Tat Tuesday.

In case I haven't said it before I am a bit of a knife collector. I don't collect really expensive or rare knives. In fact most of what I have runs in at less than $20 a piece. I just go for the aesthetics. The problem I have, other than the stigma of having been prone to psychological issues in the past and liking knives, is that I live in New York City and many types of knives are illegal to carry and some to even own. The first part of that isn't a problem, I don't carry a knife, I do carry a small multi-tool,  the second is. A lot of the knives I like fall into illegal territory. One such breed of knife is the Balisong or butterfly knife. As with most things there are ways to get around this. That brings me to today's Tat Tuesday item the Bottlefly. Let's take a closer look at this novelty.

The original Bottlefly was a very limited product. The one I had, and it would appear all others, are marked with Sturgis 2003 on the 'blade'. I would assume the item was made solely for that event. I got mine much later. As did most people. I bought mine as a legal and safe alternative to a true Balisong. I was not disappointed. The steel 'blade' and aluminum handles made it incredibly sturdy. It was a very simple example of the Balisong, but did not lose any of the functionality. It may not have had phosphorous washers and ball bearing pivots, but it was more than capable of flipping. It did have it's down sides, it was very loud, had a unergonomic shape, and as time went on became almost impossible to find. So, you may ask, why am I talking about it now?

The reason is simple the Bottlefly is back in a big way. Kind of. You see the BBbarfly is very similar to the original Bottlefly but is made by different people. It is as close to the original as you can get. There is one major difference. The original was available in four different styles. The new one is fully customizable. You have dozens of different designs to choose from. As such you can make the perfect BBbarfly.

I love that this is an option. There are so many different looks to choose from that I can imagine having a large collection of these. Which is funny because I don't drink. I really don't have much use for a bottle opener but I loved the feel of flipping a Balisong and this is a great option for people who can't have or don't want a real one. You may have noticed that when I spoke about my own Bottlefly I did so in the past tense. That is because I gave my original Bottlefly to a friend sometime ago. I no longer needed it after I invested in a more expensive Balisong Trainer. This is something I wouldn't recommend. While I love my Typhoon, which is sadly no longer being made, a comparable trainer will run you much more than a BBbarfly. And of course a trainer is a little harder explain.

There are other Balisong bottle openers out there if you want something a little more 'realistic' looking but I can't vouch for their quality. If you are interested in the idea of Balisong novelty but don't want a bottle opener than you are in luck because I have just the thing for you.

Say hello to the BaliYo. This pen is made by Spyderco, maker of fine knives, and is perfect for those who find a BBbarfly too cumbersome. The pen, which uses Fisher Space Pen refills, comes in a few different colors and is quite affordable. If you want to add a little flair to your day consider adding one of these to your life.

While none of these novelties are up to the standards of a Benchmade Model 40T, which is so expensive and hard to find it is hardly an option to most people, they are more than adequate replacements. These items are all about having fun and being different. Sometimes you want to impress people and be the center of attention. Or, if you're like me, you like the intricate nature of the tricks. Either way consider adding a new bit of Tat to your life.

BBbarfly Official Site
BaliYo Official Site