Flytanium History

2024 marks 10 years of Flytanium. Our company has expanded drastically from one person into a dedicated team of ten(!) employees making a wide range of products. We're excited for the future, but it's important to acknowledge all the steps that went into growing to our current position.

Flytanium started in July 2014 as a passion project by an industry veteran. Their first project was aftermarket Titanium handles for the Benchmade 51 Morpho Balisong. Flippers in the community clamored for a better-balanced knife, and these weighted Titanium handles gave them the ability to make their Benchmades balanced and easier to use. Interest quickly grew, and so did our offerings, with new iterations for the 51 and an expanded range of compatibility with the BM 32 and the 6X.

In 2015, we added carbon fiber, brass, and copper as new material options for flippers. Since we had a smaller platform than larger brands, we had the freedom to create unique scales that aren’t feasible for large production runs. It made sense to also add anodized Titanium hardware, to match our growing options for anodized handles. Some original #deadflysociety members might even remember our original website, flytaniumco.com, where small batches of personalized handles were regularly released.

Our first big shift happened in February 2016. We unveiled our new logo, the Dead Fly. Flytanium was already an established name with a recognizable wordmark, and adding a complimentary logo helped to solidify our identity. We also moved away from exclusively balisong hardware to both folding knife scales and blades. Scales for the Skyline and Paramilitary 2 showed us that the community was eager for more aftermarket parts and options for their EDC.

The Zenith live blade and Zenith trainer, both teased since late 2015, quickly sold out once launched. The blade featured a unique double-edge design, but only one side was live. Balisong blade replacements were few and far between, so the re-blade sparked a lot of interest. The Zenith trainer also offered an aftermarket trainer blade option for the BM 51, as there were no official trainers for that model.  Since the release of these blades, their counterpart BM 51 knife was discontinued. We’re hoping to revive the blade shape on other products.

We continued to expand our offerings based on community feedback. In early 2017, scales for Benchmade folding knives joined our lineup. Our team continued to grow, and we continued to experiment and perfect new finishes and parts. Though some of these products are no longer with us, their construction and materials laid the groundwork for future knife projects.

Through all this, we realized we needed the capacity to machine and experiment with more precision. In late 2018, we started our own in-house machining workshop with a couple CNC machines. This gave us direct control over our US manufacturing, allowing us to prototype faster, produce higher quality parts, and make sure every aspect of our products was exactly how we wanted.

Our second big shift happened mid-2021. We released our first knife, the Talisong Z, designed by Eldon Talley. After 7 years of making aftermarket parts, we wanted to create our own homage to the balisong community. We partnered with Eldon, a custom knife maker, to bring one of his iconic designs to the masses. We wanted to push our in-house production team to see if we could create not just parts, but the entire knife in-house (Surprise! We can and did!). We also wanted to make a knife that would both flip well but not break the bank with Aluminum handles, pricing it at an affordable $299. This knife helped breed innovation with our new Bali Boots to help provide a safe way to carry latchless balisongs. This new knife flipped onto the scene with a bang, selling out in less than a day. Thanks to an in-house manufacturing team, we were able to regularly restock the knife to keep up with demand.

With the addition of an in-house design team, we wanted to push the boundaries of what we were doing and creating when it came to aftermarket parts. Enter the Lotus and Crossfade scales. Up until this point, knives had flat scales with minimal contouring. These new scale styles added both functionality and style, making waves in the knife community.

We continued to grow via shifting to a new website platform, expanding our offerings and our team. At the heart of all these changes, we realized we wanted to further embrace the fun and precision that Flytanium grew to stand for. Enter the Tatersong – a French fry themed balisong – launched in November 2022. This limited run item allowed us to push our creativity to the limit and create an experience, not just a knife. We emulated the fast-food experience with yellow crinkle cut handles and a ketchup red Bali Boot, a “Frytanium” hat, custom napkins and take-out container, and a little toy just cause! Of course, everything was wrapped up in a brown paper bag, to feel authentic (minus the grease stains).

2023 was the year we pushed ourselves. March 2023 saw the launch of the FLY One – a new balisong inspired and styled after our original BM 51 aftermarket handles. This knife went through 5 years of prototyping until we were ready to release – where we had individually customized small batches trickle out. We also launched two new product collaborations with Glow Rhino Tritium knife accessories in February and our Playge x Flytanium collaboration releasing styled machined scales in May. These Tritium knife accessories were inspired by Tritium inlay dice that were cooked up in back in 2015. The success of these collaborations led to a second Playge drop in November and an expansion of offered Tritium colors. 

We kept going. We scored high with the August release of the Arcade®, our first folding knife. We licensed the Demko Shark Lock technology and combined it with our expertise to create a highly designed knife aimed to be customizable EDC. The U.F.O., or Unidentified Flipping Object, landed in October 2023. This entry-level balisong trainer is a fit for kids and grownups alike. In November we launched Modifly, a place where our previous experimental finishes could be added to Titanium knife parts on demand. Finally, in December, we rounded out the year by launching the Zenith trainer, an imported, aluminum balisong trainer that won’t break the bank or your heart when you accidentally drop it.

Now as we enter 2024, we’re excited to keep innovating and honing our craft. We’re creating products that spark joy and delight, that can stand the test of time, and that push us further into the future. Our goal remains the same, we want to help fans customize their knife, and to help people express personality through any knife they buy from us. Thank you for being part of our journey and history.