The Drop: Kershaw 4950TR Balanza Butterfly Trainer Knife
Mikey Bautista
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Kershaw Lucha
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It's a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.
With their Lucha blazing a trail in the butterfly knife community for both live blades and trainers, Kershaw keeps the momentum going with a new trainer for 2023, dubbed the Balanza. This predecessor is designed to be lighter both in weight and on the wallet while carrying over a lot of elements from the Lucha, including stainless steel construction and ball-bearing pivots out of the box.
The Balanza's lighter 4.60-ounce weight is thanks to its heavily skeletonized trainer blade and handles and smaller overall profile with a 4.25" blade and 5.25" handles; to compare, many popular balisongs are in the region of ~5.7" handles. But the smaller size also comes with a much smaller price tag: the Balanza hits the market at an extremely affordable and competitive $45. We also won't be surprised if it eventually becomes a platform for a wide variety of aftermarket parts and mods, extending its appeal further, much like the Lucha.
What we like: Budget butterfly knife trainers (especially ones that aren't plastic or 3D-printed) can still fetch a pretty penny, so it's nice to see a solid and affordable follow-up to the crazy-popular Lucha.
What we don't like: Stainless steel construction and 4.60 ounces mean the Balanza is still on the heavier side; no doubt this will be fixed in time by mods. It may also be smaller than the common larger trainers you're used to.
Final verdict: 45 bucks is an easy purchase and an even easier recommendation for a metal balisong to get you started in the flipping hobby.
He has lived through many personal and professional lives, spending nearly a decade in the workforce management industry, a minor career in gaming, and has lent a hand with entrepreneurial efforts back home in the Philippines. He has also been an active participant and helped build a number of significant social communities online, both for EDC and his other hobbies.
Mikey has been at the cusp of gaming, technology, and the internet since the ‘90s and continues to lend his experience, expertise, and authority to all his pursuits. When not online, in a game, or watching movies, you'll find him in the gym, speedrunning his next hobby, or talking at length about EDC with anyone willing to listen.
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