Whether you're new to the balisong hobby or have been in the community for a while, you might be wondering what kind of butterfly knife accessories there are on the market. As it turns out, there are probably a lot more options than you think!
There are many different balisong accessories and mods available for purchase, and even some that you can make yourself. Here's a look at the 13 best aftermarket balisong accessories you can use to accompany and customize your butterfly knives.
Display and Storage Accessories
1. Cases
Cases are a super helpful accessory to keep your balisongs tucked away and out of the open. If you’re someone who has several balisongs that only sit around, consider putting them in a case to prevent them from collecting dust or from getting into the wrong hands. Cases also make organizing your collection a breeze, and will make finding that one knife you always lose a bit easier (as long as you put it back!).
There are several different types of cases on the market including soft shell, hard shell, single knife, and multi knife cases. They all have their own pros and cons but all have the same essential function of keeping your knives safe and organized.
Some knives are shipped in unique cases that you can also buy separately from the maker or company. If you’re looking for a budget alternative to single knife cases, you can also consider using a case meant for glasses.
If you have a large knife collection you might want to consider a larger case, such as a Pelican case. Since these can be quite expensive, you can also check out some cheaper gun cases, just make sure that the case is tall or wide enough to be able to fit the amount of knives you need it to hold.
These cases often come with cubed foam so that you can make your own cutouts and arrange your knives how you'd like, but there are also some products that contain pre-cut foam.
2. Stands
Just like cases, butterfly knife stands keep your collection together and organized, but come with the additional feature of putting them on display. Stands are a great option for the knives that you use frequently or want to use as decor.
There are plenty of knife stands on the market that come in a many different materials, shapes, sizes, and hold varying numbers of knives. Though some larger companies do make stands, many are produced by smaller makers.
Although stands are often not terribly expensive, you can save some money by purchasing a set of pen display stands, or even making your own DIY knife stand at home!
Fellowship Blades Balisong Stand
Carry Accessories
3. Paracord Latch
Do you ever find yourself wanting to keep the latch on a balisong for easy pocket carry, but hate the imbalance and the way it makes your bali feel? Well then, a paracord latch might be exactly what you're looking for!
Paracord latches are super lightweight and aren't a hindrance when flipping. They function the same way the stock latch would, but without getting in the way when flipping and add much less weight than a metal latch does.
Making a paracord latch is as easy as looping paracord around the latch pin of your butterfly knife and tying the two ends together with an overhand knot, though it may take a few tries to get the knot in the perfect place to keep the handles closed. You can also tie a diamond knot and cinch out the extra length of the paracord until the latch holds the handles together tightly.
4. Bali Boot
Maybe you're not a latch guy at all, but you still want something to hold your balisong handles together while carrying it in your pocket. If this sounds like you, then the Bali Boot made by Flytanium might just be the perfect option.
The Bali Boot is a flexible rubber sleeve that fits snuggly over both balisong handles to keep them closed. Although it was designed for the Talisong Z and Kershaw Lucha (with Flytanium's aftermarket aluminum handles), it fits several other butterfly knives with similar dimensions, but not all.
5. Sheath/Belt Pouch
For people that typically have a lot of items in their pockets, finding room for a butterfly knife can seem almost impossible. If this sounds like you, a sheath or pouch that you can wear on your belt could be a great option for carrying a balisong.
There are countless options out there for sheaths and pouches, but I personally recommend checking out A51projects on Etsy. He makes unique high-quality custom leather sheaths in various styles and colors.
Maintenance Accessories
6. Torx set
A good quality set of torx bits and drivers is the number one thing you will need to maintain your butterfly knives. Taking apart, cleaning, and putting back together a balisong is impossible without the right tools.
Almost all knives use torx head screws sized anywhere from T6 to T20. In balisongs, T10 or T8 screws are usually used as pivot screws, and T8 or T6 screws are usually used as body screws.
Perhaps the most ubiquitous brand of torx bit sets in the balisong community come from Wiha, a highly regarded brand that makes a variety of high quality tools in addition to torx driver and bit sets.
7. KPL Balisong Bundle
Keeping your blade and pivots clean is equally as important as keeping all your screws tightened. Knife Pivot Lube sells a KPL Balisong Bundle with all your cleaning and lubricating needs, including a bottle of heavy lube, 50 microfiber swabs, and Knife Shield.
The KPL Knife Shield works wonders to remove tape scum, stains, and oil from your blade. It also coats your blade with a thin film that will work to protect your blade from rust or patina. Knife Shield can be used on the full spectrum of metals and will leave your blade polished and shiny, and won't leave behind any oily or sticky residue.
KPL Microfiber Swabs work perfectly to grab the gunk stuck in and around the pivot area of your butterfly knives. Balisongs have several hard to reach nooks and crannies for pocket lint and dust to get stuck in, and microfiber swabs are the perfect tool to clean that gunk out.
Due to the thicker viscosity and ability to stay put in pivots for a long period of time, KPL Heavy lube is considered by many to be the ideal lubricant for balisong flipping. KPL Heavy works amazingly to keep your pivots clean, buttery smooth, and sounding great for the balisong ASMR enthusiasts.
8. Threadlockers
Nobody wants knife screws flying out when flipping, but luckily there are a few methods for securing them in place and making sure screws don't back out. Threadlockers act as a seal between the threads of a screw and the threads of a barrel or sexbolt, preventing screws from coming and avoiding the need to constantly retighten them.
The most common types of threadlockers are chemical threadlockers (such as Vibratite or blue Loctite), teflon tape, and paracord.
Vibratite/blue Loctite is a liquid threadlocker that you apply to the screw threads, screw in, and wait for it to cure (typically 24 hours). Before applying threadlocker the threads need to be clean and gunk free.
If you're going this route it's typically recommended to use blue/temporary threadlocker rather than a red/permanent product, which offers a stronger and more permanent seal but will make it much more difficult to disassemble your balisong.
Teflon tape is commonly used by plumbers to make sure pipes are fitted properly and won’t leak, but can be used to lock your pivots and other screws by wrapping it tightly around the screw 4-5 times and cutting off the excess. A benefit of teflon tape over Loctite is that you can easily re-adjust the screws without having to re-clean and re-apply the threadlocker.
Finally, the inner braided gut strands of paracord can be used as a threadlocker in a similar way to teflon tape. Wrap a single strand of paracord from the bottom to about halfway up the screw threads, and screw the screw into the pivot while keeping the paracord as tight and taut as possible. Once the screw is as tight as needed simply cut off the excess thread, and if a tiny bit is still sticking out you can singe it with a lighter.
This method works great for balisong pivots but is much more difficult with smaller screws (such as spacer or body screws), so consider using an alternate threadlocking method for those.
9. Pivot Needle
The pivot needle is a tool that makes reassembling your balisong a breeze. Made by @indiana_john_flips, pivot needles are small pointed pieces of metal that thread onto balisong pivots, and due to their shape allow you to easily align all of the handle components and washers as you reinsert the pivots.
This product is sized to fit the most common balisong pivots, but some are produced without threads for butterfly knives with uncommon sizes of pivots.
10. Knife Teardown Mat/Tray
Knife teardown mats/trays are extremely useful accessories that keep all of your parts and tools in one place while working on your knives. A knife mat could be as simple as a silicon shop mat, or more complex and containing specially made trays with inlays for loose screws, tools, and some even contain magnets to prevent steel parts from escaping.
If you’re interested in a custom knife tray, check out Asphalt Trays, Journey Tool Co., and PineAndPrintLTD. They all make awesome trays for knife assembly and EDC gear.
Extra Accessories
11. Floor Foam Panels
Let's face it: balisongs spend a lot of time being thrown around and dropped onto hard surfaces. Although many makers take this into account and deliberately choose rugged materials that can withstand repeated drops onto concrete, many flippers still want to be able to flip their knives without having them get scuffed or suffer from any minor or cosmetic damage.
Flipping over beds and couches certainly prevents damage to your knives, but also puts your couch cushions and bedsheets at risk of being torn to shreds. Flipping outside over soft ground is another option that will protect your knives, but flipping outdoors is not always an option depending on a variety of factors.
With foam floor panels, you no longer have to worry about damaging your favorite flippers or your favorite furniture! Although mainly marketed for uses such as kids play areas and home gyms, they are an extremely popular option for balisong flippers to protect both knives as well as the surfaces they're flipped over.
12. Bali Socks
Another creation by @indiana_john_flips, Bali Socks are little rubber feet that you can slip onto the ends of a balisong's handles. They fit snug and grab the handles tightly, so you don't have to worry about them sliding off when you don't want them to.
There are three main functions of Bali Socks. They provide some extra grip at the ends of the handles making tricks like ladders easier to achieve, add a bit of weight to the handle ends for a more handle-bias feel, and also protect the handles from damage if dropped on hard surfaces.
John makes these socks in different thicknesses and sizes, and usually releases them in small batches on his instagram stories, so make sure to follow him and keep your eyes peeled if you'd like some!
13. Bitemarkers
If you’re one to constantly get cut while flipping because you forget which handle is which, it might be worth it to mark your bite handle. Especially helpful for latchless balisongs, bitemarkers are an accessory you put onto the bite handle of your butterfly knife, giving you a visual and tactile indicator of which handle is which.
There are a ton of different ways to mark the bite handle. A bitemarker could be as simple as a piece of colored tape, a small rubber band, or an o-ring that you put at the end of the bite handle.
If you don't want to go the DIY route, some companies make bite handle indicators that are designed specifically for this purpose. Squid Industries and GlidrCo are popular options, as well as @jam35gr3g0ry, who makes some unique lightweight bitemarkers in several colors, including glow in the dark. They are easily removable and lightweight, and those from @jam35gr3g0ry also have the option of having "I Bite" printed on them.
Conclusion
Hopefully these 13 butterfly knife accessories gave you some ideas on how to upgrade your flipping performance, maintenance, carry habits, and damage prevention! Of course there are many more accessories on the market that couldn't be included here, but out of everything that's available these are some of the most necessary, most helpful, and most innovative balisong accessories out there.
