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tyler_rabbit wrote:It's a little known fact that they were introduced into the US via penguins.
Mr. Bunny Wabbit,
I'm not sure that is really a fact... Sounds kinda fishy to me!
Here's my theory:
Once upon a time some knifemakers in Maniago, Italy, were quaffing a few inna pub (or whatever they call it there) after a long day of fishing, when one of them says, "Hey guys! Just for a joke, let's make a switchblade that looks like a fish and see if the Americans will buy it..."
Sorry if I came across as a bit gruff. Jerr is right in that I was thinking more along the lines of who designed the knife, made the tooling, assembled the knives etc. I do know that some of the old tooling was found among the old Mauro Maurio stuff several years ago and was used to remake the modern versions. I know that there are old ones bearing some different tang stamps that we are all familiar with
There is some space dedicated to them in SOI but I'm out of state at a client now and don't have access to my copy. Perhaps someone can take a look and post.
Jim
Sam Polk, the CEO of Latama in the 40's and 50's told me that they were his idea. There were figural folding fish shaped knives before that time more than likely, but Latama was the first one to have them made in the early 50's as a switch in Maniago.
Then my Father must have had one of the early Mauro Mauro Dark Horn models It had 10 3/4" inches, with a carbon steel blade! That beauty really held a razor sharp edge! Or was it a Latama? (Dad had a special scabbard that also held a marlinspike with an adjustable end wrench silver soldered on the end of it). This was his "constant companion" while working at the Bremerton Naval Shipyards. Bremerton, Washington. That fishtail picklock saved his arm and his life. This was the source of my pseudonym.
The Fishtails are a Sicilian design. Dad's carbon steel model dated to about 1938. I'm certain that the Fishtail Picklock style was made a bit before then. I'd hazard a guess that they began manufacturing these as early as the late 1920's.
Bobby Cadillac wrote:in 1956 a cheese steak would cost thirty-five cents. you could buy a 9" Rosco for about six bucks. Six bucks was a lot of money in an Irish-Italian, Catholic, blue color, stay at home mom with 9 kids neighborhood. Anyway, I'm just an old geezer that was reminiscing about the Bad Old Days, while making an attempt to entertain some folks. Sure didn't mean to upset anyone.
About North Philly...South Philly was a garden spot compared to N. Philly (still tough but a garden spot) Ya have to understand, "Philly is tough" I did not see this stuff in James Dean Flicks. I lived it.
If I upset you, it was not my intention.
Nighty-night
Bobby Cadillac
Personally I loved the Filtydelphia retrospective and a cheese steak needs provolone, not that verkakte Cheese Whiz. I'm from Balmer, but I still got Bookbinder's strawberry shortcake once-t inna while.
Dave Sause
oldandfat@cox.net
(405) 694-3690
"And you're telling me this because, somehow, I look like I give a shit?"
"Let a smile be your umbrella and you're gonna get your dumb ass wet."
Bobby C. must be ancient. I'm 71 years old, and by the time I was old enough to want to carry a knife for anything beside playing "stretch" and carving my name in stuff, switchblades had virtually disappeared form the streets of NYC. The cops shook us down for no other reason but that it was a slow Friday night, so you would always be at risk of losing the knife and taking a trip to juvie hall. Just about everyone carried a K55 in the early 1960's because they were cheap, disposable, concealable and easily replaceable.
Gunhawk wrote:Bobby C. must be ancient. I'm 71 years old, and by the time I was old enough to want to carry a knife for anything beside playing "stretch" and carving my name in stuff, switchblades had virtually disappeared form the streets of NYC. The cops shook us down for no other reason but that it was a slow Friday night, so you would always be at risk of losing the knife and taking a trip to juvie hall. Just about everyone carried a K55 in the early 1960's because they were cheap, disposable, concealable and easily replaceable.
i also carried the k55, they cost $1.25 back then, and i've got 2 new ones in my desk.
TRYKER
A man who brags about how smart he is, wouldn't if he was.
"Rose-colored glassses are never made in bifocals. Nobody wants to read the small print in dreams"
Gunhawk wrote:Bobby C. must be ancient. I'm 71 years old, and by the time I was old enough to want to carry a knife for anything beside playing "stretch" and carving my name in stuff, switchblades had virtually disappeared form the streets of NYC. The cops shook us down for no other reason but that it was a slow Friday night, so you would always be at risk of losing the knife and taking a trip to juvie hall. Just about everyone carried a K55 in the early 1960's because they were cheap, disposable, concealable and easily replaceable.
i also carried the k55, they cost $1.25 back then, and i've got 2 new ones in my desk.
I couldn't remember exactly how much they cost. I thought that they were about a buck and a half or so. I was close. They were flat, so they fit into the change pocket of your jeans. Right behind a Garrison belt. You could just barely see that one was being carried in the very narrow space between the belt and the pocket. You would have to actually be looking for it to see that it was there! Some guys tried to loosen up the blade enough to make the K55 a gravity knife, but I don't recall that any were successful.
They were flat, so they fit into the change pocket of your jeans. Right behind a Garrison belt. You could just barely see that one was being carried in the very narrow space between the belt and the pocket. You would have to actually be looking for it to see that it was there! Some guys tried to loosen up the blade enough to make the K55 a gravity knife, but I don't recall that any were successful.