What can you tell me about this Manual swinguard Stiletto

[Isidors]

I bought this knife some time ago and I would like to know more about it.
Age? It doesn't feel "modern".
Could it have been an auto from the beginning?
Anything you could tell me about it would be interesting.

 

[EChoil]

I bought this knife some time ago and I would like to know more about it.
Age? It doesn't feel "modern".
Could it have been an auto from the beginning?
Anything you could tell me about it would be interesting.

Strictly guessing from the pics, OK?

If the button pushes it was probably an auto at one time, likely a broken or removed spring. In a way it seems like with the swinguard it would have been a full auto as that's quite an enhancement for a manual copy.

If the button does not move, it's always been a manual.

I'm suspect due to the nail nick. I think it may always have been a phony auto. Looks like a bolster release so as to age, I'd guess it's '50's or 60's slum....maybe a carnival prize or something. It's kind of neat really.

 

[Isidors]

Thank you for taking the time to answer!
I feel that it has a nice build quality and good workmanship, which has me leaning more towards an auto being rebuilt.

The button is pressable but has no function, but why would someone keep the button and remove the safety pin? Seems like an awful lot of work, changing blade to one with a nail nick and removing the inner mechanisms just to make it manual.

So it might just be what you said, a phony

I've been looking all over the internet but I haven't found anything like it.

 

[Armadew]

Looks like a Rizzuto Estileto, but I honestly don't remember seeing a manual one with a nail-nick...

My first instinct is its a manual knife made to look like a Rizzuto. I'm no expert however...

 

[EChoil]

Thank you for taking the time to answer!
I feel that it has a nice build quality and good workmanship, which has me leaning more towards an auto being rebuilt.

The button is pressable but has no function, but why would someone keep the button and remove the safety pin? Seems like an awful lot of work, changing blade to one with a nail nick and removing the inner mechanisms just to make it manual.

So it might just be what you said, a phony

I've been looking all over the internet but I haven't found anything like it.

I'd lean toward the nail nick as giving it away as being fake auto.

You sure the blade's been changed? You didn't mention that originally. My guess is the blade is original because of the hassle involved in something like that involving a swing guard.

As to someone removing the spring guts, who knows? Could have been a busted spring that rattled or something and they took it all out. Or all the exterior hardware is only for show.

I still think I'd keep it.

 

[EChoil]

Looks like a Rizzuto Estileto, but I honestly don't remember seeing a manual one with a nail-nick...

My first instinct is its a manual knife made to look like a Rizzuto. I'm no expert however...

Seems to me it would be a lot of hassle to randomly find a blade that would look original with a swinguard package involved. But it's an interesting mystery.

 

[Isidors]

Looks like a Rizzuto Estileto, but I honestly don't remember seeing a manual one with a nail-nick...
My first instinct is its a manual knife made to look like a Rizzuto. I'm no expert however...

It does look to be inspired by Rizzuto Estileto.

I'd lean toward the nail nick as giving it away as being fake auto.
You sure the blade's been changed? You didn't mention that originally. My guess is the blade is original because of the hassle involved in something like that involving a swing guard.
As to someone removing the spring guts, who knows? Could have been a busted spring that rattled or something and they took it all out. Or all the exterior hardware is only for show.
I still think I'd keep it.

I'm sorry I didn't mean that I know that the blade had been changed, I was just thinking about different possibilities. I've been trying to shine a light inside and see if there's any trace of removed parts or something being of. Can't find anything, it does seem that it's been looking this way since it was made. Weird knife.

 

[EChoil]

I'd say it's all original and kind of funky. The nail nick tells the story. The lanyard ring is about as cheesy and badly attached as you can get too, so I don't lean toward it ever having been an auto. Don't take that as a slam on the knife in any way, as I said, it's kind of cool.

The key would be to see if the bolster release works. If it does, it's all original. If it appears functional but doesn't work now, it may have been an auto at one time and was deactivated. But something does "lock" or at least secure the blade in place once open, right? So check that too.

Like I said, it was probably a cheap shelf item, maybe a prize in a Digger machine back in the '50's. Who knows. Keep it. Enjoy it. You might even get a decent edge on it.

 

[Isidors]

I'd say it's all original and kind of funky. The nail nick tells the story. The lanyard ring is about as cheesy and badly attached as you can get too, so I don't lean toward it ever having been an auto. Don't take that as a slam on the knife in any way, as I said, it's kind of cool.
The key would be to see if the bolster release works. If it does, it's all original. If it appears functional but doesn't work now, it may have been an auto at one time and was deactivated. But something does "lock" or at least secure the blade in place once open, right? So check that too.
Like I said, it was probably a cheap shelf item, maybe a prize in a Digger machine back in the '50's. Who knows. Keep it. Enjoy it. You might even get a decent edge on it.

I just want to find out the backstory to it, so you can slander the knife all you want
It's funny you would mention the lanyard ring, I was thinking it looks excactly like the lanyard rings attached to the Rizzuto Estileto ones, kinda handmade and a bit of. There is no locking mechanism whatsoever, which is also weird.

 

[Isidors]

Compared to the real ones
http://autoknife.com/images/product...ilanoTraditionalSwinguardBayonetAutomatic.JPG

 

[killgar]

Fake auto from the beginning.

Between the nail nick, and the fact that there is only one pin holding the handle in place above the "button". On a real stiletto switchblade with that type of button there would need to be two handle pins above the button. The sear and rocker arm (blade release mechanism) would need room (between the two pins). Take a look at any real stiletto switchblade and you will see two handle pins above the button.

Also, there is no hole in the blade for a blade catch to go into and keep the knife closed. Again, look at the blade of a real stiletto switchblade and you'll see a little hole in the tang on the button side of the knife.

And there doesn't appear to be a slot in the handle for the safety to be pushed forward and back.

Out of curiosity, does it have a lock? I don't see any indication of one.

Here's a pic to show what I'm talking about. Notice the hole in the blades, the two pins above the button and slot for the safety (top knife).

 

[Isidors]

Fake auto from the beginning.
Between the nail nick, and the fact that there is only one pin holding the handle in place above the "button". On a real stiletto switchblade with that type of button there would need to be two handle pins above the button. The sear and rocker arm (blade release mechanism) would need room (between the two pins). Take a look at any real stiletto switchblade and you will see two handle pins above the button.
Also, there is no hole in the blade for a blade catch to go into and keep the knife closed. Again, look at the blade of a real stiletto switchblade and you'll see a little hole in the tang on the button side of the knife.
And there doesn't appear to be a slot in the handle for the safety to be pushed forward and back.
Out of curiosity, does it have a lock? I don't see any indication of one.
Here's a pic to show what I'm talking about. Notice the hole in the blades, the two pins above the button and slot for the safety (top knife).

Nice fact about the two handle pins, I had no knowledge of that.
The blade part I knew
There is no locking mechanism.

I thought it was weird that I couldn't find any fake-auto/manual swinguard/stiletto imitation like this one online, maybe nobody bothered to ask or upload images of one. Usually you can find anything on the internet.

 

[killgar]

Fake switchblades are not unheard of.

Is there any marking to indicate where it was made?

If you post pics over in the Bernard Levine knife identification sub-forum someone might be able to give you some information about it. You can find Bernard Levine's sub-forum by clicking on the white "Forum" button at the top left of the screen under the Bladeforums logo. That will take you to the forum directory. Bernard's sub-forum is in the top box/group of sub-forums in the directory.

The knife looks to be in very good shape. If it is vintage, it could have collectors value. It's not uncommon for old, even "cheap" knives to be sought after by collectors. Cheap knives rarely survived very long, and that makes the ones that did survive more rare, and sometimes valuable as a result, particularly if they are in good condition.

If your knife was made in Japan, I'd say that's a good sign. If it was made in China, I'd say forget about collectors value. But I'm no expert. Just somewhat knowledgeable.

In any event, it's a cool knife. I've always had an affection for folding stilettos, both auto and manual, and I have a bit of a collection (including the two in the pic I posted). Thanks for sharing yours.

 

[Isidors]

Fake switchblades are not unheard of.

Is there any marking to indicate where it was made?

If you post pics over in the Bernard Levine knife identification sub-forum someone might be able to give you some information about it. You can find Bernard Levine's sub-forum by clicking on the white "Forum" button at the top left of the screen under the Bladeforums logo. That will take you to the forum directory. Bernard's sub-forum is in the top box/group of sub-forums in the directory.

The knife looks to be in very good shape. If it is vintage, it could have collectors value. It's not uncommon for old, even "cheap" knives to be sought after by collectors. Cheap knives rarely survived very long, and that makes the ones that did survive more rare, and sometimes valuable, particularly if they are in good condition.

If your knife was made in Japan, I'd say that's a good sign. If it was made in China, I'd say forget about collectors value. But I'm no expert. Just somewhat knowledgeable.

In any event, it's a cool knife. I've always had an affection for folding stilettos, both auto and manual, and I have a bit of a collection (including the two in the pic I posted). Thanks for sharing yours.

Thank you for sharing what you know!
I know of fake switchblades, just can't find any like this.
I will take a look on the Bernard sub-forum!
The knife is in really good shape and I think it's "vintage". It has that feel anyway.
If it was made in China or Japan, I have no idea.
Would be swell if it was worth more than I paid for it, which it most likely is, if it's not, I still have a sweet looking folder.

 

[Isidors]

Just found this on ebay:

It also has a nail nick and a button.
No swinguard though and it has a lock.
The closest I've gotten

 

[killgar]

Just a friendly heads-up, but it's against forum rules to post links to ebay or vendors who are not paid sponsors of Bladeforums.

 

[Isidors]

Just a friendly heads-up, but it's against forum rules to post links to ebay or vendors who are not paid sponsors of Bladeforums.

Thank you! Problem solved

 

[Hickory n steel]

I would guess that it's a 1980's+ faux switchblade ( the stainless Steel stamp looks just like what we see today ), before that switchblades were perfectly legal so it probably would've been an actual auto ( it's likely made in Asia somewhere )

 

[Isidors]

I would guess that it's a 1980's+ faux switchblade ( the stainless Steel stamp looks just like what we see today ), before that switchblades were perfectly legal so it probably would've been an actual auto ( it's likely made in Asia somewhere )

Might just be, do you think it could have been older parts used to make this knife? Adjusting the product to the market so to speak.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Might just be, do you think it could have been older parts used to make this knife? Adjusting the product to the market so to speak.

Anything is possible, but they may have Just known how to give the knife a classic look and feel.
There are switchblades without locks, so maybe the company made slipjoints and Auto's and just utilized the same handles for both .