IMO (and I have studied FMA), I think that it is a very weak blade design since there is no support for the blade except where it is held to the scales with two pins.
It is not anymore efficient a slasher as most other designs. It is a weak thrusting blade and useless for chopping.
Of course, that one pin is almost without fail, far larger than the two pins on a balisong. Not to mention the stress points on a “normal” knife design are not solely on the pin, unlike a balisong. Moreover, the actions done with a balisong are extremely hard on a knife. I think they are cool, and lots of fun to play with but rather terrible to trust in a dicey situation.Um...in most folders the blade is held to the handle scales by *one* pin (the one on which the blade pivots).
Sooner or later it happens to all of us. You're flyin' through your favorite Balisong moves (ever notice it's always when you're at your best...... I hate that!) and all of a sudden one of the handles falls at your feet. What an empty feeling.
There are good quality butterfly knives, but they are still inherently weak because of the 2 pin design.
I repeat, butterfly knives get beat up when they are habitually flipped.
-Isn't that the purpose of a balisong/butterfly?