Query/Rizzuto Estileto

[Viking45]

A quick but interesting story- In 1974 my folks took me to California to visit family and I was just a green 10 year old kid from Backwater USA and my older cousins were street-wise Los Angeles kids. Anyway my dad took us to Mexico and all I could think about was getting my first switchblade but before we left my cousin said "Be sure to get me one with a white handle" so when we finally found a shop selling switchblades the guy was asking 10 bucks for one knife but we left with three for 10,two black and one white.
To this day I have never seen another white handled Rizzuto Estileto.
My question is: Has anyone here seen one or own one and can one be found?

One final note,my oldest cousin had a beautiful Mexican lever with brass bolsters and a clear plastic handle with a Matador fighting a bull with a red background. Not sure what was on the other side.
Does anyone know anything about this knife? Who made it? What was on the other side?
Any info would be appreciated.

[Tom19176]

I had a 11" white one years ago and have seen several....the bull fighter is common

[whippersnapper]

Viking, search the words Rizzuto and Bullfighter in the forum search and you should find many examples.

Here is a red bullfighter recently on auction...
http://www.sharperdeals.net/auction_det ... n_id=29747

[Vagrant]

A $20 knife ends at $46 and reserve not met

[whippersnapper]

Yeah, and a near mint knife doesn't "peek" imho...

[Viking45]

Wow,thanks a million for the replies,but I am new here so much of the input did not help much as I am not familiar with the local terms and such.

As for the "Bullfighter" I simply threw that in the mix of the Rizzuto post. Correct me if I am wrong but my guess is that the "Bullfighter" is a true Mexican knife as opposed to the Rizzuto Estileto.(were they Italian or Mexican?)
I understand we should only post wants and needs in the "Buy/Sell" thread but just for sentimental reasons I would love to find a white handled Rizzuto.
Both my cousins are dead now and for my collection it would be great to find one(white handle)
Almost two years ago I saw a nice black handled Rizzuto sell for $125. Holy Cr*p! Is that the going price?
Just assuming a white would be more rare...
And Tom19176,wow,an 11",cool!

BTW: the knives we got in 1974 were apprx 9"ers,loved the decoraton on the D-ring on the butt,it worked as a saftey,if you folded it down over the tip of the blade it would keep Big Jim and The Twins safe from accidental opening.

Again,I am new here so give me a chance to get settled in.
I have some nice knives,most likely nothing you guys have not seen before but what I have is superb,pristine. I collect EVERYTHING,no certain theme,just what catches my eye at the time.
Hubertus,Frank B,MIKOV,Campolin(gorgeous horn) and a few rare Puma's all mint.
ALL my Italians are perfect-nice stag/horn,locks work perfect and smooth and blades sit well centered and deep. I only bought knives I new had both sides looking good. We have all purchased a knife with one stag side glorious the other so hideous we slapped our mother-in-law.

[Tom19176]

Thr rizzutos were made in Japan ( on a street called Milano....lol)

[Vagrant]

The Bullfighters were made by the JA pan company
So were the Rizzies. I believe, the later ones were made in Koreaville.

[Viking45]

OK,that takes care of any desire to find a Rizzuto...sentimental or not.
At this point,unless one fell in my lap,I will continue collecting Frank's and Angelo's and let's face it,these knives are pretty and fun and I enjoy collecting them but in a 'real' situation I'm gonna hope and pray I have my SIG P220 instead of a pig-sticker

Thanks guys,you are great,funny too.

As for autos,I have seen a lot but my Amphibian is the best I have ever owned/used,it snaps open with a deep 'snap',the blade is thick as a prybar and I love the "coined" (is that the right term?) spine of the blade and the contour of the handle is superb.The tear-drop button is even textured so no detail has been overlooked. Good job MT and Mr. Marfione

[Vagrant]

The Rizzies HAVE appreciated in selling price [far beyond their real value imo]
Several yeears ago, one member said "I wouldn't give you $15 for all of them"
He later sold one for several times that
But I still consider them $20 knives, even though you will never find one for that

[whippersnapper]

Because they were the first switchblade many of us ever had there is that sentimental factor, mixed with old age (senility) and maybe more money to burn, the prices have got crazy. Any new Italian swinguard is 5 times the knife, and usually can be had alot cheaper.

[Viking45]

Right now I have about 60/70 autos,mostly Italians and a few higher-end ones like MT and Al Mar but the only two swingguards I have are two lockback style by Jndiana. Both are very nice,one with beautiful stag the other with blonde. Niether have a real hard snap but always open flawlessly. Mabye it's the lockback that slows them somewhat.

I have learned something here- I never realized those Rizzuto's were Japanese. I always assumed they were Mexican or low-end Italian like the ones they call the "Tourist" knife.
But again unless I found one real cheap I will not be looking too hard and as Whippersnapper said,there is the sentimental factor but right now I am a bit more sentimental over a 100 dollar bill.
I would rather put that into a nice Angelo Campolin.
It would be awsome to see some high-end custom maker do a lever Bullfighter. Maybe Mr. Burn will take requests I suppose someone could take a MIKOV kit and do some fancy acrylic work.

Thanks again guys,I have really enjoyed being here.
Here are my two Swings (click on pic for larger view)

[krakenten]

I still say the guys in Italy are missing a bet-they should make a counterfeit Rizzuto!

Those clear plastic over gaudy graphics scales(which I actually rather liked)are easy enough to make, the black and white, or best of all cheesy fake staghorn(some faux antler is actually quite nice, but I'm talking about the real dreck. the kind that wouldn't fool a hamster)must be available, and how hard is it to put a bail on a knife?

The examples of such knives that I have seen-and there were a few manual versions turned out, as well-had the bullfighter on the obverse, and a very complex dragon on the reverse, probably to satisfy both Latin and Asian tastes.

I really miss those floating guard clasp knives, too, when I was a copper in Baltimore, every cop I knew carried one, they were such useful things to have with you.......

Oh, the good old days.

[gunner]

I don't think the white ones are incredibly rare, I've seen many come and go in the last few years. Not much less than the black ones. I love & collect rizzutos, the true movie stars of the switchblade world. My passion does run some on nostalgia, I admired them in many movies and tv shows from the 70's & 80's, though I was never lucky enough to get a decent example back in the day. I got to fire one somewhere around 1991 via a local punk in the school halls. It was a wobbly unmarked 7" which broke on him, and I later got for free in about 4 pieces (his failed attempt to fix it). But there is more than just nostalgia for me, the knives themselves are sometimes quite impressive for what they are.
One issue I feel many have on them is they've never seen a close to factory new one. When played with repeatedly over time they get really loose. Add to this scratches & scuffs all over, peeking tips, etc and the knife starts feeling & looking like it's made by a blindfolded man from recycled tin cans. I don't collect examples like this, but I've owned many, it's impossible to avoid. To these I turn my nose up just as quick as any member of the anti-rizzy group. But if you can find a nice one (lived it's life open and unplayed with) their built to pretty impressive tolerances, especially for being just a tourist cheapie. Excellent old school mirror finish and a nice flat/flush backspring to blade fit when locked open, very much like an old Italian...just much, much lighter. There's one thing for sure, you'll never see a "cheap" knife assembled like a rizzy again. The later Korean versions were a big drop in quality. Most of my rizzies lock up 100% solid on the swing guards and blade, zero play anywhere, even when your trying to feel for it (not over peened, a true solid fit of components). I think that's an impressive feat. I saw a custom swing guard once made by a well known US maker that was heavy, detailed and nice...but the guards had quite a bit of wobble. It would bother me to add such a piece when I have a Rizzuto that locks up tighter. It just wouldn't be right. To me personally, it's all about assembly quality, regardless of materials used.
I adore my collection of rock solid vintage Italian swing guard switchblades, there's nothing like them in the world. But my rizzy collection is just as special to me, even if they are just old rip-offs.

[Viking45]

That's a pretty touching story,I admire someone for having a passion no matter what the subject.
Truth be known,an old wobbly Rizzie can give you a second belly button as quick as a Frank B but I say that in jest because so many non-knife-collectors only see the switchblade as a weapon. I see them as a work of art and have always been a fascination of mine since childhood.
My first knife was a little white handled,two bladed Imperial my dad gave me in 1967 or 68.
Then I got my first high quality knife- A bone handled Barlow Old timer I got from saving my grandad's Prince Albert tobbacco tins.
But after we went to Mexico in 74 all I could think about was my Rizzuto Estileto. I even thought the name was cool. It is cool,there is no ther knife with such a cool name.

After reading your reply Gunner makes me want one again but I just can't see spending 100 bucks for a knife we got in 1974 for 3 for 10 bucks.
The funny part was when we crossed the border,I was holding a ceramic skull with a Nazi helmet and a set of bull horns I got as souvenir and my dad had me put the three Rizzies down my pants.
We walked right through no problem.