Amusing Knife Ads

herder said:
The 1958 United States Federal ban on switchblades had a devastating effect on not only American made autos, but also those from Europe including Italy.
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I remember the springless versions when I was a kid in NY. It was possible to obtain the real ones under the table. The son of the local car garage mechanic used to bring the ones from Italy with the springs still in them allegedly "from Mexico." In hindsight, they were probably left over stock from his dad's garage.
 
Other than slamming the competition, what on earth is that Case ad even advertising? Division free scale? Double strength at the tangs? What is keeping lint from getting in their knives?
Do any of these claims actually mean anything?
 
herder said:
The 1958 United States Federal ban on switchblades had a devastating effect on not only American made autos, but also those from Europe including Italy. Every kid in the late 1950s and early 1960s (and throughout time for that matter) wanted a real "spring fired" knife. There must have been some shock and sorrow when young lads received their switchblades in the mail after 1958 only to find out that they had no springs.
Italy never stopped producing switchblade knives, but their market shrunk greatly after 1958. New and old Switchblades are once again quite commonly found in the US.
Enclosed is an ad from 1959 which states "Closes With Lightning Speed" :)

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I think it might have been as early as the 1920's here :( I remember one of my grandfathers showing me the switch-blade and Luger he brought back from WW2, with all the braggadocio of a 14 year-old! :D "Closes With Lightning Speed"! Priceless! :D :thumbsup:
 
MerryMadMonk said:
Case Brothers Ad circa early 1900s (excerpted from The Knife Makers Who Went West, by Harvey Platts)
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They didn't sugarcoat it, did they? :D
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Neat ad and they were a little rough on their competition. :)
 
Dr-Mabuse said:
Other than slamming the competition, what on earth is that Case ad even advertising? Division free scale? Double strength at the tangs? What is keeping lint from getting in their knives?
Do any of these claims actually mean anything?
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Division free scale means no center liner between the blades, which along with thicker tangs made the blade well wide enough that small particles don't get caught in there, but simply fall free. As with most ad copy, the truth isn't always present, but it makes some sense.
 
Matchstick figures! I never realized the extent of matchstick potential as artistic raw material!
 
That KeenKutter ad with the dog would bring howls of protest today!!
I wonder if it did back then??
 
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