Opus V2

It was so good I bought a second one 4 days later. That's the review.

Feels totally distinct from a serif or an opus V1. The V2 doesn't feel like anything else in my collection, including the V1. You kind of have to feel it to understand. As usual, Machinewise Fit/finish and QC is second to none. As for which you should get : A Serif or an Opus? Its really up to personal preference, you cannot go wrong with Machinewise. My only regret is that I bought the half dress version, because I want to use an beat the Opus V2.

Won’t be the last Machinewise I ever get but it being my first has set the bar so high I don’t know if it can be topped, I finally understand now what a proper tune is… it’s changed my game forever in the best way possible.

AMAZING QUALITY
Literally no play or tap or bind
Sounds amazing
Amazing upgrade from Opus V1
Best Textured Bali song in the market right now

The photos don't do it justice, it's a work of art. The handles are full of intricate milling, they're soft to the touch and give plenty of grip.

But it's the blade, the way it reflects light is something I didn't expect. It's subtle, but it can sometimes break the light into all the colours of the rainbow, almost like a prism. I've never seen anything like this on a blade "just" from the milling and finish.

I initially wasn't super sure about the flipping, I guess it felt a bit sluggish for me, but taking out the weights made it perfect. It's obviously personal preference here, though, so make sure to try all the configurations for yourself.

Another banger from MachineWise!

Very recently I came across a Balisong YouTube video. I have a couple of regular knives but was curious to the flipping aspect of these knives. I did a few days of video watching various creators to get a sense of what I might want. What I wanted was an edc Balisong, but as a knife too. I purchased a practice Balisong to get comfortable with a couple of simple moves. I'm not motivated to learn a lot of complex moves, they're cool to see but not that important to me. I did pull the trigger on a mid range Kershaw Balisong. Cool knife, pretty heavy but okay. After playing with that a few weeks I watched some more content and began to consider something better and lighter. I still wanted a live blade, you know an actual knife. I was zeroing in on titanium due to strength and weight. I saw the Machinewise knives and initially passed due to the price. I thought something in the $400's was were I wanted to be. The more I researched the more I focused on Squiddy or Machinewise. The reviews for Squiddy were very good but Machinewise were excellent. I knew I wanted a Tanto blade so it was going to be Raken or the Opus V2. I liked the blade profile of the Opus and I liked the story of how Machinewise was started and who they are today. I think I visited their website a dozen times until I figured "why not". Yes, $800 is more than I thought I would spend but I LOVE this knife. Since pulling out of the box I find myself constantly reaching for it. I've been playing with it for a week or so now. I only practice a couple simple opening and closing moves but my goodness, this knife if beautiful to look at and even better to hold! I did find the blade to be a touch on the dull side but with my Hurl I have this razor sharp. The build is great, the blade profile is very attractive, just an all around winner. I realize I'm not the typical buyer of this knife but I am so happy I bought it.

I use this knife just as much as I use my serif, which is impressive because I hardly ever put it down. I love the handles, they feel skinnier than the Serif but in reality it’s minimal.

I went with a plain Opus V2 w/Serif blade. It came with medium weights installed, which I removed. It made the Bali light and floaty, but didn’t carry much momentum so I ordered the Zippy weights and it’s helped a lot.

The build quality is amazing as always. It came with no play, and a great tune.

Basically everything people say is true. It feels THAT good, flips THAT well, and is worth THAT much.
Makes me want to try a Serif next.

I love quality. This is quality

People say that just because you buy a $800 balisong doesnt mean its twice as good as something thats $400 or even 4 times as good as something thats $200, but that doesn’t apply for this knife. I can confidently say that this balisong is worth every penny, I have a live kraken and a live rep, and this knife outshines those in every way. This is many times better than any other Balisong i own, including those 2 somewhat expensive ones i already mentioned. It has the best tune ive ever seen and the blade is really really beautiful. The handles have a really nice grip while also being smooth and comfortable in the hands, the balance is pretty good, i havent swapped to the lighter weights but even with the default handle weights its a slight handle bias with a perfect amount of tip weight which allows it to do fans, rollovers, and chaplins extremely well. The balance is also neutral enough to be really good at more “tech” like tricks. Additionally, it passes the sound test immaculately, it sounds so good and bouncy without being obnoxiously loud. With 100% confidence I can say that this is the best balisong I will ever flip, and while this is the only product of machinewise ive used, I can tell that just from this balisong, that all their products hold up to a similar standard. I have literally nothing negative to say about this knife, it literally could not be any better as every aspect of it is perfect without having to sacrifice anything except it being expensive. My literal only suggestion to anyone who wants to buy this balisong is to buy their carbon honey lube along with it, as I can tell that the lube they use is very good and is meant for such a good tune, I only suggest this so that when you get the balisong and are amazed with how good the lube is, that you dont have to wait for more to come, so just buy them at the same time. All in all, i give it a 10/10 and I am by no means an ‘easy grader,’ I will always have something negative to say about my other balisongs, but with this one I have no such words. It really is amazing how good balisongs can get and I am very thankful for machinewise taking all the big steps required to make such a perfect knife. Thanks!

My knife collection doesn't include a bailsong until now. Figured I'd go with the best. Thumb (with bandage) up!

Hands-down the best Bali I've ever handled. I even prefer the Opus v2 to the Serif. The sound, precision, texture, everything is top notch. Highly recommend. Just do it, you won't regret it.

Love the fit and finish

I came to this from a krake raken v3 live blade and that’s not a terrible knife or anything but this opus v2 just runs laps around it. It’s insane. I feell like my flipping ability doubles when I switch to the opus. Everything is so fast and effortless.

The opus V2 is another banger! Balance, fit/finish, weight .. all A+. People kept saying it was just another sasorri but this feels nothing like a sassori. It is more like a seroupus upgrade with better balance.

Great flipper and one of the best sounding balisongs Ive owned. I am very happy with this purchase.

As someone who's followed Machinewise's balisongs since the Maryn days, it's really cool to see how their design language has progressed and sophisticated itself over the years.

Comparing this to its predecessor the OG Serif, you can see the roots of where the design started. But in direct comparison this new Opus V2 comes off as a more developed, detailed, and dialed in flipper. And it looks sweet too.

It's hard to improve on perfection but Machinewise continues to outdo themselves.

11/10 rating

Looks even better in person. Love the new pattern and it flips incredible!!

Personally, this is the best flipper from MW. All balisongs they make are great. This one just tops the rest imho