?TLDR: This is an incredibly smooth, well made product and does the job incredibly well for what its priced at on here. Pick this bad boy up before the price gets jacked
Alright so before we start, I didnt have the highest hopes for this thing. I mean, I paid $116 for my Arctic Glidr and over $200 for my nice Bear & sons, even Squid trainers and BBBarflies are over $100 just to practice on. How could a less than $30 trainer off Amazon be that good?
Oh how wrong I was.
First thing I noticed: this thing is SUPER well made. The pins are nice and smooth, the finish is great, theres some tap when you shake it but barely any handle play. When you flip it, it does squeak a bit, but some oil would fix that right up.
Next thing I noticed: the tang is SPRING LOCKED! Ive never seen a Balisong have a tang which has a spring on it. But let me tell you, its a life changer. It closes much much easier since the tang will remain tight and when youre actively flipping it, it doesnt get in the way until you wanna close it. An incredible design aspect, Andux. Well played.
As for actually flipping this thing, its pretty much as good as it gets for this price. The thing is heavy, maybe 4.5-5.5 oz, or around the same as an actual knife. Something else thats interesting is this thing was much longer than I was expecting. Maybe 1/2 inch longer than my Bear & Sons but it was a little jarring at first getting used to, but I find that it makes practicing easier and helps me get a better flow. The trainer is a bit loud, nothing crazy but theres definitely a rather audible clank when the handles dome into contact with each other. And as mentioned above, it does squeak when youre moving fast, but nothing some oil cant fix.
If youre debating buying this trainer then the answer is ABSOLUTELY!! This is no replacement for a Squiddy or a Glidr, but if youre on a budget, this is an absolutely, hands down, one of the best trainers you can get off here. Great job, Andux.