Construction

The construction of a balisong refers to the construction method of the handles.

Construction types

Balisongs currently have 3 different types of construction. The Sandwich construction, the Channel construction and the Chanwich construction.

Sandwich

An example of a balisong with a sandwich construction. Notice the screws at the bottom of the handles holding the 2 pieces each handle is made of together.

The Sandwich construction is probably the most common type of balisong handle construction. A balisong that has a sandwich construction is a balisong in which the handles are made of 2 separate pieces of material, kept together by 1 or multiple screws.

These 2 pieces are usually seperated by a spacer. Spacers come in different sizes pins/standoffs/chunks and can be made from different materials for example: Aluminium, Titaniun, G10, Ultem and many more. Spacers get sandwiched between 2 handle halves. Those handle halves come in two sub-categories: Liners and Slabs.

Liner

Liners are the part that touch and sandwich the spacer. If a balisong uses liners, it will also require some form of scales. Those scales sit on top of the liners and sandwich those. The construction for sandwich construction balisongs which use liners looks something like this:

Scale --> Liner --> Spacer --> Liner --> Scale.

An example for this type of construction is the Replicant.

A picture of such a balisong handle is provided.

Balisong Sandwich Construction - Liner Diagram

Slab

If the balisong uses only two solid pieces to sandwich the spacers, those pieces are called "slabs". Slabs are usually made either out of Aluminium or Titanium. The construction for sandwich construction balisongs which use slabs looks something like this:

Slab --> Spacer --> Slab.

An example for this type of construction is the Titanium Barebones.

Channel

A Benchmade Model 42 balisong, which features a channel handle construction. Notice how each handle is 1 single piece of material.

The Channel construction is the second most common type of balisong handle construction. A balisong that has a channel construction is a balisong in which the handles are made out of one single piece of material. Usually, if not made of plastic, the material in question is either Titanium, or 7075 Aluminium. An example for this type of construction is the Krake Raken.

In some rare cases, channel handles may include scales mounted on top, but the underlying structure remains a single-piece channel. For example, the Nautilus is a channel knife with scales, which are held in place by the pivot screws, and by the screws at the end of the handles. An easy way to to determine whether a balisong has a channel construction is if the blade is enclosed by a continuous piece of material from the blade’s point of view, it is channel construction.

Chanwich

Chanwich [also sometimes called a Chandwich] means that a handle is made out of 2 handle halves, with no spacer in-between. An example for this type of construction is the Tsunami.

Comparison and Trade-offs

Every construction method has advantages and disadvantages, so there is no best choice. As a rule of thumb: the more parts the balisong has, the more points of failure it will have, making it less rigid compard to a balisong that has a channel design. That is why it is recommended to use a knives which have a channel design for beaters and Every day carry use.
That said, sandwich designs are highly regarded for their modability. For example you can swap out the G10 scales of a Replicant for scales for ones with a different look or feel.
Chanwich handles also has an advantages: they try to combine the rigidity of channel construction, with the flexibility to incorporate hidden zen pins into the design.