Anybody Like Old Switchblades

[DocB]

Looking at a wanted post made me think about my old switchblade collection. When I was a kid growing up in New York many of the older bad kids (mostly Puerto Rican gang members) carried a switchblade knife. These were quality knives made in Italy, not at all like the junk that started showing up at the gun shows back in the late 1970's. The one I've pictured here is a Latima Made in Italy knife with a blade just under 4 inches and some kind of bone handles from the 1950's. It's joined by a Boker from the early 1980's just because it was with the Latima when I dug it up today. I stay so busy hunting up and buying the old Smith & Wesson handguns, I often forget about all the other neat stuff that's out there. I guess I need to clean them up and oil them now.

 

[Texas Star]

I had a few when young, and my father had a nice Italian one . But I don't think they're safe to carry, even with a safety, which can get dislodged.

And the springs break.

I read the Matt Helm books and bought a German lockblade hunting knife like Matt had in the early books. I have a couple, one by Henckels and a Puma.

Today, I use Gerber Applegate-Fairbairns or a Benchmade M-710. They can be opened with one hand (like switchblades) and the mechanisms are less likely to break.

I do have a Kershaw easy-opening knife that I won't carry in a pocket, lest it open accidentally. If I carry it, it goes in a belt pouch.

 

[H Richard]

I had several back when I was young, I recall several times buying a German paratrooper switchblade from a local army surplus store, and I had two different Schrade switchblades I bought at the local hardware store. The Italian Stiletto I had was ordered off the back page of a comic book. This would have been in the early 50's.

 

[bamacisa]

I have several that I bought back in the 1950's. I never use them, just collectables.

 

[hdfinder47]

Your Boker looks much like my Huburtus (spelling?). I know some of the new spring-assist knives are as quick or quicker opening but I like my switchers. I've had only 2 springs break over the years.

 

[Alpo]

I had a few when young, and my father had a nice Italian one . But I don't think they're safe to carry, even with a safety, which can get dislodged.

And the springs break.

I read the Matt Helm books and bought a German lockblade hunting knife like Matt had in the early books. I have a couple, one by Henckels and a Puma.

Today, I use Gerber Applegate-Fairbairns or a Benchmade M-710. They can be opened with one hand (like switchblades) and the mechanisms are less likely to break.

I do have a Kershaw easy-opening knife that I won't carry in a pocket, lest it open accidentally. If I carry it, it goes in a belt pouch.

Yeah, you got that right.

I've got a Hubertus leverlock. Had it about ten years now. Three four years back I opened it and something went PING and a half-inch of spring steel went flying across the kitchen floor.

 

[Frizzman]

They are illegal to carry concealed in Virginia. One may carry as many of any sort of handgun concealed or openly as one wishes legally with a concealed handgun permit but not an auto knife. So called, "assisted" opening knives are not prohibited in most jurisdictions. Obviously, this is inane. I have a couple autos but they don't appeal much because of the dumb laws...I do like the classic Italian stilettos. I have a Hubertus lever lock and the torsion bar spring on it snapped in half. That seems common with that design.

 

[eveled]

The only one in my collection is the orange handled paratrooper knife. One blade is a hook, and the other is a switch blade. Neat conversation piece, but I am not that impressed with it. I can open my Buck knife faster than I can take the safety, off and push the button, then make sure it locked open and isn't halfway close again. LOL

 

[30-30remchester]

In this bleeding heart state, it is illegal to own an automatic knife. Being an antique knife collector I had to pass on many beauties. Then while visiting a relative from another state, I found out they were not illegal there. So my modest collection started, and remains in that state. I get to visit it 2 times a year. I acquired a few military paratroopers including a beautiful bone handled Schrade from WW II. I however never really cared for them as they were loose and fragile. I was and am a little rough with my tools.

 

[jlrhiner]

Yeah, you got that right.

I've got a Hubertus leverlock. Had it about ten years now. Three four years back I opened it and something went PING and a half-inch of spring steel went flying across the kitchen floor.

I have the same knife and just within the last week the spring broke in it.

 

[Drm50]

Orange knife

One time I found about 2 dozen of those Flo-orange switch blades
in the bottom of my duffle bag. The ones I had were Camillus,
the shroud cutter was the blade that was spring assisted. The
large blade was standard finger opening. I knew some guys that
took them apart and somehow switched opening mechanism to
knife blade. I never liked the utility pattern knives. Like a fool I
gave them all away. I saw recently they are worth a buck or two
as collector items. I also have herd that some were shipped with
wrong blade opening with button.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I've carried this for more than 20 years. Worn down a bit but works fine.

 

[jlrhiner]

One time I found about 2 dozen of those Flo-orange switch blades
in the bottom of my duffle bag. The ones I had were Camillus,
the shroud cutter was the blade that was spring assisted. The
large blade was standard finger opening. I knew some guys that
took them apart and somehow switched opening mechanism to
knife blade. I never liked the utility pattern knives. Like a fool I
gave them all away. I saw recently they are worth a buck or two
as collector items. I also have herd that some were shipped with
wrong blade opening with button.

I have one that has the blade for the auto part.

 

[shouldazagged]

Had some cheap ones as a kid. I wouldn't mind having a good one today but can't afford a really nice example.

I could carry it legally here by virtue of my CCW license--they're illegal to tote without one--but wouldn't. I can deploy the blade of a Spyderco about as quickly without fumbling for a safety, and my SOG assisted opener has a good spring and a much more versatile blade configuration than a stiletto switchblade.

Guess that kind of practicality is another sign of being old and broke, and having lost a lot of my fantasies of old.

 

[Marshwheeling]

When you're a Jet...

I really wanted a switchblade as a 12-year-old, especially after a family trip to NYC to see West Side Story. The only ones that ever seemed to be available were really cheaply made, with a comb instead of a blade. For a while, I made do with a gravity knife that at least looked the part. I have no idea what ever happened to it.

These days, I have grown step-kids named Beltrame, so something from Frank Beltrame would be a natural Christmas gift idea, if a little rich for my blood.

 

[fat tom]

I bought this one about 20 years ago to replace a 1960's carbon steel blade Stiletto that was stolen out of my car ten years later. Pretty sure I know who took it,but never got it back. It was the real deal. I've seen a few similar to it since,but they were price prohibitive.



f.t.

 

[johnrj]

repair

Yeah, you got that right.

I've got a Hubertus leverlock. Had it about ten years now. Three four years back I opened it and something went PING and a half-inch of spring steel went flying across the kitchen floor.

Hubertus is quick to send you a new spring...they sent me one from Germany with no charge. Give them all the information you can about the knife and they'll send the spring and instructions on how to put it back in.

 

[Dayvid23]

Say a fellow is waist deep in a river, fly fishing, and made the mistake of putting the fly in his mouth, just for a second, maybe this guy stumbles for a second, and suddenly that fly is hooked in his lip. One hand holding the fly rod, one hand keeping the hook from going deeper in his lip. No hands to open a regular knife blade to cut the line. Out comes the handy switchblade, illegal or not. Saved the day!

 

[eveled]

One time I found about 2 dozen of those Flo-orange switch blades
in the bottom of my duffle bag. The ones I had were Camillus,
the shroud cutter was the blade that was spring assisted. The
large blade was standard finger opening. I knew some guys that
took them apart and somehow switched opening mechanism to
knife blade. I never liked the utility pattern knives. Like a fool I
gave them all away. I saw recently they are worth a buck or two
as collector items. I also have herd that some were shipped with
wrong blade opening with button.

Sounds like yours were the odd variant. This article says the main blade was automatic and the hook blade was opened before they jumped. Who knows? I have a friend who was an army paratrooper , I showed him my knife, and he laughed at it and said he never saw one like it.

http://www.tactical-life.com/firearms/paratroopers’-switchblade/