Max Knives P57ES — Balisong butterfly knife, 93 mm dagger blade, stainless

Overview

The P57ES opens the recent Max Knives balisong series, built entirely in stainless steel from blade to handles. Closed, it measures 124 mm and the dagger blade sits hidden between the two skeletonised handles; opened, it stretches to 214 mm and those same handles meet to form one continuous grip. The silver finish leaves the steel visible end to end, and at 92 g this is the lightest knife of the whole series, which means long practice runs before the wrist starts keeping score.

Two pivots and a latch, nothing else

A balisong has no spring, no button and no assisted mechanism: everything it does rests on two pivots. Each handle turns freely around its own pin, one on either side of the blade tang, so they can be spun together or one after the other. Depending on which way they travel, they either trap the blade or release it entirely. A latch then locks the two halves to each other: it holds the knife shut at rest, and it holds the rebuilt grip together once the knife is open. That plainness is exactly why the motion is quick to grasp and slow to master.

Technical specifications

The dagger blade measures 93 mm and is cut from stainless steel 1.66 mm thick, the thinnest figure in the series. Both handles are stainless steel as well, 8.88 mm thick in a silver finish and skeletonised along their length. The knife measures 124 mm folded and 214 mm deployed, a gain of 90 mm. Total weight comes to 92 g. Retention in both the closed and the open position is handled by the latch.

Care

Stainless steel copes well with damp, but a balisong lives in the palm: wipe the blade and the handles with a dry cloth after every session to clear away perspiration. One drop of light oil on each of the two pivots keeps the rotation even, and a cotton bud clears dust out of the cut-outs. Check the pivot screws and the latch screw now and then, since hundreds of flips will eventually work them loose.

Legal notice. Age-restricted item (18+). In France this knife is a Category D item: legal to sell but reserved for adults, with age verification at checkout. Balisong (butterfly) knives are restricted or prohibited in a number of countries — Germany, Canada and several US states among them — and customs will seize the parcel. Check the law that applies where the order is delivered before purchasing.