Trivisa Batwing Knife Review: A Surprising Knife From a Brand With a Checkered History

I bought this knife with my own money. As always.

I have only handled two Trivisa knives in my life. The first one, a Lynx, was genuinely bad — soft lockup, mediocre fit and finish, not something I would carry or recommend to anyone. One out of two is not a track record that inspires confidence.

But I kept seeing the Batwing show up in conversations with reviewers I respect, the specs were interesting, and the price sat right in the range I cover seriously. So I ordered one.

It is a good knife. Not perfect, but genuinely solid for sixty-three dollars, and a lot better than the last Trivisa I put my hands on. Whether that reflects improvement from the brand or just a better model, I cannot say for certain. What I can say is that the Batwing earns its price.

Quick Specs

This is the small version, model Batwing-BM/S. Blade length is 2.99 inches, sheepfoot style, Sandvik 14C28N steel with a black PVD coating, high flat grind, blade thickness of 0.11 inches. Overall length is 6.7 inches, closed is 3.7 inches, weight is 2.42 ounces.

Black Micarta handle, ceramic ball bearing pivot, crossbar lock, wire pocket clip. Hardness rated at 60 plus or minus 2 HRC. Street price is around $65

Feature	Details
Model Tested	Batwing-BM/S (Small Version)
Blade Length	2.99 inches
Blade Steel	Sandvik 14C28N (HRC 60 ± 2) with Black PVD Coating
Blade Grind / Profile	High Flat Grind / Modified Sheepfoot
Blade Thickness	0.11 inches
Overall Length	6.70 inches
Closed Length	3.70 inches
Weight	2.42 ounces
Handle Material	Contoured Black Micarta
Pivot Assembly	Ceramic Ball Bearings
Lock Mechanism	Crossbar Lock
Pocket Clip	Deep-Carry Wire Clip (Ambidextrous, Tip-Up)
Price	Around $65

Background on the Brand

Trivisa is not a household name but they have been around since 2006 and they make a range of folders across different price points and steel options — including some models in M390 and S35VN if you want to spend more.

The Batwing line sits at the budget end of their catalog at around sixty to seventy dollars depending on size and handle material. Based on two knives I cannot draw sweeping conclusions about the brand. What I can tell you is what this specific knife does.

The Blade

The sheepfoot profile is what drew me to the Batwing in the first place. I like sheepfoot blades for EDC work — the spine drops to the tip rather than curving the edge up, which gives you a more controlled cutting geometry for everyday tasks.

The Batwing’s spine comes down to a slightly pointed tip, which Trivisa calls a modified sheepfoot, and it gives you more piercing capability than a pure sheepfoot while keeping that controlled cutting line along most of the edge.

The edge runs nearly straight from heel to tip with just a slight belly. That slight belly is enough to give you some versatility and it does allow you to cut on a flat surface, but I will be honest — I wish there was more of it.

When you are doing close work on a table or cutting board, the scales sit close enough to the surface that your hand clearance is limited. It is workable but you have to be intentional about your grip angle. For in-hand cutting tasks it is a complete non-issue.

What I was not expecting was how well this thing cut. The Sandvik 14C28N came sharp out of the box and performed better than I would normally expect from a steel at this price. The high flat grind thins out nicely behind the edge — the geometry is doing real work here. I cut rope, twine, and paracord and it went through all of it cleanly without hesitation.

A well-executed grind on 14C28N will outperform a lazy grind on a premium steel every time, and Trivisa got the geometry right. The black PVD held up through several weeks of carry without showing significant wear.

The Handle

Black Micarta. One of my favorite handle materials in the knife world. I love how Micarta feels, I love how it ages, and I love that it actually grips when your hands are not perfectly dry. The Batwing’s Micarta is contoured well — the edges are broken and beveled so there are no pressure points or hot spots under hard grip. I pushed this knife through some real cutting work and my hand never complained.

The choil gives you a solid choke-up position for more controlled cuts when you need precision, which I appreciate. Ergonomically Trivisa did their homework here. The handle fills the hand properly without feeling bulky in the pocket.

One thing to know about the scales: they sit proud of the blade, which means you have to commit your thumb into the thumb hole with some intention to get a clean open. It is not a huge issue once you are used to it but it takes adjustment, especially if you are coming from a flipper.

The Wire Clip

This is one of the reasons I bought the Batwing. I am a wire clip guy. A good wire clip stays out of the palm during cutting, does not chew up the inside of your car or your steering wheel, and carries the knife cleanly without adding bulk. The Batwing delivers all of that — tip-up, deep carry, ambidextrous mounting.

The problem is it was extremely tight out of the box. Getting the knife in and out of my pocket for the first couple weeks took real effort. I tried to work it open and it is loosening gradually with carry, but new buyers should know there is a meaningful break-in period before the clip functions the way it should. It will get there. It is just not there on day one.

Deployment and the Crossbar Lock

The crossbar lock on the Batwing is one of its strongest features. Zero blade play in any direction. No lateral wobble, no movement up or down. There is a slight lock stick when you disengage it, which in this context I actually welcome — it tells me the blade is genuinely locked rather than just resting against the bar.

For sixty-three dollars that kind of lockup is not something you can take for granted and Trivisa delivered it.

The ceramic bearing action is smooth and the knife free drops easily. You can thumb flick it, four-finger flick it, or slow roll it open. Because the scales sit proud of the blade you do have to dig your thumb into the oval thumb hole with some purpose, and it takes a few days of carry before the motion becomes instinctive. After several weeks I was comfortable with it. It never became effortless the way a good flipper does, but it became reliable.

Carry

Two point four two ounces. The small Bawing carries light. A closed length of 3.7 inches means it tucks away cleanly in most pockets and the wire clip keeps it positioned well. Several weeks of daily carry and the main friction point was the tight clip early on. Otherwise it just rode along quietly, which is the goal.

Who Should Buy This

If you are knife shopping in the $50–$70 range and want a sheepfoot blade, black Micarta, and a wire clip, this is a knife worth serious consideration. It cuts exceptionally well for the price, the lockup is confidence-inspiring, and the ergonomics are right. It also rewards people who do not need a fast-deploy knife and are comfortable with a thumb hole.

Who Should Skip It

Anyone who does a lot of flat surface cutting and needs meaningful belly in the blade. Anyone who wants fast instinctive deployment — a flipper at this price will serve you better. Anyone who cannot tolerate a stiff clip break-in period.

Final Thoughts

I went into this review with low expectations based on the one other Trivisa I had handled. The Batwing changed those expectations. Not dramatically, not with fireworks — just quietly and consistently over several weeks of real carry and real cutting.

The blade geometry is the standout. The Micarta handle is done right. The crossbar lock is tight. The wire clip is the right call even if it needs time to loosen up. The belly limitation is real and worth knowing before you buy.

At sixty-three dollars for this much knife, it is a legitimate recommendation. Two out of two would have been better. One out of two still gets you to yes on this particular model, and that is what matters when you are the one spending the money.