Balisong Butterfly
New Member
There seems to be a lot of confusion around trainers, especially from people who are completely new to balisongs.
A trainer isn't necessarily a cheaper or completely different version of a butterfly knife. A properly made trainer can have the same handles, weight, balance and pivot setup as the live-blade version. The main difference is that the edge is left unsharpened.
That makes a pretty big difference when you're learning.
You are going to drop the knife. Probably more than once. Starting with a trainer means a bad flip is more likely to result in embarrassment than a trip to the medicine cabinet.
We put together a beginner guide covering what trainers are, what to look for and how to practise without making the first week unnecessarily painful.
Guide here:
https://balisongbutterfly.com/balisong-trainer-knives-guide
For the experienced flippers here, what was the first trick you learned that actually took some practice?
A trainer isn't necessarily a cheaper or completely different version of a butterfly knife. A properly made trainer can have the same handles, weight, balance and pivot setup as the live-blade version. The main difference is that the edge is left unsharpened.
That makes a pretty big difference when you're learning.
You are going to drop the knife. Probably more than once. Starting with a trainer means a bad flip is more likely to result in embarrassment than a trip to the medicine cabinet.
We put together a beginner guide covering what trainers are, what to look for and how to practise without making the first week unnecessarily painful.
Guide here:
https://balisongbutterfly.com/balisong-trainer-knives-guide
For the experienced flippers here, what was the first trick you learned that actually took some practice?