Clone
Explanation
A balisong is considered a clone if the design has been copied, with very little or no changes from the original.
In the US, "Clones" may also be expanded into two categories of "legal" and "not legal". Any balisong that copies the original 1:1, has fake logos or has less than "3 significant changes" would fall into the "not legal" for sale category as it could be used to deceive an unsuspecting buyer not familiar with the differences. These "not legal" balisongs are usually referred to as "counterfit" or "knockoff" instead of a "clone". The balisong community however has largely decided to call every type of "copy", a clone, instead of differentiating between "clone" and "counterfit".
Quality
Clones are usually much cheaper than authentic balisongs, as they are often manufactured in China. However, the lower price tag reflects the drop in quality. Clone balisongs typically use lower-grade materials and have worse tolerances/QC as a tradeoff for the lower starting price. The biggest quality concern is the blade steel and potential of receiving a defect or poorly tuned unit. Clones often use inexpensive, poorly heat-treated steel with burnt cutting edges. This is what the community tends to call "clone roulette"; sometimes you get a good balisong, sometimes you get a bad balisong. When investing in clones, basic tuning knowledge/maintenance and proper tools will make a huge difference in your experience.
A couple of years ago, clones were complete junk. But nowadays some clones are very high-quality flippers, often times rivaling authentic balisongs in terms of flipping performance.
Clone Sellers
Legit Websites
Before purchasing a clone, please read Authentic VS Clone.
There are several known clone sellers, each with their own pros and cons. If you find a website which sells clones and it is not listed below in this chapter, consider it an unsafe website.
BBKS is usually the first to stock new clone releases.
The average delivery time is 3-4 weeks.
Clisong is very slow when it comes to updating their website when a new balisong releases, often times being months behind release schedule.
The average delivery time is 3-4 weeks.
Lots of users have reported never receiving their orders.
One Balisong offers a wide selection of balisongs, including some not found on other clone seller websites.
The average delivery time is 3-4 weeks.
S2G is the only reseller (limited to "legal" clones) that has their headquarters located in America. Because of that, they can offer much faster shipping time and some other benefits which include higher QC, insurance and overall reduced risk as a trade off for their higher prices.
Average delivery is 2-3 business days. They only ship within America.
Scam Websites
Kolisong.com
Kolisong has stolen credit card information and has exit scammed their customers.
Armedshark.com
Armed Shark does not have their own website. Armedshark.com is a fake website.