Italian stilettos

45collector

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Who else loves old Italian switchblades/ stilettos? I’ve been collecting them for years. Yesterday I found an oddity at the local flea market. It’s an RJ Richter, made in Italy. It looks like an auto but it has no mechanism/ cut outs for it. The button has a spring behind it, but it’s just a fake. Never seen one like this in 30+ years of knife collecting.

D4B5048B-7AF7-4BDD-A86D-B58FECDE95BE.jpeg

It’s very well made and tight as a drum. For $5 I think it’s a steal. There was a genuine hitler youth knife next to it, marked at $200. No thanks.

F17AED43-3183-4DD5-87C9-9FE63C952B9A.jpeg
 
I feel like they where really common when I was a kid, but then again I grew up in Revere when most everyone was Italian. But, the ones I've handled all seemed crappy.
like them saw ones that were over 2' opened; most were novelty junk. you really have to pay fro a high end or custom one to be any good
 
I feel like they where really common when I was a kid, but then again I grew up in Revere when most everyone was Italian. But, the ones I've handled all seemed crappy.

I have some Beltrame knives. They were the original family to make Italian stilettos. The grandson Francisco still makes them in Maniago, Italy. They are top quality and not cheap. I have some cheap $20 China-made ones too. They are definitely inferior quality.
 
I've had quite a few over the years, from the 60s to today. the one you mention was made in the late 60s, a 'fake' switchblade. you can always tell by the nail index to open the blade
 
Who else loves old Italian switchblades/ stilettos? I’ve been collecting them for years. Yesterday I found an oddity at the local flea market. It’s an RJ Richter, made in Italy. It looks like an auto but it has no mechanism/ cut outs for it. The button has a spring behind it, but it’s just a fake. Never seen one like this in 30+ years of knife collecting.

View attachment 290281

It’s very well made and tight as a drum. For $5 I think it’s a steal. There was a genuine hitler youth knife next to it, marked at $200. No thanks.

View attachment 290282
that one you found must be a "Mass compliant" ha!!
i own two; an italian and a korean, korean is kinda junk, but you see it in a lot of movies!
 
I've had quite a few over the years, from the 60s to today. the one you mention was made in the late 60s, a 'fake' switchblade. you can always tell by the nail index to open the blade

True but I've had a few of them over the years that were real switchblades, but still had the nail cutout in the blade. See the pic above.
 
Nice. Is that a well-known maker? I know nada about these.

Well I found that RJ Richter was a German knife making company. But then there's also info on Italian-made ones. I can't really find a lot about them though. Either way, the knife I bought yesterday is very well made and a good deal at $5.
 
that one you found must be a "Mass compliant" ha!!

Right?! It is a wanna-be switchblade. Even the dagger-style end of the blade is only sharpened on one side (the back of it being squared off and flat) so one could legally carry it in MA if desired. It's very slow to open though, the blade being so recessed in the handle at the closed position, and the spine being extremely stout. You almost have to break your thumbnail off to get the blade to come out! I was thinking I could try to hyperextend it to loosen it up a bit, but I don't want to break it.
 
I had a few of them when I was a teenager......they're the cheapest pieces of crap knives ever made. The Mexican knock offs weren't any better.
Coming back from Mexico through the border at Loredo Texas, the customs had a half a bucket full of them with the blades snapped off at the checkpoint. I guess everyone and their brother buys them from street vendors on the Mexican side of the border.

Now I use Benchmades.....75 times the price, 10,000 times the quality.
 
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I had a few of them when I was a teenager......they're the cheapest pieces of crap knives ever made. The Mexican knock offs weren't any better.
Coming back from Mexico through the border at Loredo Texas, the customs had a half a bucket full of them with the blades snapped off at the checkpoint. I guessceveryone and their brother biys them from street vendors on the Mexican side of the border.

Now I use Benchmades.....75 times the price, 10,000 times the quality.

benchmade can suck my dick, emerson or gtfo
 
Notice there’s also no slide safety on the one you bought yesterday. Any chance the button is a type of lock release on that one?
 
oh my god, i still have a comb switchblade form back when i was a kid. there was always that kid in school who would say he could convert it with a real blade for you;

lol. Exactly. I recall one kid trying to glue razors in there. Best idea ever! (or maybe the opposite of that).
 
I feel like they where really common when I was a kid, but then again I grew up in Revere when most everyone was Italian. But, the ones I've handled all seemed crappy.

I'm an old Malden boy - Italians, Irish and Jews. Everyone carried some sort of knife and there were many stiletto's. Even the hot chicks (and there were many) had stilletto's - the good kind! :) I miss those days...
 
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Hi Palladin.. I have a RJ Richter that’s Made in Italy (Stiletto)..it belonged to my Father who has had it for at least over 55 years.. I can’t find any numbers on it..61/2” to 7” Blade..all Bone handle..Excellent condition..just has a Distressed look to it from age..Please let me know or give me an idea what it may be worth..!!! I would appreciate it…Thanks so much. !!!!
 
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