What is a Butterfly Knife?
A butterfly knife, also known as a fan knife, balisong or Batangas knife, is a folding pocket knife with two handles counter-rotating around the tang such that, when closed, the blade is concealed within grooves in the handles.
Proper Name for a Butterfly Knife
The proper name for a butterfly knife is balisong. This term comes from the Filipino language and is derived from two words: “bali” meaning “to break” and “sungay” meaning “horn”. The term was originally used to describe a traditional Filipino weapon made of two pieces of horn or bone hinged together.