Frequently Asked Questions
General
We restock our metal butterfly trainers and titanium-mod trainers every Wednesday at 11am PST. We do not restock every trainer each week. Please subscribe to our email newsletter or check out the "Next Drop" tab at the top of the page to see what we will be restocking on the coming Wednesday.
We restock items from the Squiddy Collection every Monday around 12 PM PST depending on availability of the product.
Other than what is stated in the newsletter, we do not release any information on when a particular trainer will be back in stock.
Squid Industries balisong/butterfly knife trainers are manufactured and assembled in the United States.
We accept Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.
For our domestic customers, we are no longer accepting PayPal as a payment method. However, International customers are still able to purchase using PayPal.
Whether you're brand new to flipping or a seasoned expert, our Flipping Tutorials on YouTube will show you step-by-step instructions on how to learn new tricks and combinations. You can check out the playlist at the link below:
Squid Industries Flipping Tutorials
International Shipping
Yes, we ship worldwide, however, we DO NOT ship to Australia, Russia, and Singapore.
Russian and Australian customers can purchase our products on Lamnia.
For orders shipped through DHL, customs fees and import taxes are calculated and included in the product costs; this may result in a higher checkout cost.
For orders shipped through USPS First Class International, customs fees and taxes are not included in the shipping costs. International customers are responsible for any additional payments of customs fees depending on the destination country's import laws and regulations.
*International purchasers assume all risk of loss, theft, customs seizures, clearance, duties, levies, fees, taxes, storage charges, broker fees, and the like associated with international shipments.
Please read our terms and conditions for more information.
Maintenance
In order to keep your balisong/ butterfly knife trainer maintained, you'll first need a Balisong Maintenance Kit.
The T10 torx driver is just like any other screw driver--just make sure that you're keeping it perpendicular to your trainer and fully inserted so that it doesn't slip and strip screw. If you find that the pivots are spinning as you are unscrewing the pivot screws, you can squeeze the handles together in closed position to prevent them from moving. For a more detailed tutorial, read our blog post on "How to Fix Spinning Pivots."
The Loctite 243 is a threadlocker which prevents the screws from coming out. It should be used anytime you take apart your balisong or find that the screws are starting to work their way out of your trainer. Apply about half a rice grain worth onto the threads of the screws (the spirally part beneath the screw head). Try your best to clean out the old loctite before applying a new layer. You can do this by using some sort of pointed object to push it out or by submerging the screw and/or pivot in alcohol or acetone. You should wait a minimum of 12 hours before using your balisong after you've applied the loctite.
The lubricant can be applied at any time whenever you think it's necessary such as if the trainer is moving too slowly. Holding your balisong upright in closed position, drip a small drop onto the top of each washer and blow onto it to get the lubricant to move down and around the washers.
All of our products require a T10 torx driver for disassembly and arrive thread locked. The thread locker may cause the pivots to freely spin during disassembly, preventing you from removing the screws. To counter this, squeeze the handles tightly together as you turn your torx driver.
Check out our blog post on how to tackle stiff handles or follow our guide in our YouTube video .
You can clean any of our trainers with a clean cloth and rubbing alcohol. At Squid Industries, we use 70% Isopropyl alcohol to clean our products.
Loctite® is a thread-locking adhesive used on the screws of our products in order to secure and prevent loosening while flipping. Depending on usage and environment, the Loctite® on the screws will eventually start to wear down and become undone.
When flipping the Squiddy or any balisong, the Loctite® in the screws starts to wear down the longer you use it. Similar to a bike that needs to be maintained in order for it to run and stay in good condition, a balisong requires maintenance in order to keep performing.
Every few weeks of flipping any balisong, it is recommended that you reapply Loctite® and retune the balisong. You can purchase our maintenance kit at the link below or if you don't want to purchase it from us, you can buy these tools (Wiha 362 T10 Torx Driver, Loctite® 243 Thread Locker, Hoppe's No. 9 Lubricating Oil) at any hardware store.
https://www.squidindustries.co/collections/miscellaneous/products/maitenance-kit
We recommend following the videos provided for tips on how to apply Loctite® and how to tune a balisong.
Loctite® Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es7VvcJ3W90
Tuning Video:
To fix stuck screws, check out our Youtube tutorial here on how to tune and maintain your balisong trainer!
No worries! Our warranty policy covers tang, weight, and zen pins that have fallen out. Feel free to use our Contact Us page to inquire about sending your trainer in for a warranty and we will be happy to help.
For more information on what our warranty policy covers, please visit our warranty page .
The nose pin being off-centered doesn't affect the balance of the trainer, however, we understand that it may look a little off.
We recommend using a Mallet and lightly tapping the nose pin through the hole while keeping the flat side of the blade pressed against a table or flat object.
If you are still having trouble, we are always more than happy to take it in for a warranty!
Due to the nature of the plastic material our Squiddy Collection is made from, it is normal to experience handle play and tap. Instead, we recommend focusing on the tolerances at the washers. It should be as tight as possible while allowing free swinging handles.
Orders
The insurance status of an order depends on which shipping method you select. We are not responsible for orders lost or stolen during transit.
Domestic orders placed with Priority Shipping are insured up to $50. Domestic orders placed with USPS First Class are not insured. International orders are not insured. Orders lost or stolen during shipping will not be replaced or refunded.
Please read our terms and conditions for more information.
For issues related to an order (for example: wrong address, ordered the wrong item, etc.) please contact us through the form here and please write down your five digit order number so that we can assist you as soon as possible.
For International Customers: Due to the new implementation of our international shipping partner, we are unable to add items or combine orders. Please contact us through the form for cancellation and replace the order on the website with the correct item(s).
Sometimes when the transaction does not go through, your card is temporarily charged with a “pending” tag due to the nature of online transactions. However, no money should have been deducted from your bank account. The charge should have disappeared or should disappear soon. If it does not disappear within a week, we suggest you contact your bank.
Our Trainers
If you're new to balisong/ butterfly knife flipping or would like to introduce balisong/ butterfly knife flipping to a friend, we recommend the Squiddy, Squiddy-B, or Squiddy-U which are great for people of all ages and skill levels. If you want to become a pro balisong/ butterfly knife flipper, we recommend any of our metal trainers. All of our options are equal in terms of flipping, but the higher priced models have higher build quality which results in better handle play, smoother action, and higher durability.
The Squiddy is made of CPVC material, but does not have the weighted nose pin like the Squiddy-B or Squiddy-U. Both the Squiddy-B and Squiddy-U are made of the same material, Acetal, an engineering thermoplastic used in precision parts. This material is provides more durability. On top of that, they both have a weighted nose pin and silencing mod, which provides a better weight balance and noise reduction when flipping!
Blemished balisong/ butterfly knife trainers are models that didn't pass our inspection process due to cosmetic imperfections (Scratches, dents, discolorations, etc.) but are guaranteed to flip just as well as our new products. They are offered at a discounted price under Calamari Clearance.
Returns
Please refer to our Return Policy page.
Shipping
There have been many cases where the postman misdelivered packages to neighbors or updated the tracking prematurely. We suggest asking your neighbors to see if the package was mistakenly delivered to them. Please also check with your family/ housemates to see if they received the package for you. You may also want to contact your local post office to see if they have any information. If you still have not received your package within 7 days, feel free to contact us and we will see what we can do for you.
To see our shipping prices, you can add the item to your cart and proceed to the checkout screen. Once you have entered in your address, the shipping price will be calculated and displayed.
Yes, we offer Express USPS shipping if you are located in the USA.
Please note that it still requires our shipping team 2 to 5 business days to process and ship orders before the estimated delivery time is applied.
UPDATE: Our order and shipping process has changed to adjust to COVID-19. Please read more here.
Shipment times are determined by your location and the product you purchased. Some items may be held in customs longer than others. For a rough estimate of shipment time, please add an item to cart and proceed to the checkout page where the shipping calculator will provide you with an estimate shipping time. Please keep in mind that it takes us 2 - 5 business days (not including Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and holidays) to process the order before it is shipped out. Estimated shipping time applies after processing is completed.
*Orders placed after 10 am Friday and on the weekends will not be processed until the following Monday-Tuesday.
UPDATE: Our order and shipping process has changed to adjust to Covid-19. Please read more here.
If your package has not arrived within the estimated delivery time, it is important that you contact us as soon as possible so that we can contact DHL and investigate the location/status of your package. In the event that you contact us a month after shipment claiming your package did not arrive, there are no actions that we can take to aid you as DHL has a 30 day policy where if we do not contact them within that time frame regarding the package, they will deem the package as lost and will not be able to reimburse you.
We are not responsible for these international shipping events and will not be able to offer a refund. For more information: Line 14, https://www.squidindustries.co/pages/terms-and-conditions
If you selected USPS for your shipping option, open the following link: https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction input and enter the tracking number you received in your shipping confirmation email.
If you selected DHL for your shipping option, open the following link: https://www.dhl.com/us-en/home/tracking.html and enter the tracking number you received in your shipping confirmation email.
Please note that it takes us 2-5 business days to process your order before we ship it and you receive your tracking number in your email. Estimated shipping times apply after processing is completed.
If you do not have a tracking number and it has been more than five business days since you placed your order, or your order has exceeded the estimated range for delivery, please contact us here.
One of the steps of order processing is printing out the shipping label, which you will get tracking information for. "Pre-shipment Info Sent to USPS, USPS Awaiting Item" means that your order is about to be shipped out and the tracking status should update within a few days.