Butterfly Knife Trainer Guide: What to Buy in 2026

A butterfly knife trainer, also called a balisong trainer, is a balisong made for practice. Squid Industries, a US trainer maker, defines it as "not a real knife," with a blade that is "dull and designed to mimic the weight and feel of a real blade without the sharp cutting edge" (Squid Industries). This page covers trainers only: build, price, five beginner moves and safe practice.

Check local rules first

Real butterfly knives are restricted in many places. Wikipedia's overview says the balisong "has been outlawed in several countries" and that in some parts of the United States it is illegal to possess or carry one in public (Wikipedia). One seller's guide adds that the rules differ by state and by city (Black Mamba Knives).

A trainer has no edge, but it looks like a knife, and we won't say how your local law treats one. Knife-carry rules vary by state and country, so look up yours before you order, carry or travel with a trainer. Cross-border shipping adds risk: Squid's FAQ says international customers bear the risk of customs seizures (Squid FAQ).

Why a trainer works as a fidget

Nothing gets cut. The activity is repeating a motion until it's smooth, and Squid itself calls the balisong a "collector's item and skill toy." It scratches the same itch as other fidget toys for adults, with two differences: it needs two hands and clear space, and it doesn't belong in a meeting. Anyone nearby sees a knife, so flip at home and ask before you do it at work or school. For a pocket-sized motion habit, see fidget slider tricks or a metal fidget spinner.

How a trainer is built

Handle construction: channel, sandwich or in between

Squid defines a sandwich handle as two slabs with a spacer between them, and a channel handle as one machined from a single piece of material (Squid anatomy guide). A "chanwich" imitates a channel's look with separate parts (Knife Pivot Lube glossary). Every Squid trainer below is a channel design. The Mako's version history shows Squid moving from sandwich (V1 to V3) to channel at V4 (Mako V5).

Latch or latchless

A latch is the bar at the bottom of the handles that locks the knife open or closed. A latch on the bite handle is a Batangas latch; one on the safe handle is a Manila latch (glossary). Black Mamba notes that a bite-handle latch can catch your palm during rollovers, which is why many flippers remove it (Black Mamba). Every trainer below is latchless except the Bear & Son, which lists a latch.

Pivots: washers, bushings, bearings

• Washers are thin rings between handle and blade. Knife Pivot Lube says cheaper knives usually come with them (novice guide). Black Mamba says they break in over a few weeks, then stay put.
• Bushings sit inside the blade around the pivot to improve handle tolerances. Knife Pivot Lube calls correctly sized bushings "by far the favorite choice for balisong pivots for most flippers," though they cost more. It suggests starting with a washer or bearing knife to learn which pivot you prefer.
• Bearings use small balls to smooth the swing. Black Mamba says they spin freely from day one but need cleaning and adjusting.

Weight and balance

Balance is how weight is spread through the knife: handle-heavy, blade-heavy or neutral. Black Mamba says weight forward in the handles carries the swing for you and forgives rollovers, while weight back toward the pivots makes the knife quick and less patient with a sloppy wrist. A heavier knife is easier at first, it adds, and a lighter one is faster once you're good.

Some trainers let you change the balance. Benchmade's Necron trainer has adjustable tungsten weights and extendable handles (Benchmade). Squid's Mako has removable weights (Mako V5).

Trainers compared

Prices are as listed on October 1, 2026, on Squid's and Benchmade's own stores. Bear & Son's site returned an error when we checked it, so that row comes from Knifeworks, a retailer. The balance label is Squid's own description of how much weight sits in the handles.

Prices fall into three bands. Under $60 buys a plastic or die-cast trainer. Roughly $120 to $240 buys an aluminum Squid with washers or bushings. Around $400 buys titanium or Benchmade's adjustable Necron.

On noise, Squid says the Squiddy-B has two O-rings for "near-silent flipping" and scores it 1 out of 10, against 8 for the Squiddy. Those are the maker's claims.

Beginner balisong tricks: five moves in plain words

Squid advises starting with basic openings, then the thumb rollover, then the Chaplin, and says repetition is key (Squid). What follows describes the moves; it isn't a tutorial. Squid points beginners to its Beginner's Flipping Tutorial playlist on YouTube.

1. Basic open and close. Hold the safe handle, the one that closes onto the spine. Let the other handle fall away, rotate your wrist up so it swings around and slaps back against the handle in your hand, and catch both. Closing is the same motion in reverse. Black Mamba says to practice closing more than opening, and to use the wrist, not the arm.
2. Fan. You hold one handle and the blade and other handle swing around it in a circle (Knife Pivot Lube). Use finger and wrist, not the arm.
3. Thumb rollover. A rollover is the knife spinning around one finger. Instead of catching the open handle, let it continue around your thumb and back. Knife Pivot Lube notes that the Y2K version starts on the bite handle and the zen rollover starts on the safe handle, so know which one you're holding. A loose thumb acts as a pivot, not a clamp.
4. Chaplin. The knife hangs and swings from one finger like a pendulum, with the finger between the spine of the blade and the safe handle, then rolls back into the hand. The usual mistake is rushing the catch at the top instead of letting gravity finish the swing.
5. Index rollover. The same idea as the thumb rollover, around the index finger. It teaches more rollovers and can double as a closing (Knife Pivot Lube).

Trainers help you tell the handles apart. Benchmade's Necron has a hollow diamond texture on the safe handle, and Squid includes a free bite handle indicator with the Squiddy-B.

Practice safely

• Go slow first. Smooth first, fast later. Ten focused minutes beats an hour, and Black Mamba suggests stopping when your forearm aches.
• Practice over something soft like a bed, couch or thick rug, and wear shoes. A dropped balisong often lands point down.
• Don't catch a falling trainer. Balisong Butterfly's guide says to practice dropping on purpose until the reflex fades.
• Aerials come last. Throwing the knife into the air is where the catch reflex collides hardest with instinct. The same guide says to learn them on a trainer only and to expect months, not weeks.
• Gloves are comfort, not armor. The same guide says a light glove reduces nicks, blisters and knuckle abrasion. Cut-resistant gloves are bulky and spoil grip feel (Balisong Butterfly).

Which trainer to buy

• Cheapest way to find out if you like it: the Bear & Son 114TR or Squid's Squiddy. They sit at opposite ends of the weight range, 5.6 oz against 2.5 oz.
• One metal trainer to learn on: the Squidtrainer V4 or Mako V5, both aluminum at roughly 4.2 to 4.4 oz.
• Quiet: the Squiddy-B on Squid's claim, or the Nautilus, which Squid calls "stealthy" and "quiet."
• Adjustable balance: Benchmade's Necron trainer, at the top of the price range.

If what you like is a hands-busy loop you can repeat, not the knife shape, echoPi is a different route. It's an EDC fidget slider still in development, with real clicks you place along the slide and a note you can attach to each click. There's no price or release date yet. You can hear it in the play section or join the list.