"Ti" Fight: Armed Shark Gale VS Baliplus Squiggle Replicant

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Before I get into it, note that this review is quite old. It was originally written in mid-December 2022, before I got my current favorite clone balisong (TheOne Tsunami). I have since sold both of these balis for various reasons: The Gale was just a bit too heavy for my preferences, and I found the texturing on the Squiggle to be uncomfortable. That said, both are still excellent flippers and great value, and the following impressions still stand.

Armed Shark Gale

I'll start with this and keep it relatively short, because it's already been talked about quite a lot. First off, it weighed in at 4.47oz on my scale which is just a hair heavier than a real Gale. This is also the heaviest bali in my collection (I know much heavier exist, of course) and honestly I think it's a bit too heavy for my liking.

Also, interestingly, this is one of the smaller balis in my collection. I had to add the Zippy slim caps just because the higher weight combined with smaller size made it feel oddly dense to flip around. Something about the design of the Gale just makes you think it would be bigger, lol.

Quality-wise, this thing is unbelievable, especially for the price. Full titanium handles for ~$110?? Insanity. The machining looks very high quality to my (admittedly untrained) eye, and the grip all around is amazing thanks to the bead-blasted Ti + ample hole pattern + massive speed channels. Relative heftiness aside, the AS Gale is an absolute joy to flip.

The tune is also pretty great. To be fair, the bushings are a tad oversized but there is no tap whatsoever, and the swing is impeccable. I haven't had the screws back out on me yet either in the couple days I've had it so far, which is pretty rare for clones AFAIK. And of course the hardware is top-notch; T10 pivot screws are a very welcome addition compared to most other clones.

My only complaint (besides the heft) is that it sounds a bit odd. I think this might have something to do with whatever material they're using for the zen pin barrels, but it sounds weirdly muted. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I wish it had the crisp/louder ring that the original Gale had. It does seem to be getting louder as it breaks in, though, so maybe this will work itself out over time.

Also, a much smaller point, but the smaller hole pattern leading up to the pivots combined with what feels/looks like a tapering effect results in some slightly lackluster grip in that area. It just feels very thin near the pivots and kinda difficult to grip. Generally, this doesn't matter, but it can make the bali feel a bit slippery when doing an index rollover into a Y2K/Zen thumb rollover, for example. You do get used to it, but it's not great.

Baliplus Squiggle Replicant

Ah yes, the new kid on the block: B+ Squiggle Rep. I was really excited for this guy, as I love titanium trainers and also was eager to try out the floating washer system.

Now that I have it in hand, my feelings are a bit... mixed. I think overall this is a great clone, but Baliplus does some weird stuff with their clones that leaves me scratching my head.

As for the positives, it feels great to flip. The sandwich design combined with insanely deep texturing and the ample hole pattern means that grip is great all around. The handles are slightly rectangular (wider in the X than Z dimension) and wider overall than the Gale handles, so IMO the grip is actually overall better than the Gale. I also personally have a preference for rectangular handles that are wider than usual in the X dimension and narrower than usual in the Z dimension, so YMMV.

Should also mention that it came in at 4.35oz on my scale, which is really light for a Rep! This is much more within my comfort zone of weight for flipping compared to the Gale. It feels nice and agile while still being very controllable.

It also looks awesome, and very high quality. The machining looks great, the raw Ti is beautifully reflective and shiny, and personally I actually really enjoy the simple trainer blades that Rep clones tend to sport. I really prefer the look of this over just about any "normal" Rep with G10/CF scales.

Also, it sounds surprisingly good? I've heard a lot of people complain about the sound of the B+ Squiggle but I think it sounds awesome. Very crisp and clacky. I enjoy the sound a lot, one of my favorites in my collection I'd say.

Now, as for the negatives, there are a couple. First of all, just like my B+ Naut, the handle gap seems worryingly small. WHY?! I would really feel a lot better about the longevity of this thing if the stock handle gap were bigger... And it would be a marginally better flipping experience as well.

Also, partially due to the small gap, the blade slaps on the insides of the spacers if the bali is closed too hard. This doesn't really matter, but it is pretty annoying.

All that said, this is still a great balisong. Especially for the price, it is insane value. ~$80 for full Ti handles is just plain ridiculous.

Conclusion

Very impressed with my first two titanium clones. These are both great options and IMO you can't really go wrong with either.

I have an AS Carbon Fiber Nautilus on the way as well, so look forward to a comparison between that and the B+ Naut ;)

I'm also eyeing the TheOne Tsunami, but we'll see about that one...

Anyways, as always, thanks for reading! :)

EDIT: Should mention the balance points of each. From what I could tell, the Squiggle is surprisingly neutral (like very very neutral) while the Gale is actually slightly handle biased. Both well balanced and great flippers though, of course.