Maintenance for Discontinued Balisongs

To tune the Zipper v1/v2, Cycloid v1.5/1.6, or Diode, tighten the pivot bolt until you feel light resistance. If the handles don't rotate freely, loosen the pivot by 1/8 of a turn, press the pivot hex nuts firmly into a flat surface to ensure they are set properly, and test the handle rotation again. Repeat this procedure until the pivots are as secure as possible while still enabling unencumbered handle/blade rotation. Threadlocker is optional if you prefer to use it, but not necessary. The end result should be negligible play with a smooth handle swing. If the handle swing is not smooth and you have attempted the tuning procedure multiple times, please consult the information below.

For assembly/disassembly, tuning, and bearing cleaning, please watch the videos linked on this page.

ZippyLucha Mk1 Instruction Video

Zipper v1 Instruction Video

Zipper v2 Instruction Video

Zipper v2 balance adjustment: Each handle can hold one Tungsten cube and 1x spare M2 nylon locknut, which weight the base of the handles. The Tungsten cube can be interchanged with 1, 2, or 3 of the included lower density neodymium magnets. Plastic spacers are also included to prevent the magnets from rattling around when using only 1 or 2 of them. Because of their distance from the pivot, these weights have a higher mechanical advantage compared to the 12x Tungsten weights that are permanently set on the surface of each handle. The result is, by adding or removing the weights at the base of the handle, the handle/blade bias of the balisong can be fine-tuned based on your personal preference. There are over 6x configurations for the balance:

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Cycloid v1 Instruction Video

Cycloid v1 balance adjustment: The Cycloid v1 has 3x balance configurations: Neutral (default) up to moderate blade bias, which can adjusted by removing the tungsten weights at the base of each handle. To remove the weights, insert your hex key into the slot and gently lever the weight up.

What do I do if my Cycloid v1 or Zipper v1/v2 bearings are squeaky, there is noticeable pivot play/wobble, or the handles don't rotate smoothly?

(A) The most common cause of squeaky bearings and handle binding is that the pivots are overtightened. Try backing them off a bit. If the squeaking/binding only goes away once the pivots are so loose that noticeable play has been introduced into the system, this is not the issue.

(B) The bearings may need to be relubricated. Disassemble the balisong and add a dash of lube to each bearing, then reassemble and retune. See instruction video here.

(C) If the issue persists after trying (A) and (B), likely the bearings or races are dirty. Follow these Instructions (video): Disassemble the balisong and place the 4 bearings and 8 race washers in a Tupperware with 91% IPA and give them a vigorous shake. Remove the bearings and washers and place them on a clean paper towel. Use another paper towel to firmly clean out the race washers. It is important you press the paper towel firmly into the groove of the washer and twist multiple times to clean out all the bearing residue/dirt. Do this for all 8 race washers until no dirt can be seen on the paper towel, and place them groove-facing-up back on the clean paper towel to dry. Then, place a caged bearing between 2 sides of another clean paper towel and gently gently rub the bearing between your fingers and the paper towel to clean it. Repeat this process for the other 3 bearings. Then reinstall the bearings/race washers, making sure to add a dash of lubricant to each bearing. You may instead add the lubricant to the race washers, but be sure to only apply lube to one washer per bearing (only 4 washers require lube, not all 8--lubing all 8 washers will introduce too much lubricant into the system and may slow down the bearings).

What's the deal with the Zipper's magnets?

The Zipper v1 and v2 came with 3 magnets per handles, which were used to dissipate energy during ricochets in the original version. Since the v1 was discontinued and the Zipper v2 was released, the closed handle gap was enlarged to match more traditional balisongs. Consequently, the magnets no longer serve this dissipative function, but merely serve as additional weight configurations. Both Zipper v1 and v2 are now discontinued.