Jaguar Classic Butterfly Knife

Review by Phil Elmore

It has been said that one of the problems with the balisong or butterfly knife market is that there really are no "mid-range" models.  One may either purchase a very expensive custom or semi-custom knife, one of several high-end models, or the standard by which balisongs are measured (the Benchmade 42) -- or one may purchase any of countless low-end models, the quality of most of which is very lacking.  The average low-end butterfly knife won't hold up to extended flipping and, if it does last during heavy use, will rattle and clank like an old pickup truck bouncing over railroad tracks.

One of the low-end models that I've seen recommended before is the Jaguar Classic, now manufactured in China (if it was ever manufactured anywhere else).  I've no idea who or what entity is responsible for the importation of knives, including butterfly knives, badged "Jaguar," but they've been around for years.  Current production Jaguar Classic butterfly knives exhibit lower quality than previous versions, but the knife is essentially the same.  It remains a good choice for a "low-end" practice model with a live blade.  It's a substantial (read "heavy") knife that flips reasonably well (the weight helps with consistency in practice) and holds up slightly better than the cheapset butterfly knives flooding the market.

My sample Jaguar Classic shipped without a box and was a little dinged up, exhibiting some scratches on one of the handles.  More significantly, a piece of metal remained in one of the slot cut-outs in the handle, where obviously it was not properly excised during manufacture.  I pushed this out of the handle with a house key and simply threw the fragment in the trash.

Fit and finish are mediocre.  The pins are rough and misshapen. The handles themselves exhibit various artificats and oddities left over the manufacturing process, though I couldn't say for sure how they are made.  There is no seam as would be evident if they were die cast (one presumes).  The plastic inserts fit properly into the handles.  Those inserts also pick up finger oils very readily and take on a kind of mildly disgusting sheen, after extended handling.

The blade of the knife, which is actually fairly nice for a blade at this price point, was sharp and nicely ground on both sides out of the box (except for the partial serrations, which are ground on one side only).  It has a dull gray finish

There is, as you would expect, play in the handles.  The knife flips reasonably smoothly, though (it clunks with weight, but isn't too bad).  The plastic handle inserts get a little slippery over time. 

The knife does not lock open, nor do I believe a butterfly knife needs to (or should).  For the relatively low price, this isn't a bad buy for the money -- but it's still not a solution to the lack of mid-range butterfly knives on the market.  Every dedicated bali-flipper should probably have at least one in his stable, but you're not missing anything too significant if you don't.


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