I.D. Maker

[XBMX]

OK thanks guys, now to find a home for it. Anyone know the maker of this Auto. Only mark is USA stamping. It's all steel, please feel free to add comments. Thanks, Rick

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[whippersnapper]

They used to be all over the place with different numbers and even an eagles head. Pretty sure they were made in China despite the usa on blade. New they cost about 5 bucks.

[JimBrown257]

"USA" is different than "Made in the USA". With "USA" there is a 99% chance it was made in China. With "Made in the USA" there is only about a 60% chance it was made in China.

[whippersnapper]

I think I bought a half dozen "lot" off somebody on blade auction when I first started collecting over 15 years ago. Mostly gave them away to people. There are worse cheap autos out there.

[tr4252]

I bought 5 or 6 from Stu several years ago. 2 look like the one in your photo, the other 3 have a dorky looking eagle instead of a number, and Minsheng stamped on the blade along with a logo that looks like a 5 bladed propeller or star inside a circle. They were about $7.00 as I recall. Not bad quality for the price. Stu used to carry dozens of oddball knives at low prices and I bought a lot of them

Tom

[sammy the blade]

Those were the good old days.

[Tom19176]

Yes good old Stu....Cheap China made knife.

[sammy the blade]

I'm sure a bunch of us had a box full of cheap stuff we bought from Stu. BA was running good and the forums we're hopping, oh the memories.

[Jackalope]

I sure miss Blade Auction.

[sammy the blade]

I sure miss Blade Auction.

After BA went down things just seemed to change and not for the better. Stu sure had a good connection for Italian knives though.

[Jackalope]

I still have all my old transaction emails from back in the early 2000's.

[sammy the blade]

WOW! Wonder what Stu is doing now, he has a website but there wasn't much on it the last time I checked.

[jim d,]

I have Stu's price list from March 2004. As points of reference, for Italian stilettos, 9 in. ranged from $25 - $34 depending on scale material. Leverlettos were $45 - $53 depending on scales, $100 for damascus, 11 in. stilettos were $31 - $43, 13 in. stilettos were $34 - $44, 15 in. stilettos were $108 - $135, and 18 in. stilettos were $125 - $175, 8 in. fish tail $39 - $43, 9 3/4 in fish tail $41 - $45.

There were no Hubies on that price list but I remember buying some from Stu.

Jim

[sammy the blade]

Prices sure have went up, I remember those well. To bad those days are over!

[Tom19176]

I think Stu is still around. I use to talk to him years ago. As Jim said he had the best prices around! You would have to add 50-70% to the prices Jim listed to buy those items from anyone else at the same time. He would also send you the type of handle you asked for as I liked white horn over other colors.
Years ago he switched to becoming a wholesaler dealer. Over night his prices went higher than almost all the other dealers. From what I was told too many other dealers complained about his too low prices. That is what a few well known dealers told me and it makes sense to me.

The Old BladePlay also had super cheap prices back then and whole sale deals with volume buys....