Super Automatics

[tr4252]

"Snock, twang boing!"

"Not frackin' even!"

".....mos' correctness!"

I don't know from nothin' about the knife, but I like the evaluations.

Tom

[Saikuri]

I doubt very much their being made again, some would have turned up for wholesale to sellers by now otherwise, and We'd probably own one.

[whippersnapper]

The more I thought about this, the more I think that the ones that have showed up are someones stash of old stock. It just seemed like I had been seeing them offered by more than a couple sellers at the same time. That just seemed like more than a coincedence. I guess only time will tell for sure.

[JerrBear]

I have one that was made in China. I doubt very much it's NOS... Real junky POS, even by "Nato" standards!

[swingking]

The last ones i got my hands on were from a collector in germany, But there are some others floating around, But no one want to say who is getting them........Or, Were...

I just like the NATO knives for some reason, I know a guy who has 3 models of the NATO's now for sale, But getting him to sell a dozen at a time, Is not a easy task....

[johnny blade]

There are many handle names of this same pattern of knife "nato military" super automatic" "secret agent" "star automatic" Ect. This pattern has been around for decades. Even though It's no Microtech, It's shape makes it the most famous of all OTF knives.

[gnirolf]

.

[JerrBear]

HOLY SHIT, GNIROLF!

DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU HAVE TO POST THIS SEVEN JIMPIN' TIMES?

ARE YOU NUTZ???

[j.a.c.]

Mr. Jerrbear , iffin you've ever seen their judges at the Olympics , I didn't think they even knew what a sever wasness. they mostly give 3.2 - 3.5 for scores.

[whiskers]

don't make me use this

[Tom19176]

I was not a member when this posted, but I will add some info now on the NATO/Super Automatics/swing guards clones. Bell Metal in Korea produced the NATO and Super Auto ( written in script) from the mid 1960s till the mid to late 1990s. These were the higher quality of the cheap front openers. I know Barry Adams from Adams International used KO AMERICAN importers in NYC since they were the importers of these knives ( I knew them also as there display store was in the city). They also imported the 11" and 9" swing guards and a few lever action knives that said automatic on the handles or were blank. The other front openers at the time were from Tawain and were of lesser quailty. China had entered the market with these in the mid 1990s and is the only one making them in low numbers now. What you see offered now that is the real Bell Metal company offerings are left over stock. When the laws changed in many countries Bell Metal moved away from making them. I remember going to Spain, Italy, France and Germany in the 1970s and seeing these and others sold everywhere !!! I believe it was the Louve ( if not another museum) that actually had the super automatic for sale in the gift display window...how things have changed !!! In Italy, St Peter's Square had several push carts that different items were sold from and all of them had switchblades, one was all switchblades, and many had religious pictures on them !!!! Those were the days for ghuys like us.....

[johnny blade]

I once had one of the "secret agent" otf's. The tang stamp said "BELL" The quality was crap. The handles that say "NATO MILITARY" and have the "GERMANY' tang stamp are of better quality. The ones that say "super automatic" written on them with pinned bolsters are the best version of this pattern of otf IMHO. Not sure where the "STAR" otf fits in as I have never handled one. I think someone should start making a high quality version of this old favorite!

[Tom19176]

I have run accross a few of those cheap OTFs marked Bell also. They were not the ones I was reffering too and I think they may have been made elsewhere and marked Bell....The pinned ones are the real Bell models.

[krakenten]

I remember an awful movie I saw in the 70's, called, "Make Them Die Slowly", where the nimrod male lead, pursued by cannibals in the jungle takes out a NATO otf and opens it for effect.

Not much of an effect, they gelded him and ate his brains while he was still alive.

The Star and NATO knive seem to be identical, could be the Star was sold in Central America, where anything even vaguely military was contraband-to the extent of making most shades of green illegal.

Strange world.

[gunner]

Make Them DIe Slowly!! Those ghastly Italian cannibal films. That scene was great!!! I love the older pinned frame Natos & Supers, collected a few but they show up rarely, a recent Ebay one got pulled