I have long been a knife guy. I mainly collect fighting type knives (mostly Gerber MKII's and the occasional Randall), but I have always had a soft spot for Italian switchblades.

I bought this one at Tulsa last weekend. It is a Frank Beltrame swing guard 11" open with horn handles. These are very well made knives and the spring is stiff enough if you arent careful it will flip out of your hand when opening it.

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Show me yours.

The downside of switchblades is if the spring breaks when you need to
deploy the blade, you are screwed. Never the less, I like them too.
Here, left to right:

Piranha
S&W
Boker
CRKT
Benchmade (assisted)
Junkyard Dog II (Flipper)

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In Omnia Paratus

I have a Boker similar to yours but with an orange handle and a black blade. It keeps a reasonable edge and is my EDC knife

Great thread!! I'm at work now, but when I get home, I have some "switchblades" that I can photograph. In the meantime, here is one that I have carried on and off over the years, and find to be a good modern iteration of the concept:


Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

I took one off a car thief in a parking lot many, many years ago. After the judge convicted him he (the judge) gave the knife to me but sadly I lost it.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I think Piranha’s are the best kept secret in the American made knife market and we have several. My son and I also both really like these new automatic offerings from Kershaw. Extremely well made and very reasonably priced.

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No school like the old school.

Here's a Bonsa (made in Germany) switchblade with mother-of-pearl handles. Bonsa went out of business circa 1982. This is called a "lever-lock" type of switchblade. Very few Bonsas were made in mother-of-pearl. Most were stag or metal handles. This knife has a small crack on the lower front of it (pearl is very fragile).

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"It is a Frank Beltrame swing guard 11" open with horn handles."

My, that's a big one!

I have a few; this is my favorite:



It's a Gerber, with repro autographs from Applegate and Fairbairn.

Nothing looks as wicked-cool-bad as an Italian Stiletto Switch Blade...
AWESOME !

I've been using several models of Kershaw with the assisted opening (they are legal here ) ...always did fancy auto open, this weekend there is a gun show ...going to go and see if I can find something, a stiletto with horn handles...yours is sweet !
Gary

That blue Piranha I show is, I think, the sharpest knife I have
ever seen right out of the box.

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In Omnia Paratus

My Boker is called a Kalishnakov

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In Omnia Paratus

I have several assist open knives, and one american company's auto knife. I am real particular about blade length, I require a 4" or larger blade. Only one is slightly below that. The tiny blade ones are useless in self defense.

Well I tried quoting you Phil but the forum is screwing up.

My Boker is a Kalishnakov too. AK-74 I paid $20.00 for it new at a gun show from a guy going out of business. I use the **** out of it.

Gary, if you dont find one you can order them online. I prefer to buy in person so I can compare several side by side. I picked this one from three. Even though they appeared identical, this one seemed better.

Here is my small collection. The two on the left are recent manufacture, the 3 on the right are from the 1950's.
Left to right:
Unmarked Italian 'Leverletto' lever loock design
Lever lock made in Crete (Greece) as a souvenir knife
"High Class" made in Japan, lever lock
EIG Cutlery, Italy, pushbutton release,"pick lok) close
EIG Cutlery, Italy (Importer), lever lock

Note: The book shown in the photo was a disappointment as it offered very limited coverage.

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Randy
Provenance nerd

Two Italian F. Beltrames, plus others.

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Nice knife! I also have a Frank B with honey horn scales, as well as a no name Italian swing guard with stags....I'll try to remember to post them when I get home tonight.

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Even older, even crankier....

Looks like a Benchmade, Les? Nice!

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So long ... Ken

$20 is a great price for the Kalishnakov. I paid twice that plus
shipping from knife Mart, and that was 10 years or so ago.

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In Omnia Paratus

Ken:

You’re right, that’s a Benchmade...they make some nice autos...I have some more around here that I will try to remember to get photos of.

Here’s an otherwise rather mundane Italian switchblade, not expensive at all.... but it has a lot of sentimental value to me. On my first visit to Moscow back in 1998, I was there at the invitation of the “Chief” of the police force of one of the 40 some “Raion” that make up the Moscow Oblast or region. Partly I was there to study Russian policing. Visiting my friends office, he gave me this knife as a keepsake, “taken from Russian criminal”!!

Well, I tossed it in my luggage, and never thought about it until I was back in the US.

Anyway...not much to look at, but a cool keepsake:



Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

They wouldn't have let you bring it home today, Les! I have a couple of a similar style that were taken from a couple of miscreants way back in the day. Both of mine have black plastic handles and both bring back memories when I happen to see them in my knife drawer. Yours sure has a fancy blue set of scales!! No doubt you are sentimental about it, owing where it came from and who gave it too you!

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So long ... Ken

I carry an "auto" every day and have for years. Currently either my Boker or Piranha Bodyguard

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John

I’ve been carrying this one. They recently legalized them in my state so I picked up this one and another cheap OTF to see which style I prefer before I spend my money on something nice. Honestly, I might just go back to carrying my Benchmade Griptillian. It’s not an auto but I can open and close it just as fast as either of my autos.

Excuse the Colt. I don't know why it's there, it detracts from the more valuable knife.

Well...I got them both from my wife's grandfather so they kind of do go together. If you don't know what the knife is I understand. Case XX leverlock. "Pre-ban" so to speak.

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Was in Naples Italy two years ago, I couldn't resist Not expensive about $35.00 U.S., but it reminded me of the ones my dad used to take away from me ( more than once!!)

Threw it in the checked luggage and here we are!!

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

Glen: That Case lever lock of yours is nothing short of outstanding! And, it is an heirloom. I have read about them, heard about them but never seen one. Congratulations.

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Randy
Provenance nerd

better to store them open.

My father and I both got our use out of this as evidenced by the wear on the blade.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I have this exact knife locked up in my safe.


I like it because it doesn't look like an auto. But if you pull back on the Axis lock it open with force.

Auto's are not legal in this state. But I wouldn't carry it anyway because it was a gift from a good friend.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

Ignore the "Frankengun" photo bombin' the picture

He does that all the time

Enjoy.

Ned

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Devil's afraid I'll take over.

Horrid picture but.....
Top knife.... $10 Made in China
Middle........ Pro-Tech Auto Runt, Limted Edition 1 of 35
Bottom....... Top of the line custom auto by Matthew Lerch,
Twisted Ladder Damacus with gold lip pearl inlay.
Value $2K+



In the realm of knife collecting, the push button ones like these are usually called autos rather than switchblades.

I carry the cheapo in my purse. Have a Benchmade also but seems to be in hiding at the present time.

^^^^^That custom is magnificent!

A few of my Piranah’s. I carry the small green one in the front frequently in dress clothes—it is very easy to carry.

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No school like the old school.

You know about a rose by any other name is still a rose?
A switchblade by any other name is still a switchblade.
They thought calling them automatics would clean up the
reputation a bit.

In the 1950s the switchblades had earned a kinda bad reputation.
So in 1958 the Switchblade Knife Act of 1958 became law. It
made it illegal to import or engage in the interstate commerce of
switchblade knives.

State laws regulate whether or not you can own or carry
switchblade knives. In my state, for example, I can own any
knife I want to, and I can carry any way I want.

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In Omnia Paratus

Found another of my old switchblades, this one came to me in a swap about 30 years ago. Looks similar to the one I brought back from Russia, but the quality is much higher, and the blade seems to be more robust and more finely finished:



Typical marking on the blade:



Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Some better pictures of the custom auto because it deserved better.

“When you’re a Jet you’re a Jet all the way,
From your first cigarette to you last dying day.”

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Not in jail.

What the heck IS that gun? A rim fire 357mag???

Mikov Leverlock and CZ75 Compact.

Hey, you sound just like Scorpio talking to Dirty Harry there. In the 80s an outfit called “The Edge Co.” sold switchblades. But they would first send the handle and then ship the blade separately. They came with instructions to assemble and then a warning NOT to assemble it. Just to cover themselves legally, of course.

Well, I dug up some more of my “switchblades”, and here are two larger Benchmades, along with the already pictured Benchmade mini-reflex:



Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

I like a good switchblade too.
Here's a Microtech I carry.

Three Boker Damascus blade leverlocks.

An Italian AB brand Damascus blade.

I brought several back from Germany years ago as well and still have an Italian stiletto that my best friend pulled on a guy when we were 15-older, wiser tougher heads intervened and saved us from a painful lesson.
Regards,
turnerriver

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turnerriver

Finally got a chance to take a picture...all auto or auto like knives, with the exception of the old gravity knife on the left.

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Even older, even crankier....

Leatherhead23,

Yeah, kinda'. It is a 17/19 Frankengun. I had a couple of hours one day, so I round butted a 17 & turned down a 6 inch 17 barrel to sleeve a 19, 2.5 inch barrel. One of these days, I'm gonna re-do it with a 3" barrel, just 'cause I can.

But then again, I have this Model 53 with a 22LR cylinder, if I want to go that route.



Ned

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Devil's afraid I'll take over.

I like those out-the-front autos, but have steered away from them--afraid I may become a soprano in a careless moment

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John

^^^^I think I am going to have nightmares for a month now! I just took the simple folder out of my pocket after reading this.

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No school like the old school.

It takes some pretty good pressure to activate a double action OTF, even the cheap ones. And the spring tension on them isn't really all that much. A single action might be a different story!

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Even older, even crankier....

The only one I got to keep came from my "uncle,"



NSN: 1095-01-446-4348

I finally got around to digging out some of these auto knives and thought I'd post them up here, FWIW. I'm proud to say that the State of Texas does not prohibit carry or possession of these knives. Not so in the Land of Enchantment where I lived for many years.

The first of these is a regular carry knife for me and I like it very much. I have carried the second a good bit prior to owning the first one. The third is one of several of these I purchased on a close out deal from Knives Ship Free some time ago. At $25 per each, why not? I gave one each to my sons and a couple to two good friends. I have a couple left here, one of which resides beside my chair on the lamp table and primarily is used to open mail. The other is on my work bench in the garage where it performs whatever need I have for a knife. The fourth is kind of special, I think. It was given to me by a very good friend and my understanding is that it was an issued military knife to paratroopers. The Clip blade is automatic with a lock. The U shaped blade is flat on one side and that side also containes the sharpened edge. It is or can be used to reach up in the dark and catch para cord and cut it easily to allow one to get to the ground in the event the chute is caught up in a tree or some other roadblock to the ground during a jump. Each is listed with pertinent information.

#1. Benchmade Cabash series with S30V steel and grivory scales. Push button release with sliding lock. Has a pocket clip for tip up carry. Made in USA. Blade length = 3.40", OAL = 7.30". Nice size knife!
#2. Brous Blades Bionic Auto with D2 Steel and aluminum handle. Push button release, no lock. Blade length = 3.0", OAL = 7.0". Pocket clip for tip up carry. Nice knife but not as hand filling as #1. Made in USA.
#3. Shrade Smedy with 440 Stainless Steel blade and aluminum handle. Push button release and no lock. Blade length = 2.5". OAL = 6.0". Pretty good quality for a knife made in China.
#4. Shrade-Walden Military Issue knife with Stainless Steel blades. Synthetic scales in Orange. Clip blade is auto deployed with a button and has a lock. Blade is 3.0" long. Handle is 4.25". Second blade is "U" shaped and is 1.75" long and is opened with a nail nick. This is not a really high quality knife but it is well made for it's purpose. It's a neat knife and I'm glad to have it.

I have two or three other cheaply made switchblades that were variously confiscated many years ago when found in the possession of miscreants involved in other activities also prohibited by law. After judicial procedings were complete, the judge allowed me to retain possession of these as momentos. They have the same appearance as others pictured above, although probably not of the same quality. The good autos are pictured below:

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So long ... Ken