Italian stilettos

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. !!!!
I have no idea dude... Google is your friend

 
Nothing old:

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Top is a Campolin pick lock 13"
Under that is Latama 11" dagger swing guard.
both horn
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11" Abalone Latama half grind swing guard
Under it is a Ukrainian take on an Italian stiletto.
 
I read somewhere that most of them were handmade by in small batches by regular dudes and not really big knife makers. So pretty much most of them were almost one of a kind. This was probably back in the day when the wops first came over though. Wish I could find the article
 
Who else loves old Italian switchblades/ Stiletto Knives? 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.

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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.

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I've been a knife collector for years--mostly older Case XX folders and more recently Great Eastern. Now I've gotten interested in switchblades, and know little about them. I've got a few, but not enough to know what I"m doing. Here's my question: What's the quality of Italian stilettos? I'm talking about the medium priced ones, in the 100--200 range. Is the fit and finish good? Are the steels used high quality? How long do the springs last in general? Are these "real" knives or mostly toys? (Not trying to start a war here). Some of the vintage ones go for astonishing prices--comparable to rare old Case knives. I have the book "Switchblades of Italy," where the authors describe the switchblades of the 1950's (which they love) as "novelties." Hmmmm. . . Is it just rarety that makes these knives so expensive or were they really better made? Sorry for so many questions. In my state there's no place to go to actually look at and handle these fascinating knives.
 
since this was first posted i've picked up a few. my latest was an 11" frank b a few weeks ago.
 
I did some research prior to making my 1st put case and Settled on a Latama. 2 reasons, I wanted a good knife and it was available.

Once the Latama arrived I was wondering if it was worth the 2-4× price over the cheaper blades.

I purchased an AKC (I think) basically made by various manufacturers sold under one name.

The Latama was $340 the AKC was about $85. AkC felt cheesy in comparison, firing was lazy. Button was hard to push etc. I sold the AKC quickly in favor of a used Campolin from the early 2000s. Which was about $200$ it is a very nice knife as well. Not as nice as the Latama but night and day better than the AKC.

At some point I would like to get a Frank B but it is not a pressing concern.

3 modern makers that seem to sell quality and value will be Latama, Frank B, and Campolin.
 
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