Balisongs are a lot of fun to collect and flip, but there’s another aspect of balisongs that can be just as fun! Modifications are a great way to personalize your knife and make it unique to your own tastes.
There are many different types of modifications that can be done to make a balisong unique. In this article, you will learn about the main types of modifications you can do to your butterfly knife.
Scales
Scales are the part of the knife that lay on top of the liners. These are usually made of G10 but can also be made of titanium or aluminum. Scales can change the sound, grip, balance, and of course, the look of your balisong.
G10 scales can come in many unique colors and patterns such as solid colors, multiple colors, raw G10 (which is semi-translucent) or even themed patterns such as tiger-colored scales. They can also be solid or have different patterns cut into them to make a unique aesthetic of your choice.
There are also similar scales made of carbon fiber, which can be colored with a marbled pattern to make a classy look with lighter scales, as carbon fiber is lighter than G10.
These G10 scales below are made by @jtdesigned for the BRS Replicant:
There are also metal scales that can entirely change the look, sound, and dynamic of a balisong. These add weight to your knife and can fit your preferences more than a lighter bali that has G10 or carbon fibre scales.
The most popular company to have made scales like these are Flytanium, who made the very popular scale series for the Benchmade 51. The post linked below are the newest version as of writing this, which are the V8 scales. These scales have become a staple in the modding community with their easy accessibility and many designs.
Another good example are these aluminium scales for the BRS Replicant made by @bali_knives. These entirely change the look and sound of the Replicant, making it a unique knife. They add extra weight to the handles of the knife, which can help with momentum and adjusting the balance to fit your preference.
Spacers
Spacers are placed at the ends of the handles and keep the construction of the knife sturdy. These can greatly affect the balance and sound of a balisong by adding, removing, or redistributing the weight around the ends of the handles.
Barrel spacers are spacers that are shaped like barrels, usually ranging from heavier metals such as brass and steel to lighter metals like aluminium and titanium.
These are made by @kuski_craft, who has made many types of spacers that fit many balisongs such as the BRS Replicant, BRS Alpha Beast, HOM Basilisk, and most recently, the Kershaw Lucha. They're designed to remove weight compared to standard block spacers found in the stock models, with different weight options to suit the flipper’s preferences.
Faux channel spacers are spacers for sandwich construction balisongs that redistribute weight by filling up the channel of the handles, thus mimicking a real channel handle. These can be made of G10, carbon fiber, and most recently, titanium.
The sound of these spacers is well known for making the knife sound very solid and hence are a very popular choice for sound test videos. They distribute the weight more evenly across the handle rather than purely at the bottom of the handles. These are especially popular on balisongs such as the BRS Replicant.
The examples below are the most popular of their kind. The G10 faux channel spacers were originally made by @45acpmike, and the titanium ones are made by @fox.fire.factory.
Another extremely popular option are the Space Invaders for the Benchmade 51, made by @jimpy.designs. These are G10 faux channel spacers that also extend the handle length with G10 at the bottom, solving the most common complaint regarding the 51 that the handle length is too short.
Anodizing
Anodizing is a process done on titanium or aluminum that creates an oxide layer over the metal, which reflects different light, thus looking a different color. The process of anodizing titanium is very different than that of aluminum, and anodizing aluminum was not offered by any community modders until recently.
Titanium anodizing can be easily manipulated in many ways, enough to fill an entire article in itself (maybe in the future!). Laser engraved patterns, splatters, toxic lightning patterns, and more - there are many unique anodizing jobs done by many skilled modders in the community. These posts by @arthurs_anos show a few examples of anodizing work on titanium.
Whereas anodizing titanium is does with heat or electricity, anodizing aluminum uses acids, chemicals, and dyes to achieve different colors. There were no community modders that offered an affordable service to anodize aluminum until recently, with @sloppy_at_modding promoting the service.
Regrinds
Regrinds are new blade grinds done by a modder on a stock blade. These can be done to greatly modify the look, shape, and weight of the blade to suit aesthetic or flipping preferences.
These take great skill to pull off well and tend to attract collectors if done well by a known modder. A popular example of this is the Mandalorian Alpha Beast, a regrind done by @bali.ixn, which entirely changes the look of the standard Alpha Beast blade to an aggressive and angular one.
Below is another example of an Alt Replicant blade reground to a harpoon styled blade. This post is on my personal inventory account, @blade_wielding_archives.
Reblades
Reblades are completely new blades made for an existing knife. Unlike regrinds, these can also be custom blades made for trainers or knives that normally don’t have bushings installed.
The most popular person recently to have done reblades is @revenge_of_the_blades. He makes hand-made reblades for customers and has done work on knives ranging from Squid Trainers to Replicants, and even Palethius balisongs. These can be commissioned to be whatever blade shape and style the customers wants, which makes these a greatly personalized option for those who want full control over their balisong.
Below are two popular examples of Kyle’s work, which are a reblade for a Squid Industries Triton and a double-edged reblade on a BRS Replicant.
Rehandles
Rehandles are custom handles made by a third party for an already existing balisong. They are usually made off of community input and criticism of the original knife, aiming to make it a better flipper. Rehandles completely transform a butterfly knife into an entirely new product in both looks and performance.
The most well-known maker for these is @turbojackelope, who gained popularity from his BRS Barebones titanium rehandles with bushings installed, dubbed the “Turbones”. As time went on and Casey (Turbo) gained popularity, he began making rehandles for other balisongs that were requested by customers. They are all easily identified because they're all named after him, like the Turbeast (Turbo BRS Alpha Beast), Turbocast (Turbo NRB Outcast), and Turbite (Turbo Dogbite 3.1).
Below are the most recent Turbones that were made. Since then, Turbo has moved on to making his own knives, but is still very well known for his rehandles and is using that knowledge to make his own balisong.
Another solid choice are the rehandles made by @kuski_craft, also made of titanium, which are easily recognizable by the hole pattern that he uses on his handles. These handles below are made for the BRS Alpha Beast.
Conclusion
Hopefully this helped you learn more about modifying Balisongs and personalizing your knife to your own tastes and preferences! Happy flipping, happy modding, and don't forget to use code BLADEQUEEN at checkout for your KPL products!
-Written by: Jess Goh (@blade.wielding.queen on Instagram)
Comments
Nathan said:
Can I please have a balisong please just for me just one please any one
Nathan said:
Can I please have a balisong please just for me just one please any one
Nathan said:
Can I please have a balisong please just for me just one please any one