I had a collection of 9 balisongs before getting my custom Seropus (Serif handles with tanto/Opus blade), and thought I had an understanding of flipping a high-quality bali. This thing has blown all of them completely out of the water. I've only had it for a day so far but I currently have zero real desire to flip any of my other balis, at least as I'm still getting to know this thing.
The anodization is gorgeous and vibrant, and I love how it changes color as it catches the light at different angles. It feels solid and premium in the hand in a way that's hard to describe if you've only ever handled plastic/aluminum, and while the pattern itself doesn't add much grip, the titanium is naturally grippy and so it's not really a problem. The machining on the handles and blade is next level, far beyond anything else I've seen.
The tune is as good as you could possibly ask for. Literally zero tap or play out of the box. I don't think they even use threadlocker on their pivot screws, that's how tight their tolerances are.
It flips like a dream, of course. Overall it just feels very fast, bouncy and responsive, with no real pain points that I've found so far. It's particularly good at fans, carrying momentum for quite a while after you stop spinning it yourself. From what I've heard, it's even better at those if you take the weights out, and the heavy weights can give it more handle bias if that's more your speed.
My absolute favorite part of this thing, though, is the SOUND. Deep, thocky, and resonant like nothing else out there. Videos don't really do it justice. I think it has something to do with the internal milling on the handles. It can be a little loud, so be aware of that if you're sensitive to loud noises.
I was a bit nervous ordering something so expensive - this was by far the most I've ever spent on a balisong. However, I can now confidently say that you *can* feel the difference. MachineWise has earned every ounce of their reputation and then some.
My order specs:
Tanto || Serif Handles
Handle Finish: Zir Blast
Handle Color: Anodized Solid Color
Distress: Heavy
Solid Color: Purple
Distress Color: Gold
Edge: False Live Blade (DULL)
