When it comes to balisongs, the pivot system plays a huge role in how a knife flips. The three main types are washers, bearings, and bushings—and if you’re not sure what sets them apart, you’re in the right place.
Let’s break down how each system works, what makes them unique, and which one might be best for your style.
Washers
Washers are one of the most common pivot systems because they’re cheap and easy to produce. But they come with a catch: you can’t fully tighten the pivot screws without locking up the blade. That means knives on washers tend to have more handle play and worse swing, especially side to side. This can throw off tricks like fans and aerials where clean horizontal movement matters.
Pros:
Inexpensive
Simple to manufacture
Cons:
More handle play
Can’t fully tighten pivots
Less consistent swing
Bearings
Bearings are less common in the balisong world, but they offer their own unique feel. Like washers, they can’t be fully tightened or the blade will bind. But when dialed in correctly, a bearing knife can have near-perfect tolerances with smooth, fluid swing.
The downside? You’ll usually feel the bearings rolling inside, which some flippers find distracting. Plus, bearing knives swing the same in all directions—vertical and horizontal—which can feel unnatural if you’re used to bushing setups.
Pros:
Smooth swing
No handle play when tuned right
Low maintenance
Cons:
Bearing feel can be off-putting
Less directional control
Still can’t fully tighten the pivots
Bushings
Bushings are the gold standard for most serious flippers—and it’s what all my balisongs use. The setup is similar to washers but with one extra part: the bushing, which fits inside the blade and keeps the washers from clamping down on it.
That means you can fully tighten the pivot screws without causing binding or drag. When tuned correctly, bushings give you zero play, excellent swing, and directional control, especially in horizontal movement where things tend to slow down just enough for more precision.
The tradeoff? Manufacturing has to be insanely accurate. For reference, my blade thickness tolerance is .125” +0 / -0.0002”—that’s 20 times thinner than a sheet of printer paper.
Pros:
Fully tight pivots
No handle play
Smooth, controlled swing
Directional feel preferred by most flippers
Cons:
Expensive to make
Requires precise tolerances
More effort to tune properly
Which One’s Best?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer—some people prefer bearings, others like washers, but most flippers agree that bushings offer the best overall performance. If you’re just starting out, washers or bearings can still be great options. But if you’re serious about flipping and want the best control, feel, and swing possible, bushings are the way to go.