Butterfly Knife Tricks for Beginners: Which Knife to Flip at Each Stage

By South Summit Team. Updated November 5, 2026. Every pick was in stock at the listed price when this was published.

Learn butterfly knife tricks for beginners on a trainer. A trainer is a balisong with no sharpened edge, and you can stay on it from your first opening through your first aerials. The one we would hand most buyers is the Six-Port Rhythm Balance Butterfly Trainer ($11.99). Buyers spent more on it over the last 30 days than on any other trainer. It lists a 9-inch open length at 4.6 ounces and costs a dollar less than two trainers with the same listed size. Skip it if you already flip a live knife. In that case, pick the trainer whose listed weight is closest to your knife's.

Quick comparison by stage

The Rhythm Flow record lists a weight of 0.33 ounces. That figure is far below every other trainer here, so we left it out of the table. Check the product page before you rely on it.

How we ranked these

These are the knives buyers chose with their own money over the last 30 days. They are ranked by order dollar volume across the South Summit store network, and each was in stock at the listed price on the day of publication. We did not flip-test them, and nothing here is sponsored. Trainers come first, then live blades, and each group keeps its spending order. Every description comes from the listed specifications on the product record.

Butterfly knife tricks for beginners, in a suggested order

Knife Pivot Lube says the right learning order is "subjective, it depends" on the flipper. Use the list below as a guide, not a rule. It follows the order of KPL's eight most important balisong tricks. Grips and anatomy are covered in our balisong beginner's guide. BLADE Magazine sums up the idea as "everything builds off basics."

1. Drops. KPL's rule is "never try to catch a dropped knife."
2. Basic openings and closings, horizontal and vertical.
3. Backhand (icepick) openings and closings, which KPL calls "the foundation of backhand tricks."
4. The wrist pass.
5. The full twirl.
6. The basic aerial.
7. Fans, which KPL says "are relatively easy to learn."
8. The shortstop, a combo finisher that KPL calls "by far the most difficult trick on this list."

None of the guides we read sets a timeline for any step. A trainer covers the whole list.

Stage one: a trainer for every trick on the list

BLADE says a trainer lets you practice "without even having to worry about a sharp edge." Knife Pivot Lube calls trainers "a great non-threatening way to bring new people into the hobby." The same site also warns that trainers "are notorious for reinforcing bad habits," which is one reason it puts drops first.

The trainer collection has 22 products today. Eighteen are listed as trainers, all under $14. The other four list "Is Trainer: No," so read that line on the listing before you order. All five picks below are listed as trainers.

1. Six-Port Rhythm Balance Butterfly Trainer - Matte Black

It lists a 3.625-inch straight steel blade, 9 inches open and 5 inches closed, at 4.6 ounces, with steel handles and a latch. It leads the trainer collection in 30-day spending, and at $11.99 it costs a dollar less than the gold and rainbow six-hole trainers that list the same size and weight.

See the Six-Port Rhythm trainer

2. Rhythm Flow Balisong Trainer Bottle Opener - Silver Steel

It lists a 3.5-inch blade, 8.5 inches open, with stainless steel handles and a latch, and the name says it is also a bottle opener. At $9.99 it is the lowest-priced trainer in this group.

See the Rhythm Flow trainer

3. Six-Hole Flow Balance Butterfly Knife Trainer - Gold Steel

It lists the same 3.625-inch blade, 9-inch open length and 4.6 ounces as the Six-Port, with a gold blade, for $12.99.

See the gold Six-Hole trainer

4. Aerial Skeleton Flow Balisong Trainer - Silver Steel

Its listed 4.5-inch blade is the longest of these five trainers, at 9 inches open with steel handles and a latch. No weight is listed.

See the Aerial Skeleton trainer

5. Prism Balance Six-Hole Butterfly Trainer - Rainbow Steel

It lists the same blade, length and weight as the gold six-hole trainer, with an iridescent rainbow finish, at $12.99.

See the Prism Balance trainer

Stage two: adding a live butterfly knife

No source we read gives a test for when a beginner is ready for a sharpened knife. That choice is yours. Knife Pivot Lube does give two tips to people who already flip both kinds. The first is to "avoid flipping exclusively trainers for long stretches of time," because you may get more hesitant when you go back to a live edge. The second is to use trainers "with a similar weight, balance, and feel to your live blade."

The five live knives buyers spent the most on list 9.125 to 10.125 inches open and 5.06 to 5.96 ounces. Every one of them is heavier than the 4.6-ounce six-hole trainers above. Check your state and city rules before ordering a live butterfly knife.

6. Verdant River Flow Balance Butterfly Knife - Wood Inlay Damascus

It lists a 3.875-inch Damascus steel drop point, 9.125 inches open and 5.06 ounces, with stainless steel and wood handles and a T-latch. It leads live butterfly knives in 30-day spending.

See the Verdant River balisong

7. Shadow Split Performance Butterfly Knife - Black Titanium

At $18.99 this is the lowest-priced live knife here. It lists a 4.25-inch spear point, 9.5 inches open and 5.25 ounces, with steel handles in a black titanium finish and a spring latch.

See the Shadow Split balisong

8. Legacy Grain Damascus Butterfly Knife - Wood Inlay

It lists the same blade, length and weight as the Verdant River, along with Damascus steel, stainless steel and wood handles and a T-latch. One listing difference: the Verdant River lists a matte handle finish, and this record gives none.

See the Legacy Grain balisong

9. Shadowline CNC Flow Butterfly Knife - Matte Black

By listed size it is the largest knife here: a 4.625-inch spear point, 10.125 inches open and 5.96 ounces. The blade and handles are steel in matte black, with a latch.

See the Shadowline CNC Flow balisong

10. Monolith Flow Precision Butterfly Knife - Gray Steel

It lists the same blade length, open length and weight as the Shadowline CNC Flow, with a silver matte clip point, for $21.99.

See the Monolith Flow balisong

How to choose a trainer and a first live knife

Read the trainer flag. Each listing has an "Is Trainer" line. Four products in the trainer collection say No, so the collection alone does not tell you a knife is blunt.

Pair the weights. Knife Pivot Lube's advice to people who flip both is to match trainer and live blade in weight, balance and feel. If you start on the Six-Port (9 inches, 4.6 ounces), several live knives list 9 inches and 4.43 ounces, among them the Six-Hole Flow Balance Butterfly Knife in matte gold. If you already own a live knife, compare its listed weight with the trainers before you buy one.

Heavier is not better. Nabalis notes that a knife that is too heavy can tire the wrist. The heaviest live picks here list 5.96 ounces, which is 1.36 ounces more than the six-hole trainers.

Latch types vary. Listings name a plain latch, a T-latch or a spring latch, and some records give no latch type. Our listings don't compare them, so choose on the other specs and treat the latch as a detail to check.

The budget is small at both stages. Listed trainers in the butterfly knife trainers collection are all under $14. The live picks above are under $23, and every product in the butterfly knives collection is under $24. For the full trainer shelf ranked, see the best butterfly knife trainers.

Beginner questions

What is the easiest butterfly knife trick for beginners?

The basic opening and closing. Knife Pivot Lube lists it right after drops, and Nabalis calls the basic open the easiest move to start with.

What butterfly knife tricks should I learn in order?

Knife Pivot Lube says the order depends on the flipper. Its list runs drops, basic openings, backhand openings, wrist pass, full twirl, basic aerial, fans and the shortstop, which is a good default.

How long does it take to learn butterfly knife tricks?

No guide we read gives a fixed timeline. It depends on how much you practice.

Should a beginner start with a trainer or a real butterfly knife?

We would start with a trainer, because it has no sharpened edge. Our pick is the Six-Port Rhythm at $11.99.

Is everything in the trainer collection a trainer?

No. Today 18 of the 22 products are listed as trainers and four are not, so check the "Is Trainer" line on each listing.