Lifetime Collector/Lover of Switchblades and Lockblades
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Lifetime Collector/Lover of Switchblades and Lockblades
New user here, but I've been a collector and lover of switchblades and lockblades since the early 70s. Back then all states had laws against switchblades so I bought lockblades aka flickblades. The first one I ever saw was late 60s, probably a Case, in a knife display in a hardware store. It was a lockblade with a yellow handle and a lockback, which I had never seen before. I didn't buy that but that gave me the knife bug and sooner after did buy a lockblade stiletto from Westbury Sales in New York, from an ad in the back of a magazine. It was 9", with a 4" blade, black plastic handle, and swing guard, and I think it was $2.75. I used a very narrow file to file down the round bottom of the blade where it rotated, and used a lot of 3-in-1 oil to get it nice and loose. I was able to push out the blade a bit and in the same motion flick left and then right to open it quickly. It was a wannabe switchblade but almost as fast. After that I bought several other stiletto lock/flick blades and did the same thing. I even bought cheap steak knives from a grocery store, removed the rivets/pins and handle and use them to throw at telephone poles. Then when I was 13 or 14, and visiting a first cousin, he showed me his switchblade. It had no finger guard and was probably 8" or so, with a black plastic handle. His father, my uncle, was a police officer that worked in the juvenile division at that time, and took the switchblade off some kid. I really wanted that switchblade and pleaded with my cousin for it. He was being kind of a jerk about it and I remember my uncle stepped in and told him to give it to me, as he would confiscate another one for him. My first switchblade!
I never kept any of those knives from my youth, unfortunately. I did buy a switchblade or two when I was in the military and stationed in the Philippines. Later I was stationed in Italy and bought a nice 9" Milano, with a white pearl handle, from a key shop, and was able to take back with me and still have. The rest of my automatic knives are mostly Chinese made I bought outside my local military Base Exchange from a vendor (automatic knives are legal here in Florida). The black one next to my Laguiole was thrown in free from a seller that my wife bought some nice 11" and 13" Italian switchblades as gifts to me. They aren't in the photo because I gave them to my son. The Al Capone lockblade I bought from the Franklin Mint, made in China. The 15" lockblade with the green handle, stamped Rostfrei Italy I bought at from a vendor at a flea market nearby. The lockblade with the wood handle is marked Sheffield Stainless.
Anyway, glad to be a part of the forum, and first off I would love to receive recommendations on trustworthy companies or individual sellers to buy stiletto style switchblades, new or used. Not really into paying hundreds of dollars or more for a knife, but would spend up to $100 to $200 or less for something decent. Thanks!
I never kept any of those knives from my youth, unfortunately. I did buy a switchblade or two when I was in the military and stationed in the Philippines. Later I was stationed in Italy and bought a nice 9" Milano, with a white pearl handle, from a key shop, and was able to take back with me and still have. The rest of my automatic knives are mostly Chinese made I bought outside my local military Base Exchange from a vendor (automatic knives are legal here in Florida). The black one next to my Laguiole was thrown in free from a seller that my wife bought some nice 11" and 13" Italian switchblades as gifts to me. They aren't in the photo because I gave them to my son. The Al Capone lockblade I bought from the Franklin Mint, made in China. The 15" lockblade with the green handle, stamped Rostfrei Italy I bought at from a vendor at a flea market nearby. The lockblade with the wood handle is marked Sheffield Stainless.
Anyway, glad to be a part of the forum, and first off I would love to receive recommendations on trustworthy companies or individual sellers to buy stiletto style switchblades, new or used. Not really into paying hundreds of dollars or more for a knife, but would spend up to $100 to $200 or less for something decent. Thanks!
- whippersnapper
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Re: Lifetime Collector/Lover of Switchblades and Lockblades
Welcome to Talkblade!
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Re: Lifetime Collector/Lover of Switchblades and Lockblades
Welcome aboard, spend some time and get to know people and somebody here will help you out. Do a Google search, find about anything through Google, seek and you will find grasshopper! If you bought something stamped Milano it's most likely not Italian, hope I didn't burst your bubble, doesn't mean it's a bad knife necessarily or a junk knife but most Milano I've seen won't hold a candle to a genuine Italian stiletto. Most anything you find on Chinese sites will be a fake.
2028 candidate for president.
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Re: Lifetime Collector/Lover of Switchblades and Lockblades
glad to have you with us.
- natcherly
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Re: Lifetime Collector/Lover of Switchblades and Lockblades
Welcome aboard!
Re: Lifetime Collector/Lover of Switchblades and Lockblades
Welcome.
"... and he that hath no sword, let him sell his cloak, and buy one" Luke 22:36 Kjv
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Re: Lifetime Collector/Lover of Switchblades and Lockblades
Thanks, Sammy. Actually I've worked in IT my entire career and I'm 66 now, so I've used the Internet before there were even web browsers, and when you had to know Unix command line. Google has democracized the Internet for the masses, and that's a good thing. Anyway, about the switchblade I mentioned being stamped Milano, now that I think about it more, I'm not sure it's the same one I bought when I lived in Italy. I brought one back with me when my military assignment there was over. But unless it was Chinese made and the owner of the key store passed it off as Italian it was the real deal. Maybe I lost that one at some point and picked up that other one, who knows? Quick Italy story, when I was getting ready to fly back from Italy, I stayed in Rome for a few days before my flight. I stopped at a store front where there were a lot of knives on display, and I saw a really thick and long switchblade with what may have been stag horn. It was almost as thick around as my wrist, and there was a thick rubber band around it.sammy the blade wrote: Sat Jan 18, 2025 9:24 pm Welcome aboard, spend some time and get to know people and somebody here will help you out. Do a Google search, find about anything through Google, seek and you will find grasshopper! If you bought something stamped Milano it's most likely not Italian, hope I didn't burst your bubble, doesn't mean it's a bad knife necessarily or a junk knife but most Milano I've seen won't hold a candle to a genuine Italian stiletto. Most anything you find on Chinese sites will be a fake.
Anyway, I've already bought a couple of switchblades, one a 9" with kriss blade and the other a leverlock. I know both are Chinese made but I still like the quality and am okay for the price. Now, if I could find a real Italian stiletto like the one I mentioned above I may pay a higher price to have it in my collection.
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Re: Lifetime Collector/Lover of Switchblades and Lockblades
Hang around and post a wanted to buy and sooner or later someone will probably have one they would part with. Lot's of collectors have doubles because they got a deal they couldn't pass on. Sometimes someone needs some beer money. I'm sure you could find one online somewhere, just have to do some looking and be patient, harder than it sounds.
2028 candidate for president.
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Re: Lifetime Collector/Lover of Switchblades and Lockblades
Hang around and post a wanted to buy and sooner or later someone will probably have one they would part with. Lot's of collectors have doubles because they got a deal they couldn't pass on. Sometimes someone needs some beer money. I'm sure you could find one online somewhere, just have to do some looking and be patient, harder than it sounds.
2028 candidate for president.
Re: Lifetime Collector/Lover of Switchblades and Lockblades
Welcome, 70s LockBlades! You'll meet lots of decent folks on here and surely someone here will be able to help you out.