To each his own. I wholeheartedly agree with Chris above when it comes to training. Over the years (even during my LE days) I carried a high-end Balisong with a homemade, leather horizontal sheath. I also removed the locking gate on the end as it merely got in the way during drawing and openings. Also, if for some reason I dropped the knife during ... an enconter ... , as the guy tried to figure how the two halves fit together to make a workable knife, I would have retreaeted to safety in other words - beat feet outta there! There are two real good training vids on Balisong (if anyone's interested), ... "Mastering the Balisong" Vol 1 - Mastering the Fundementals, ... and Vol 2 Intermediate Techniques. These videos were produced by Balisong experts Scott Brennan and David Miller. Shown are basics of the knife, quick and dirty openings. manipulations - basic thru advanced, and lastly, how to make a practice cardboard 'makiwara' to work out onm full speed with a live blade. It gives you the real feeling of slicing and stabbing substance that resists as you find your favorite of most effective attack techinques. Nasty business - a knife fight, but if you train slowly working to full speed with a live blade, your favorite 5-6 movement slice/stab technique can become second nature and hit like a buzzsaw. Please excuse my passion for the Balisong, but if it is allowed in your state, you might consider investing in a good one after training with a cheapie dulled and de-pointed on a grinding wheel. Thanks all for suffering the long read.
