Today's haul from the flea

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Fishtail Picklock
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Re: Today's haul from the flea

Post by Fishtail Picklock »

The "International Orange" scaled knives were early to mid-1970s Navy issue. After they continued disappearing from pilot-issued outfits, they went to the shroud-line cutter hook alone.
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Bill DeShivs
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Re: Today's haul from the flea

Post by Bill DeShivs »

The orange MC1 knives were issued from the mid-late 1950s until the 1980s.
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Fishtail Picklock
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Re: Today's haul from the flea

Post by Fishtail Picklock »

Bill DeShivs wrote: Thu Oct 07, 2021 5:22 pm The orange MC1 knives were issued from the mid-late 1950s until the 1980s.
You're right, Bill. After I left Naval Aviation, I lost track of when they began issuing the "shroud line hook only" unit. The military was exempt from the Switchblade Control Act. I heard that they were going to quit issuing them before I left the Navy. :roll:
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button_man
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Re: Today's haul from the flea

Post by button_man »

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I just checked my other whilte Rizzuto and sure enough, it has the filigreed bail, just as I remembered.

I would be interested to know if anyone here has a Rizzuto with a plain bail, as seen in my second photo on this thread.

For whatever it's worth, I also notice that the plain-bail Rizzie has a rounded deployment button;
whereas the Rizzie with the filigreed bail has a button with a flattened top......

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Fishtail Picklock
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Re: Today's haul from the flea

Post by Fishtail Picklock »

I had two plain bail Rizzuto Clones. They had round-top buttons. The current clone I have has the filigree bail and the round-top button. (I picked this one up in May of 2021).
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button_man
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Re: Today's haul from the flea

Post by button_man »

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Fishtail ~ What aspects of these knives show them to be clones, and not Rizzutos?
Do they have the fins on either side of the blade channel near the back bolster, or what?
Can you post photos of whatever details prove them to be clones? Thanks!

P.S. ~ Do you see anything to indicate that my plain-bail Rizzuto might be a fake or clone?
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Fishtail Picklock
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Re: Today's haul from the flea

Post by Fishtail Picklock »

As far as I know, the original Estiletto Rizzuto Milano knives had the stamp on the blade and the filigree bail. If memory serves, the originals came from Korea or Japan (perhaps BillDeShivs can help me remember which is correct).

All I know for certain is that the originals came from the Far East and often had loose button-side swing guards. The knives with the bayonet blade had the stamps behind the false edge of the blade on the button side. The scales were either black plastic or faux Ivory.

The "originals" were flooding the Mexican border-town markets during the early 1970s.
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Panzerfaust
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Re: Today's haul from the flea

Post by Panzerfaust »

Bill DeShivs wrote: Thu Oct 07, 2021 5:22 pm The orange MC1 knives were issued from the mid-late 1950s until the 1980s.
Do you know if these were sold at PX stores? There sure are a lot of them on the market and this isn't something the military would have sold as surplus.
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Bill DeShivs
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Re: Today's haul from the flea

Post by Bill DeShivs »

TMK they were never sold-only issued.
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jerryk25
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Re: Today's haul from the flea

Post by jerryk25 »

My dad was a PFC in WWII , medical discharge just before VJ day.
He brought home an all metal Edgemaster single blade with a tail end bail. Looked like a paratrooper issue.
But all metal edgemasters were NEVER military issue.
He bought it at a PX in Kansas. He was never "issued" an automatic.

Anyone living in the "Family bungalos" could shop at the PX.
This was before the "orange handled" knives.

I think this is how stories get started about this or that knife being "Issued". Or "Paratroopers" being sold.

Bill Mauldin was a news reporter, cartoonist who drew "Willie and Joe" soldier cartoons for "Stars and Stripes" newspaper.
He wrote two books with his cartoons . . . "Up Front" and "Back Home". Dad bought both books, I still have them.
Mauldin had a character movie part with Audie Murphy in the movie "Red Badge of Courage".

In one of the cartoon single page illustrations, Willie and Joe are talking. . .
and two fresh guys with unshaven faces trying to look "dusty/dirty."
Willie says to Joe . . "We calls them "garritroopers" . . . too far forward to wear ties, to far back to get shot."

Dad recalled that there was a big fuss over guys buying thick soled paratrooper boots, and wearing them in uniform,
when they were never issued that particular gear. And if you got busted carrying a switchblade like a paratrooper,
you'd get tossed into the brig.. . . He had to take care to hide his knife until he got home in 1945.

I suspect that somewhere in a PX before 1957, somebody bought a knife on the underground,
when they answered where they got it . . .rather than incriminate their "connection". . . They said they got it at the PX.

I had never seen one in person until about 1988-1990. then I saw them at gun shows all the time.
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button_man
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Re: Today's haul from the flea

Post by button_man »

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Fishtail Picklock wrote: Fri Oct 08, 2021 5:52 pm The current clone I have has the filigree bail and the round-top button. (I picked this one up in May of 2021).

I still don't understand why you describe this knife as a Rizzuto "clone" and not just a Rizzuto.
What aspect of this knife is different from an ordinary Rizzuto.....?

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button_man
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Re: Today's haul from the flea

Post by button_man »

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Jerry ~ My dad was in ETO 1944.... Battle of the Bulge, crossing the Rhine, besieging submarine pens, busting open prison camps, you name it.
Landed on the coast of France and ended up at the Czech border. He had "Up Front" and I was fascinated by it.... I used to read it for hours.
He passed away in 2018 and in his little home office there is still pinned up what apparently was his favorite Willie & Joe cartoon....
--the sergeant is saying "I need a couple guys what don't owe me no money for a little routine patrol".

Bill_Mauldin__routine_patrol.jpg
Bill_Mauldin__routine_patrol.jpg (30.28 KiB) Viewed 1874 times


R.I.P. Mr. Mauldin.... you're a swell guy. -- https://flgrube1.tripod.com/id306.html

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Fishtail Picklock
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Re: Today's haul from the flea

Post by Fishtail Picklock »

button_man wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 9:42 pm .
Fishtail Picklock wrote: Fri Oct 08, 2021 5:52 pm The current clone I have has the filigree bail and the round-top button. (I picked this one up in May of 2021).

I still don't understand why you describe this knife as a Rizzuto "clone" and not just a Rizzuto.
What aspect of this knife is different from an ordinary Rizzuto.....?

.
It doesn't have the "Estiletto Rizzuto Milano" lettering stamped on the port side of the blade behind its false edge. The original Rizzutos all had them.
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button_man
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Re: Today's haul from the flea

Post by button_man »

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Fishtail ~ Ah, the light dawns...! Your Oct 9 post said "the original Estiletto Rizzuto Milano knives had the stamp on the blade..."
--but did not actually make it clear that your knife was lacking these markings. Could you post a photo or two of this knife?
I would be very interested to see if there are any other apparent differences.

.
Fishtail Picklock
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Re: Today's haul from the flea

Post by Fishtail Picklock »

button_man wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 12:13 pm .

Fishtail ~ Ah, the light dawns...! Your Oct 9 post said "the original Estiletto Rizzuto Milano knives had the stamp on the blade..."
--but did not actually make it clear that your knife was lacking these markings. Could you post a photo or two of this knife?
I would be very interested to see if there are any other apparent differences.

.
I sincerely apologize, but I am unable to take pictures with my laptop. (I have a Tracphone "flip phone" so that isn't an option).

Just visualize an 8"- 8.5" Rizzuto without any identifying markings except "stainless steel" on the blade's port side ricasso and a filigree bail.

That's it.
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