You know you want one...

Come on: admit it. You've been wanting one of these since you went to the movies on Friday night.

The Benchmade Model 42S butterfly knife. MSRP of $280.00, but available online at discounted prices. And don't worry, there's a trainer version of it too! that way you can master the fancy flipping without risking your fingers. We wouldn't want you to get a boo-boo now, would we?

I have a butterfly knife. It's stuck in the bottom of my personal toy chest. It came off some punk kid I took it away from in high school. He had the stones to attempt to intimidate me with it -- and I was just dumb enough to reach out (untrained) and snatch it away from him. I made an elaborate show of flipping it closed (a trick I picked up at summer camp... don't ask) and put it in my backpocket before walking away.

Gawd, I was stupid. Don't try this at home, kids.

Anyway, it looks very much like this -- although serrations weren't yet in vogue in the late 80's. The edge is all scratched up from the other guy's attempts to sharpen it. The handles have held up for 20 years, so they can't be die-cast metal, but who knows. I'm sure he bought it at a flea market. There is no manufacturer's stamp on it. I have yet to see any distinct advantage to a butterfly/balisong knife. They make a cool clickety-clack sound that can be intimidating if you're not used to it (or, if like I was, you're a dumbass kid), but once it is open, it's a knife. Whoppity-do.

Still, every so often, a movie comes along and showcases the butterfly knife and renews its popularity.