UNUSUAL FINDS at the flea -- Group B

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button_man
Posts: 632
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2019 2:08 pm

UNUSUAL FINDS at the flea -- Group B

Post by button_man »

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[ Please see my previous post for explanatory information ]


Group B includes the following:

1. 11 3/4" manual-open stiletto with nickel-silver bolsters, fully lined guards; synthetic "horn" scales; and ricasso stamps that read 'T.I.C.' over 'ITALY' on the obverse and 'PATS.' over 'PEND.' on the reverse. Locks up rock-solid -- except there is no actual blade lock. The truly bizarre aspect of this knife is the presence of a small sheep's-foot blade which pivots from the back bolster. It is such an utterly incongruous thing to find on a stiletto-style knife..... I keep looking at it and just shaking my head in disbelief. What on earth were they thinking? The nickel-silver bolsters and brass-lined guards lead me to believe that this knife may have been made very soon after the 1958 ban.... quite possibly with materials left over from making real switchblades.

TIC__1610_c__ricasso.jpg
TIC__1610_c__ricasso.jpg (275.45 KiB) Viewed 1834 times
TIC__1617_c__sheepsfoot__REV_open.jpg
TIC__1617_c__sheepsfoot__REV_open.jpg (482.19 KiB) Viewed 1834 times
TIC__1620_c__sheepsfoot__OBV_open.jpg
TIC__1620_c__sheepsfoot__OBV_open.jpg (433.47 KiB) Viewed 1834 times


2. 10 3/4" manual-open lock-back stiletto with nickel-silver bolsters, fully lined guards; and horn scales that show chipping at the ends.... possibly from being carried in a pocket with keys, coins, etc. The ricasso stamp reads ' Stainless Steel' in cursive script over 'ITALY'. When open, there is some S2S and U&D blade wobble, but otherwise everything seems okay. The deployment button is spring-loaded and will press down, but of course it doesn't actually do anything. Once again, the nickel-silver bolsters and brass-lined guards make me tthink that this knife may have been made right after the 1958 ban, with materials left over from making switchblades.

dummy_button__1611_c__OBV_open.jpg
dummy_button__1611_c__OBV_open.jpg (152.39 KiB) Viewed 1834 times


3. This is the real "ugly duckling" of the bunch.... a 7 7/16" OAL leverlock that has synthetic deer-foot scales; a blade that will not stay closed; front liners that look like they have been pried apart with a screwdriver; and gobs of solder on the pivot pin and on a bail mend. I only bought it at the last minute because the seller agreed to throw it in with the others for $20 more, and because it has an interesting ricasso stamp: a little humanoid figure with a bow-tie who is holding up a sphere that seems to be taking the place of his head.... the sphere contains the word 'SUPER' both vertically and horizontally.
The scale on the reverse is stamped "PAT. 131428." I doubt if this is worth the money it would cost to fix it up; but I've never seen anything like it and it's certainly worth twenty bucks just as an oddball item in the collection.

SUPER__1626_c__OBV_pin.jpg
SUPER__1626_c__OBV_pin.jpg (238.67 KiB) Viewed 1834 times

SUPER__1629_c__REV_pin.jpg
SUPER__1629_c__REV_pin.jpg (92.18 KiB) Viewed 1834 times
SUPER__1631_c__OBV_scales.jpg
SUPER__1631_c__OBV_scales.jpg (305.28 KiB) Viewed 1834 times
SUPER__1635_c__PAT_131428.jpg
SUPER__1635_c__PAT_131428.jpg (280.82 KiB) Viewed 1834 times

If anybody has seen the 'T.I.C.' stamp, or a stiletto knive with a sheep's-foot blade tacked on, I would love to hear about it!
Likewise for the synthetic deer-foot creation that keeps making me laugh just because it's so ridiculous.

Well, there you have it..... between the two Groups, six more knives with some pretty unusual stuff included.
As usual, I don't mind revealing the purchase price: a total of $330 for all six pieces. On the whole, I don't think that I got taken too badly on this deal....

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Last edited by button_man on Sat Jul 10, 2021 9:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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john
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Re: UNUSUAL FINDS at the flea -- Group B

Post by john »

More cool finds!
Your friend on the web's most friendly community on knives and blades,
John

Massachusetts Where Everything is Illegal or Taxed
button_man
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Re: UNUSUAL FINDS at the flea -- Group B

Post by button_man »

-------------------------------------

I ran out of room for photos..... here is the full picture of the faux deer-foot knife,
and a close-up of the pried bolsters at the pivot point -- plus the ricasso marking --


SUPER__1624_c__OBV_open.jpg
SUPER__1624_c__OBV_open.jpg (495.43 KiB) Viewed 1816 times
SUPER__1640_c__pried_liners.jpg
SUPER__1640_c__pried_liners.jpg (81.85 KiB) Viewed 1816 times
SUPER__1637_c__OBV_ricasso.jpg
SUPER__1637_c__OBV_ricasso.jpg (55.08 KiB) Viewed 1816 times


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natcherly
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Re: UNUSUAL FINDS at the flea -- Group B

Post by natcherly »

The builder of that knife must have had a headache to think up that ricasso mark!
download.png
download.png (6.5 KiB) Viewed 1801 times
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Bill DeShivs
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Re: UNUSUAL FINDS at the flea -- Group B

Post by Bill DeShivs »

"Made from leftover switchblade parts" is a misnomer.
The Italians didn't stop making switchblades when the US ban took effect, so it's safer to say these knives used some of the same parts that switchblades used. Nickel silver bolsters were used until the 1970s.
Your deer foot knife is Japanese.
Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler
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Factory authorized repairs for:
Latama, Mauro Mario, LePre, Colonial, Kabar, Flylock, Schrade Cut Co., Presto, Press Button, Hubertus, Grafrath, Kuno Ritter knives, Puma, Burrell Cutlery.
button_man
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Re: UNUSUAL FINDS at the flea -- Group B

Post by button_man »

---

"You're suffering from Blade Withdrawal, Mr. Natch..... buy two knives, and call me in the morning....."
button_man
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Re: UNUSUAL FINDS at the flea -- Group B

Post by button_man »

.

Thanks Bill..... when did the Italian makers stop lining the guards with brass extending from the liners?

And have you ever seen a stiletto-type knife with a 2nd small blade, like the T.I.C. knife?
(I keep wondering whether there were any real switchblades made with the T.I.C. mark.... )
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Bill DeShivs
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Re: UNUSUAL FINDS at the flea -- Group B

Post by Bill DeShivs »

There is no real answer to your first question, but "generally" in the early-mid 1970s.
I have owned one of the double blade knives. After the 1958 ban makers and importers were trying to "civilize" the stiletto.
Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler
http://www.billdeshivs.com
Factory authorized repairs for:
Latama, Mauro Mario, LePre, Colonial, Kabar, Flylock, Schrade Cut Co., Presto, Press Button, Hubertus, Grafrath, Kuno Ritter knives, Puma, Burrell Cutlery.
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jim d,
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Re: UNUSUAL FINDS at the flea -- Group B

Post by jim d, »

. buy two knives, and call me in the morning.....". :lol: :lol:

I used to work for Bayer, many moons ago...

Jim
frank2104
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Re: UNUSUAL FINDS at the flea -- Group B

Post by frank2104 »

Like Bill said I think the sheepsfoot blade was put there for some type of import compliance. The false buttons came in many variations, non spring and spring loaded buttons some even had safeties. The green handled knife is a step bolster that could have predated rizzys,not sure but the scales are uncommon. Nice finds.
portlandmike
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Re: UNUSUAL FINDS at the flea -- Group B

Post by portlandmike »

I have seen that "super" tang stamp on a Bullfighter
button_man
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Re: UNUSUAL FINDS at the flea -- Group B

Post by button_man »

.

mike ~ Is this "bullfighter" the cheap Mexican type leverlock with plastic scales that show a bullfighter on one side,
and a sort of stylized dragon on the other side...? If it's something different, then I'm not sure what sort of knife you mean.
portlandmike
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Re: UNUSUAL FINDS at the flea -- Group B

Post by portlandmike »

button_man wrote: Tue Jul 13, 2021 9:09 pm .

mike ~ Is this "bullfighter" the cheap Mexican type leverlock with plastic scales that show a bullfighter on one side,
and a sort of stylized dragon on the other side...? If it's something different, then I'm not sure what sort of knife you mean.
yes, exactly what i meant
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