
-Young Pup

 

[Alexa]

The name balisong is a Tagalog word composed of baling and Sungay, literally broken horn, as the carabao horn was used to manufacture them.
It seems certain that the first modern balisong made ​​in the Philippines was produced by Perfecto de Leon in 1905.
The balisong was imported at the end of WW II thanks to soldiers that operated into Philippine archipelago, and it has become famous mainly due to fimls or martial artists like Jeff Imada.