Mpark, a bale is what connects the leather part of the shoulder strap to the hardware, if you take a look at an authentic balenciaga the bales will be perfectly round, have a thicker appearance, and have a certain amount of space between that and the leather strap. Authentic Balenciaga's only have rounded bales -- never will you find an authentic bag with a square bale...
although there are some superfakes that almost have the bale correct, so please dont use that as your only way to distinguish a fake. there is always something wrong in a fake bag, they never get it 100%.