Editing Authentic VS Clone

==Terminology==

Before discussing the pros and cons of authentic and clone balisongs, please read the [[Authentic]] and [[Clone]] articles.

==Reasons For Not Buying Clones==

===Intellectual Property Theft===

Clones are a form of intellectual property theft, as they typically copy the design of an authentic balisong with little or no modification

===Supporting The Balisong Industry===

Clone manifacturers generally do not support the balisong industry. They rarely create original designs or contribute to innovation. By purchasing clones, you are not financially supporting the designers and makers who move the industry forward.

===Quality===

The quality of clones is discussed in [[Clone#Quality]]. In short: the use of cheap blade steel makes most clones unsuitable as EDC tools, since the blade dulls quickly and is prone to chipping and tipping.

===Consistency===

Clones often times change specifications between each batch, which makes finding correct spare parts very difficult. These changes can include variations in bushing sizes, surface finish, weight of liners and many more. Even small differences can affect part compatibility and overall measurements, meaning specifications from one batch may not apply to another.

==Reasons For Buying Clones==

There are several reasons why someone might choose to buy a clone.

===Price===

Authentic, high quality balisongs can be very expensive. In some countries, the cost of a single knife may exceed a person's monthly income. Clones provide access to decent flippers at a fraction of the cost.

===Availability===

Most authentic balisongs are manifactured in America, which makes them difficult to obtain for people living in other parts of the world due to shipping restrictions, high shipping cost, import laws, and high VAT on imported goods.

===Testing===

Some people prefer to try out a design before committing to the full price authentic version. In these cases, purchasing a clone first can serve as a trial run. 

===Better Performance===

In some cases, clones may have better flipping performance. This is usually due to small design changes that were overlooked in the original design.