Pros: Overall Quality
Cons: None
Received product as my expec tation
I bought it for my son and he is very happy about it.
Reviews and Ratings for Bear & Son Black 5" Butterfly Trainer - 114BTR
(73 reviews) 3.8 out of 5 stars
5 star
17
4 star
39
3 star
7
2 star
3
1 star
7
Customer Reviews
Lan Bui
Ontario, Ca Oct 04, 2011
Charlie
FloridaJul 03, 2017
Pros: Weight, Overall Quality
Cons: None
As Advertised
Used to practice knife tricks.
Tradam
CanadaMay 16, 2014
Pros: Weight, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness
Cons: None
Great quality, Good flipper
Purchased to use as a flipper. Very pleased with quality. Comes pre lubricated on the pivots. Definitely would buy it again
Satisfied Customer
USASep 25, 2012
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness
Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type
Happy
Good trainer to get you started before getting the real thing. Only con is the latch. It flips around a bit and that can be annoying.
Benchmade Sucks
ILMar 03, 2010
Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality
Cons: None
Really good knife
All of the complaints about the latch getting in the way can be fixed by putting a simple rubber o-ring right below the latch. The blade never comes in contact with it, and the latch can't go below it. I also put a very small o-ring around the latch itself at the top so it stays more snugly.
Billybobjoe
Walled lake, MINov 13, 2009
Pros: Overall Quality, Handle Material, Ease of Opening
Cons: None
Bear & Sons Black 5 Butterfly Trainer
the knife is overall amazing. One of the flaws is that if you are flipping it backwards the latch blocks the blade from closing
Xyzcwp
barry , u.kOct 25, 2010
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Overall Quality
Cons: Lock Ease of Use
Bear & Son Black 5" Butterfly Trainer
good solid product
Aftershoc
Roanoke Virginia Sep 08, 2010
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness
Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type
Great balisong for beginners
I have had this for about 3 weeks and I use it CONSTANLY. Seriously, almost everywhere I go this knife is in my hands being flipped. The only problem with it is that the paint on the handles chip a little bit. No biggie. If your a beginner at flipping, like me, this is a must buy. It's also legal in many states where ordinary balisongs aren't because of the dull blade. Look at cutlery lovers review on it on YouTube for more info.
Komrade
Baltimore, MDOct 28, 2009
Pros: Weight, Overall Quality
Cons: Weight, Lock Type
Great trainer
This has a much better feel than the other cheaper butterfly trainer and is much more durable. I highly recommend.
Ezra H.
Novato, CAOct 06, 2011
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Overall Quality
Cons: Lock Type
Good buy
Pretty durable. Definitely worth the purchase if you want to practice flipping without the risk of cutting yourself. The latch could be slightly better, but no big deal really. Minor problem.
Simon
New ZealandOct 06, 2015
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Overall Quality
Cons: Pocket Clip, Lock Type
Great Flipper. Very Durable
Amazing product, not just for the price, but in general. Excellent build quality, very survivable especially for beginners like myself. The handle material is very nice because since I am a beginner, I tend to sweat a lot while flipping, but the handles never become slippery or worn out. Although I don't have a long time experience with this knife yet, I can definitely say so far that it will last me a long time. But just because its well made doesn't mean you should throw it around or be careless. Treat it like a proper, quality knife. 5/5
Sidney
Atlanta, GAMar 25, 2010
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Overall Quality
Cons: None
spectacular
This is one of the best butterfly knives i own, i would highly recomend this to anyone who doesn't want their fingers cut to ribbons. It has held up under some terrible abuse and being dropped several times. I have no complaints at all.
Serious Sam
ClassifiedSep 01, 2011
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Overall Quality
Cons: None
Love it
I got this because I love Butterfly knives, but don't like cutting myself by accident. So this i an amazing alternative. Lasted longer than my balicomb. So I very pleased with this.
Jon M.
Yonkers, NYOct 03, 2009
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Overall Quality
Cons: Handle Material
A Good Starter
-This is a must have for folks wishing to learn to use the balisong, or butterfly knife, without the hazards of an actual blade. If I had to say, my only complaint would be that the paint around and on the latch chips, but if you use the blade often and effectively, it's bound to happen anyway. A must have...
Cutleryadorer
home flAug 25, 2011
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality
Cons: Lock Type
I love this awsome trainer
this knife is amazing. it flips with great ease and it looks awsome.
Enlargedhousecats
CaliforniaMay 14, 2010
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Blade Material, Overall Quality
Cons: None
Crazy fun and I can't stop flipping it
This balisong trainer is cheap for what you get ind is insanely fun to play with. I just can't stop flipping it. I can't really think of any cons besides the fact that the safety latch gets a little stuck some times but it's not that much of a problem. I recommend this to anyone where sharp butterfly knives are illegal.
Justin Tyme
Howard County, MDJun 13, 2011
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality
Cons: None
Great knife!!!
Edeedon
Ft. Gordon, GAMay 17, 2010
Pros: Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness
Cons: Weight, Lock Ease of Use
My first butterfly knife
Defiantly good product for such a cheap price tag. I bought it to learn how to handle a balisong and learn some basic opening and closing techniques. It's pretty much exactly what I was looking for. There are only a couple of minor problems that include the latch likes to flap around and sometimes gets in the way and the powder coat paint began to chip off after only 2 weeks of use. I have heard from multiple sources that the latch problem can be solved with a simple O-ring but I haven't tried it myself yet. Other than that I have loved this trainer and it has done its job in getting me ready to handle a real butterfly knife. Also, almost forgot, this is a slightly heavy knife and that can be a little annoying when trying to do more technical flips but then again, its a trainer and I think they did that on purpose so it will be easier with a real (lighter) knife.
Jayden
USAApr 29, 2021
Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality
Cons: Lock Type
Great trainer with 1 major flaw
This balisong is great. Awesome value for the price tag and handles great. However the latch isn't designed very well and I literally had to saw it off in order to flip it properly.
Bro Bro
spainDec 15, 2021
Pros: Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness
Cons: Weight, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type
pretty dam good
it is good.
Kevin T.
LA, CASep 19, 2011
Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Blade Material
Cons: Lock Type
Very cool knife
For my first trainer knife, this is pretty awesome. It's nice and hefty, and very smooth to use. The latch is relatively loose, and will get in the way of flipping, but this can be easily remedied with an o-ring or some duct tape around the base of the latch. There was some material shaving off where the handles were attached to the knife, and after maybe a day of use, the play in the handles was a bit more than at the start, but all in all, a good buy for how cheap it was.
Johnny
OhioJun 03, 2010
Pros: None
Cons: Lock Ease of Use
Solid beginner balisong
This is my first balisong ever. I've had it for about 2 months now and up until now its been really good. Yes the lock gets too loose and it'll start flopping around everywhere, but i dropped mine a bit and it made the handle sides go inward making it a snug fit for the lock, which really it isn't supposed to do, but it worked out for me that way. I don't really mind the lock problem much. The only real problem was the blade sticking in the safe handle, because of the alignment of the blade wasn't straight. I pounded the end of the blade (that's where it would get stuck) and it worked great after that! Warning though try not to drop the balisong on tile or any hard surface as it will squish the handle and make where the blade fits in smaller. Anyway today I was going to the bathroom playing with my balisong when I noticed a crack in the top of the safe handle. I flipped it for a couple of seconds and the handle broke off (half of it, other half is cracked too) ): Regardless of it breaking, it's still a nice beginning balisong with no risk of cutting, but pinching does hurt a lot! ouch! Recommended.
Jhon D
las vegasSep 27, 2011
Pros: Overall Quality
Cons: Weight, Lock Ease of Use
Overall a great training knife
I use the product to practice tricks. It is a good training knife. A little heavy and if you drop it the latch may become a little loose.
Becs
NJOct 04, 2011
Pros: Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality
Cons: Weight, Lock Type
Great knife for practice
Great practice knife for balisong tricks. I have gotten better faster because of no fear of cutting off a finger. a little on the heavy side thou, but you get use to it.
Heavysteve
Feb 01, 2010
Pros: Weight, Overall Quality
Cons: None
Excellent for the Money
Overall a very nice knife. My blade stuck a little at first, and after about 2 weeks of the handles seem a little 'loose'. But definitely better then I expected.
Jack
USA!Oct 18, 2011
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening
Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type
A decent quality knife for the money.
This is a great trainer to learn with. It has a significant weight that allows for easy flipping. The lock is too loose though. It will often lock shut when you close the knife quicky. When closed and locked by the user, it doesn't stay shut. But for as cheap as it is, this really isn't a bad way to go. It's held together with pins so it's much more robust than some trainers I've seen. A good buy.
Shyguy
ScarboroughJun 28, 2017
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Overall Quality
Cons: Handle Feel, Lock Ease of Use, Handle Material
Nicely weighted but mixed build quality
There are a couple build quality problems. The black coating on the handle flakes off easily at the edges, but the main problem is that the latch is loose and swings open on its own. Other than that, it seems pretty sturdy and flips smoothly.
Edeedon
Ft. Gordon, GAMay 17, 2010
Pros: Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness
Cons: Weight, Lock Ease of Use
My first butterfly knife
Defiantly good product for such a cheap price tag. I bought it to learn how to handle a balisong and learn some basic opening and closing techniques. It's pretty much exactly what I was looking for. There are only a couple of minor problems that include the latch likes to flap around and sometimes gets in the way and the powder coat paint began to chip off after only 2 weeks of use. I have heard from multiple sources that the latch problem can be solved with a simple O-ring but I haven't tried it myself yet. Other than that I have loved this trainer and it has done its job in getting me ready to handle a real butterfly knife. Also, almost forgot, this is a slightly heavy knife and that can be a little annoying when trying to do more technical flips but then again, its a trainer and I think they did that on purpose so it will be easier with a real (lighter) knife.
Suspiciousrussian
Jericho, NYAug 23, 2011
Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality
Cons: Lock Type
Bear and son black 5" trainer
Overall it is a great trainer for beginners. It is a little bit on the heavy side so flipping might be a little tough at first. The coating starts to chip off after a while. If you are new to the art of flipping and don't want to cut yourself, defidently get this trainer.
Bob S
My DeskOct 21, 2011
Pros: None
Cons: Lock Type
Lock
about the lock, you can put and O ring on the lock and it makes it so that it locks into place better, and another on the handle under the lock so it doesnt fall down and block the handles from coming together.
Julian S.
Palo Alto, CANov 16, 2011
Pros: Weight, Overall Quality
Cons: Handle Feel, Lock Ease of Use, Handle Material, Lock Type
Nice trainer, Great price, Thanks KC!!!
This is what I expected, a simple, inexpensive trainer that is solid and effective. Until I can afford (or find) a BM42, this is great. Biggest issue, and why it only got 4 stars is the latch. There is no latch gate so the latch swings and hits the blade sometimes. Not a problem for a trainer blade, but it does detract from flipping fluidity. I put a rubber O ring to block the gate, works well, but the blade has some play and the paint is already starting to chip. For the price, a great way to learn about balisongs without cutting your fingers off! Thanks KnifeCenter! Order arrived on time, in tact, and it is now being greatly enjoyed. Great product for the price!!!
Joe Wood
GeorgiaAug 31, 2009
Pros: Overall Quality, Weight, Ease of Opening
Cons: Handle Material
great trainer for a beginner like myself
I initially purchased this trainer because I read and heard good things about it. I watched a video review of it on you tube and it looked like a decent quality product for a good price. Sturdy design, has held up so far to me attempting to learn how to use it. I will say that the black textured paint on the handle does chip off in pieces. Doesn't effect the use of the trainer at all, just a little annoying. And the T-lock does get in the way from time to time. But for the money you can't really expect it to be flawless. Overall I'm very happy with this purchase and I would buy this again.
Francesco C.
NYFeb 29, 2012
Pros: Weight, Handle Material
Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type
Perfect for Beginners
This is a good knife for anyone that is interested in learning to flip balisongs but would like to try it out risk free before purchasing the real deal. The weight is just right and the texture is great. Overall a decent choice. The only bad is that the t-latch does get in the way of the handle and the blade sometimes and can interrupt certain moves. This can easily be fixed by adding a small o-ring on the latch.
Timothy J. P.
Auckland, New ZealandMay 10, 2012
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material
Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type
Great trainer
Been using this pretty constantly since I got it a few weeks ago, so much nicer to have a properly shaped balisong instead of the jury-rigged mess I had before. The weighting is great, the texture of the handles is great, I like most everything about this trainer. I don't like the latch, I knew it was going to get annoying before I purchased the trainer, and there are a few things "cutlerylover" from youtube suggests you can do to fix it. But I found if you lightly tap the rivet by the latch it'll tighten the latch up enough so it's still usable, but not so loose. If you want a trainer, this is definitely a great one; Don't waste your money on ones with screws instead of rivets/pins - screws will come loose so often on this contraption
Collin D
GermanyAug 09, 2010
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening
Cons: Handle Material
Decent trainer
After taking the trainer out of the box, I immediately began practicing with it (I am trying to learn some aerial flips I dont want to destroy my hand with a normal balisong.) After about an hour I could feel the hinges loosen significantly (keep in mind they used rivets for the hinges.) I have dropped it a dozen times, and although it is still intact, I doubt it will be able to take being dropped much more. After a day of practicing, the rivets are substantially looser, and there is a bit of wobble as well. You are paying for an economy trainer here, so don't expect too much. Also, the handles have a plastic coating and there are flecks of plastic sticking out in the holes, probably left over after it came out of a mold and they weren't removed.
Ricky
Port Jervis, NYMar 23, 2010
Pros: Weight, Overall Quality
Cons: None
Good butterfly knife for beginners
This is a good trainer knife for someone looking to get into flipping balisongs. The blade is very blunt and so is the tip so you don't have to worry about stabbing yourself. There are better balisongs out there, but you will pay a LOT more for them, and for the price, this is a great choice.
Casey W.
MAJun 13, 2012
Pros: Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Overall Quality
Cons: Weight
Yeah, not bad.
Got this as a companion to my Benchmade 42, as a balisong that I could attempt more intricate manipulation with while not risking damage to a nice blade(and, secondarily, my hands). Construction on this seems remarkably solid for a 30-dollar purchase. Overall balance is pretty good, and the handles actually almost feel nicer to me than the 42 (in comparison, the Bear & Son's handles are a little rounder, and the coating doesn't have as much friction to it as the 42's bare metal). One point of note, the latch on this is kinda junk(it is quite loose and doesn't stay closed), but there's some cheap ways to fix it and I honestly don't care myself. It's also...quite heavy. Like, really heavy. It's not really a big deal in the end since your hand will just strengthen as you flip it, but starting off it feels kinda like flipping a Buick. Might just be my being spoilt by the Benchmade.
Abreathlessoblivion
Madison, WIAug 10, 2010
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Overall Quality
Cons: Lock Type
good with a minor issue
feels nice in my hand, works great. very sturdy feeling. the only issue i have is that the latch that keeps the knife closed is rather loose and not spring loaded so it does tend the get in the way when closing.
Jon
Columbus, OHFeb 28, 2018
Pros: Ease of Opening, Handle Material
Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type
It is what it is as a budget trainer
Overall, it's sturdy and reasonably well built as a training tool. Flips decently and the action is smooth. The one complaint I have about this is major, but I remedied it with a pair of pliers rather easily, and with it out of the way, it's no longer a problem. That issue being the latch. It's thick, there's no gate (you get what you pay for), but because of the latter, it often swings up too high and gets stuck. This becomes a major problem while you're flipping, as it wedges up, gets stuck, and separates the handles. It's very annoying. The pins do not allow for you to remove it, so I had to simply break the damn thing off completely. As it's a trainer, I really didn't need the latch anyways and this thing is way better off without it. Of course, had I not been able to break it off, this would have resulted in a lower score. But the latch is definitely a big drawback.
Dcm315
MarylandSep 05, 2009
Pros: Weight
Cons: Lock Type
Great trainer at great price
This trainer is very good for its price. It is a bit heavier than most balisongs, which gives you a sense of sturdiness. Also, it arrived very quickly (since I live in Maryland, I guess). A few minor problems are that the latch comes loose and moves around while you flip but this can easily be fixed with a couple of O-rings (check out cutlerylover's review on youtube). All in all, it is a great training knife for a beginner like me and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who's looking for their first balisong/ butterfly knife.
Rake
Los Angeles, CAOct 22, 2009
Pros: Weight
Cons: None
Good trainer
Right out of the box it's a pretty decent trainer. The joints are well lubricated and it has a good weight to it. Lock seems to catch back onto the handle but some sand paper to the latch did the trick. Overall I'm pleased with this knife.
Mike Rotch
Simi Valley, CASep 26, 2010
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Overall Quality
Cons: Handle Feel
Pin Broke Off in the Bite Handle After I Dropped It
I'll still keep using this Butterfly trainer after I replace the pin myself. And I still give it a 4 because I feel it's still a pretty good quality trainer and it withstood alot of use. Admittedly, it's my fault that I dropped it. Just be careful enough not to do that and the knife should be pretty durable for long practices.
Jon
Somewhere on earth.Oct 19, 2012
Pros: Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material
Cons: Weight, Lock Ease of Use
Good for the price.
It's pretty good for flipping practice. The two things that I really don't like about it is how squeaky/loose the latch gets after a while, and how heavy the thing is. It makes it kind of hard to do some flips with this much weight behind the knife, and with the latch randomly flipping in the way of the safe handle.
George C.
Marble Rock, IaMar 23, 2012
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Overall Quality
Cons: Weight, Handle Feel, Handle Material
Good knife, great price!
I enjoy practicing with it. I like the feel and the weight of it. Plus the sound it makes when opening and closing it.
Munkatten
SwedenSep 02, 2010
Pros: Weight
Cons: Handle Material
Functional
I've been flipping it for a few days, it feels good and is relatively balanced. It's only been compared to cheap crap balisongs, so I might not have the right idea of what a "decent" balisong is, but right now i feel that is an apt description for this trainer. Sharp balisongs are illegal to import to sweden, so finding this trainer was a great win for me. It's gotten very loose, and it dents easily when dropped. This doesn't affect the flipping... yet. I believe the trainer will hold together for a long time, but beware that it's not the highest quality.
Ryan Dufrene
Baton Rouge, LASep 07, 2010
Pros: Weight
Cons: Lock Ease of Use
Good enough
the black paint chips off if dropped and look pretty bad and every now and then if u drop it it gets a little messed up however this is a good trainer and all problems are easy to fix if you try to fix it. if your looking for a good trainer this is good for the price.
Stephen M.
Atlanta, GANov 05, 2009
Pros: Blade Material, Overall Quality, Weight
Cons: None
Good Balisong Trainer
This is a really good trainer balisong. It is slightly heavy, but I have heard it is easier to go from a heavy knife to a lighter one. The blade when I first got it was sticking in the bite handle because of the bend of the handle contacted the blade. An easy fix for this is to just stick a flat head screw driver between the blade and the bite handle near the pivot and close the blade on the handle. It gave it enough space to work perfectly. I definitely suggest buying this if you want a good trainer, but can't afford a Benchmade. Pros: Solid construction, Easy to use, T handle fit snug into groove Cons: Having to do some minor work to get the knife to pivot right, no latch gate
Li
gd chinaOct 03, 2010
Pros: Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality
Cons: Weight, Lock Type
good
Strong and durable, medium size, impact resistance. The disadvantage: the lock needs to be improved.
Jacob
CaliforniaAug 18, 2015
Pros: Handle Material, Overall Quality
Cons: Weight, Lock Type
Good trainer
This was the first balisong trainer I purchased and overall I've been pleased with the quality. It definitely got me into flipping and was able to handle all the abuse that resulted from me being inexperienced and dropping the knife repeatedly. However, there are two minor details that potential buyers should be aware of: This trainer is a little bit on the heavy side, so if you've been flipping lighter trainers or knives then this will take a little bit of adjustment to get used to. The second thing to keep in mind is that the latch on this model is not spring assisted and can freely move into positions which can prevent the knife from closing and opening when flipping. This can easily be fixed with an o-ring or some rubber bands to keep the latch from getting in the way.
Hockey Dude That Plays With Knives
Jackson, MIOct 15, 2010
Pros: Overall Quality
Cons: None
Great Starter Knife!
I have had my Bear & Son Black 5” Butterfly Trainer for just a little over a month now. When I first purchased the knife I was a little skeptical because I was not sure what kind of quality I would get for a less expensive knife. Right out of the box, I was just a bit disappointed because the knife was still very stiff and didn’t open very easily; however, I found that within just a couple hours of use, the knife was way more responsive and was opening and closing with ease. I purchased this product because of the flat dull blade because I am new to butterflying-uh that’s a word. Since I was a beginner, I knew I didn’t want to be flipping and twirling a sharp knife, I know better than that! So, this has been a great starter knife. I would recommend this knife to anyone who is thinking about starting to flip a fly. I am even going to purchase one for my younger brother, because it is safe, fun, and really easy to learn.
Meik
canadaJul 24, 2014
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality
Cons: Sheath, Lock Type
decent trainer for less
I like the trainer it has a good weight good feel and its quite durable i have dropped it many times and it has never broken or even shown any signs of breaking. This would be a great trainer if not for the latch. Sometimes it doesn't close other times its fine. The other problem is that while flipping the latch swings into the handles and can make it not close or mess up the trick. overall a good trainer but id remove the latch
Nehpetslolz
new yorkMay 09, 2010
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness
Cons: None
nice.
Very decent product for the cost, well worth it!
Mason
Georgia Feb 22, 2016
Pros: Weight, Overall Quality
Cons: None
Great
The paint wears of pretty easily and the latch is annoying as h*** but it flips good
Daniel
MarylandMay 27, 2009
Pros: Overall Quality, Pocket Clip, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Weight, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness
Cons: Lock Ease of Use
Best butterfly trainer on a budget
This is isn't the cheapest balisong trainer out there, but it is far from the most expensive. It is noticeably better than cheaper trainers, but after using benchmade's trainer you will realize how this one differs from the top dollar knives. On high end trainers the lock is spring loaded and the balance is perfect. The weight and feel of this trainer are superior to the $15 one, especially concerning the action. If you can't afford the BM40TR but want something more than a toy (such as the CHKO2000A), this trainer is perfect. After trying them all this is the one I bought. Makes a great gift because of the fun and unique butterfly style and unsharpened blade.
Alexander Lewis
NorwayDec 11, 2010
Pros: Ease of Opening, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness
Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type
Nice trainer for beginners.
This is my very first actual balisong, and it feels great. It did feel a bit too heavy when I first got it, but I got used to it after a day. Also the joints where a bit stiff to start with, but a bit of oil and cleaning fixed that. The main problem I have is the lock, for me it was to short and wouldn't lock when the knife was open and the lock will often get in the way of the blade. I fixed this with a bit of black tape. Also, I live in Norway, so balisongs are hard to get since they are illegal to import. But since this trainer isnt sharp it does not count as an illegal weapon. If you live in Norway I can higly recomend this Balisong, I had no problem with the Toll and it came straight to my door after a week.
Ian
BelgiumSep 05, 2016
Pros: None
Cons: None
Good for a beginner
Its great for beginners.
Eb
BostonFeb 24, 2011
Pros: Ease of Opening, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness
Cons: Weight, Lock Ease of Use
Great knife to train with
Chaotic
Englewood, CoOct 18, 2018
Pros: Ease of Opening, Overall Quality
Cons: Weight, Handle Feel, Handle Material
Bear ops trainer
This is a decent trainer, my biggest complaint would be weight and material construction. This thing is heavy. It beat the crap out of my hands more than any non-trainer version of a bali ever did.
Lafmaster3000
CaliforniaSep 01, 2010
Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness
Cons: Weight, Handle Material
bear trainer
as trainers go, this one is pretty solid. doesnt fall apart like most of the cheaper ones do. my only complaint are the handles. the black apoxy(?) coating easily chips off with use. more than that, they're far too light, which makes the overall knife VERY blade heavy. for those of you planning on using it to practice your flipping...its gonna throw you off. other than the fact that that its blade heavy tho...decent knife for the price. i say get it.
Jhb
floridaNov 17, 2011
Pros: Overall Quality
Cons: None
not so bad, but not so great either....
training blade part is very thick as expected, but the coating on the handles made it stick for allot of practicing until that thick black coating wore down and now it doesn't stick. coating is also a bit slick. latch is poor, but o-ring trick will fix that. put an o ring just over the "t" part of the latch and it will keep it closed tight and lock it when open. put another o-ring over the handle to keep the latch from free falling into the handle area when flipping and jam up everything. the handles are most likely potmetal, not aluminum. maybe i am wrong but they are very heavy....too heavy to be aluminum. the black coating chips off easily. easily where there is any wear or contact. not a big deal though. it's heavy and some consider that good for learning and other's not so much. doesn't bother me, but it's good for a beginner who wants to practice some basic moves and get comfortable of where the blade goes and when without cutting themselves. all in all a decent value, but don't expect a finely fit and finished product. it works, but it's rough all over in fit and finish. also to note, the real version of this same bali is not as top heavy as the trainer. it flips much easier and works somewhat better. the trainer being a replica of the knife version is a bit of a nisnomer as the weights are very different and the balance is different. that said, i found uisng the trainer made using the real knife easier, but you might not? it gets a "3" star score cause it works fine and does what it needs to but the latch is problematic eventually once the coating wears off and it's flapping around freely everywhere, and you have to fix it, or be annoyed with it. as is it could never be a 4 or 5 star rating. anyone who does rate it that high, has very low expectations, or has owned worse trainers that are out there that don't actually work.
Patrick F
Demarest, NJMay 20, 2012
Pros: Weight, Overall Quality
Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Lock Type
Butterfly
its an alright butterfly knife. the paint started to chip on the latch very quickly, but thats not really a big deal. like most cheap butterfly knives, it will get loose. because it is a good knife, it took a couple days of rough use before starting to loosen. the latch does get in the way sometimes, wich can mess a trick up. overall, great knife for the price.
T
SeattleJun 28, 2012
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Overall Quality
Cons: None
Not bad, not great
I received the knife and the blade was bent. I tried to contact the manufacturer and they completely ignored me. The blade is very thick and heavy. I had to take a large rubber mallet and hammer the blade flat on my cement patio edge. One it wad strait, I lubricated it a bit more and it became a decent training flipper after a day or so of getting it loosened up. I got it a couple of months ago and it's held up really well even after after being dropped quite frequently. It's probably the heaviest training butterfly knife around which isn't necessarily a bad thing, some tricks are easier with the heavyweight and some tricks maybe a little more difficult.
Ryan
Winnipeg, CanadaAug 13, 2016
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Overall Quality
Cons: Lock Ease of Use, Handle Material, Lock Type
Alright trainer
This is a decent product for beginners. I've used it for a few weeks now and it holds up through most regular use. However, the handles are already starting to become loose and shaky in the first month. I expected to get more than three weeks of regular use for $35 before aerials became shaky and unreliable.
Kim Kratz
Purcellvile, VirginiaOct 17, 2011
Pros: Weight
Cons: Handle Feel, Handle Material
Second item purchased
I have purchased 2 butterfly trainers from you. The first was a well made product and I got a tremendous amount of use out of it. The second seemed to be of inferior quality and broke in the first week. Did you change manufacturers?
Jessfox
Nova Scotia, CanadaAug 30, 2010
Pros: Handle Material
Cons: Weight, Handle Feel, Lock Type
Heavy
This knife was reviewed as the best trainer knife available for people who didn't have access to a real one. However, I was forewarned about the weight but opted to ignore it. It needed to be loosened up a bit which wasn't a problem, since it came well oiled. After a weekend of toying with it, it opened easily. However I cannot get past the awkward weight of it. Attempting any fluid movement is very difficult and I think it's because the blade is so thick. I don't think I can use it myself and adapt to the weight. Still, looks cool.
Marcus
CanadaSep 29, 2015
Pros: Weight
Cons: Lock Type
Good trainer until it broke
It was a very good knife and I really enjoyed it but after a couple times dropping it the bite handle cracked and fell off
Mathew
MinnesotaMar 16, 2017
Pros: None
Cons: Weight, Lock Ease of Use
After 100+ hours the handle cracked.
Used this to practice flipping for maybe 100hrs total. I had to grind down the T lock to get it to lock and added holes in the blade to get the weight down to match its live edge counterpart. Just had one of the bite handle crack just above the first hole. basically got what I paid for.
Gabriel W
Michigan Aug 18, 2017
Pros: Weight
Cons: None
Don't buy a balisong with rivets..
I didn't get mine from knife center but this is the exact one I bought. All was well and was happy.. but after clocking a couple days of heavy work on it.. the handles cracked up by the bolsters and it went flying in two pieces.. threw it in the trash and wrote it off as a lesson learned and started looking else where. Not trying to sway anyone away from bear and son but the lesson is obvious.. You get what you pay for and don't buy a balisong with brass or any kind of rivets.. you might as well go to the flea market..
Adam
PeoriaMay 22, 2010
Pros: None
Cons: Weight, Handle Feel, Lock Ease of Use, Handle Material, Lock Type
terrible
As soon as i tookthis knife out and stred fliping the whole latch broke and my mate snapped it clean in half on the handle
Js
USAMay 09, 2022
Pros: None
Cons: Weight
Pretty Bad Build Quality
I am brand new to balisong flipping and learning a lot of the beginner tricks. This balisong started to dent after the first couple of times that I had dropped it. The trainer blade started to get stuck in the safe handle which made it very difficult to use. I started to use it over a softer surface since it was literally HOURS new and I didn't want to break my brand new trainer so soon. Soon after I noticed a crack as well. After more practice, I actually completed one of my new rollovers and all of a sudden I heard a "plink". I looked around, the crack was now an entire break and I am now missing a chunk of the handle. I guess it's what I get for a $40 balisong, or maybe I overestimated how strong I thought it was, but with sub 15 drops it was already dented, cracked and ready to break. This was inside as well. Felt pretty clunky in my hand but I don't have much experience like I had mentioned. Don't recommend if you are just starting out.
Disappointed
MichiganAug 20, 2022
Pros: None
Cons: None
Broke first month
Bought this for my son and one of the pins broke the first month under normal use.
Nik
AzOct 15, 2009
Pros: None
Cons: Lock Type, Lock Ease of Use
What a piece of crap
I just got this and the bite handle and blade were stuck together so when i flip they stick. I tried sanding it and wd-40 and it didn't work. If you do buy this just ho[e its not the same situation
Jacob
LouisianaMar 05, 2015
Pros: None
Cons: Handle Material, Lock Type
Safe handle BROKE
The part of the safe handle that holds the latch broke clean off.
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Close-up of hand holding knife, opening or unsheathing knife, and then closing or sheathing knife.