What’s A Butterfly Knife?
For those of you who don’t know what a butterfly knife is, it’s a pocket knife that, when closed, the blade is concealed between the handles. The design of the butterfly knife allows the handles to counter-rotate around its tang so that the blade can be deployed quickly. In addition to being an effective cutting tool like any other knife, it also lends itself to performing flipping tricks.
How Do I Flip A Butterfly Knife?
Learning to flip a butterfly knife quickly takes practice and patience. If you don’t start slowly to get the motion right before you just go at it, you’ll be sorry. Remember, this is still a sharp, bladed instrument. The basic concept of maneuvering the knife is to let the flipping motion of one handle and the blade, plus, the twist of your wrist, actually spin the handle you’re holding.
The Flick Opening
The flick opening is the very first trick that you need to learn. Hold the butterfly knife with the “bite handle” facing away from you. This is the handle where the blade is stored, and the other handle is called the “safe handle”. Flick your wrist allowing the bite handle to push out and the blade to come out and away from it. Then, spin the safe handle making the bit handle and the blade meet at the back of your hand. Now, flick your wrist back allowing the handles to close together in your hand with blade in the open position.
The Flick Closing
The flick closing is pretty much the reverse of what you did above and starts with the knife in the open position. The essential thing is that you flick up the bite handle and into your open palm so that both of the handles end up back in the closed position in your hand, with the blade securely closed between the handles.
The Basic Fan
The basic fan is one of the simplest and safest tricks to learn. Hold the butterfly knife by the safe handle and just move your hand in a circular motion, allowing the bite handle and blade to spin freely like a ceiling fan.
The Zipper
The zipper uses both of your hands so that you’re switching back and forth from one hand to the other. The idea is that, in one hand, it will snap open, and in the other hand, it will snap close. It’s pretty simple and easy to master for beginners. Hold the butterfly knife in your left hand by the safe handle so that you’re pinching it with your thumb and index finger. Release your other three fingers, allowing the bite handle and blade to swing freely. Swing it over the back of your hand then, clap your hands together. This is where you’re switching from the left hand to the right, so grasp the safe handle between your right thumb and index finger as the bite handle flips back with the force of the clap. Remove your left hand from the knife and let the handles close together with the blade in the open position in your right hand. You can then use the same sequence of movements to pass the butterfly knife from your right hand back to your left hand. Instead of both handles closing in the open position, the blade closes with the bite handle, so that the knife is back in the closed position.
The Double Roll-Out
The double roll-out isn’t actually a trick but it’s an important skill to learn. It’s used as a transition move between tricks. It looks a lot like the flick opening but doesn’t end anywhere, just flowing into another trick. Pinch the safe handle near the top of the knife with your four fingers and thumb and flick the bite handle up and over the back of your hand, making sure that the blade is pointing away from you. Now, turn the safe handle in your hand, turning the blade sideways, and swing it back over your hand again. Practicing this skill will help to increase your speed.
A Word Of Caution
As I said above, you need to remember that a butterfly knife is still a sharp bladed pocket knife, and you will cut yourself if you’re not careful. The guaranteed way to avoid this is to start out with a butterfly trainer first. Learn and master your skills with the lightweight
Silver Skeleton Butterfly Trainer. It looks and feels just like a real butterfly knife, allowing you to safely practice and hone your flipping skills. The trainer has a solid, stainless steel construction and a 4” rounded, non-edged blade with weight-reducing thru-holes. The comfortable skeletonized handles swivel smoothly around their tang pin, and they’re secured with a handle latch when folded shut.
