Movie Switchblades

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Mario
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Re: Movie Switchblades

Post by Mario »

Also, there’s a balisong in Friday the 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan. Jason kicks over a street gang’s boom box and they get pissed and the one kid whips out a bali saying, “You’re dead meat slime bag!” before Jason turns around lifting his mask scaring them away. LOL!
Mario
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Re: Movie Switchblades

Post by Mario »

Don’t know if this one’s been mentioned or not.

The Hollywood Strangler Meets the Skid Row Slasher (1979) One of the killers uses a Rizzuto in this.
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Paul
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Re: Movie Switchblades

Post by Paul »

Three years after The Outsiders sparked my fascination with switchblades, 1986’s The Hitcher, starring Rutger Hauer and The Outsiders’ C. Thomas Howell, mesmerized me with this Super-Automatic. It was featured pretty prominently in the film. Movie magic (or my imagination) made it seem like a nicer knife than it was. I left the theater remembering it having a white pearl handle and an etched blade. I think the blade must have had a stand-in for its closeup shots. Because of The Hitcher, I get nostalgic over the clacking sound of play in the blade of an OTF. And the movie still holds up.
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Last edited by Paul on Wed Jul 15, 2020 4:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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JimBrown257
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Re: Movie Switchblades

Post by JimBrown257 »

Lol, it always seemed like the autos in movies were much better knives than they were. I like when fancy big shot bad guys carry knives that the audience would assume are quality knives but are actually flimsy dime store Rizzutos.

And it is interesting that the NATO in the Hitchhiker was custom painted (scales and slider). I would guess that was so the lighter color would stand out against darker backgrounds.
Mario
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Re: Movie Switchblades

Post by Mario »

JimBrown257 wrote: Wed Jul 15, 2020 5:46 am Lol, it always seemed like the autos in movies were much better knives than they were. I like when fancy big shot bad guys carry knives that the audience would assume are quality knives but are actually flimsy dime store Rizzutos.

And it is interesting that the NATO in the Hitchhiker was custom painted (scales and slider). I would guess that was so the lighter color would stand out against darker backgrounds.
It’s funny how Rizzutos were such cheap quality knives when they first came out, now they can fetch a fortune on auction sites and in collectors circles. I wonder if a lot of cheap knives that are available today will net the same collector’s value when they’re discontinued.
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JimBrown257
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Re: Movie Switchblades

Post by JimBrown257 »

I doubt many modern knives will become collectible like some of the older knives. For something to really become collectible, it has to have not been marketed as a collectible item when it was first sold. Too many modern knives are sold as collectible things, which will prevent them from becoming highly sought after in the future.
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Panzerfaust
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Re: Movie Switchblades

Post by Panzerfaust »

JimBrown257 wrote: Wed Jul 15, 2020 11:58 am I doubt many modern knives will become collectible like some of the older knives. For something to really become collectible, it has to have not been marketed as a collectible item when it was first sold. Too many modern knives are sold as collectible things, which will prevent them from becoming highly sought after in the future.
I agree and there really hasn't been any changes in Italian knives in 40 years or longer. I have a 13-inch stiletto that was bought in Italy in 1986 and other than it has a flat-grind blade, it is the same construction as ones I bought several years ago. Plus, there are just more switchblades available in recent years. They were harder to find in the 1980s.
Tom19176
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Re: Movie Switchblades

Post by Tom19176 »

Hard to say if there will be a collectible knife like the Rizzy in the future. As stated, there are a wide variety of switchblades made now. The classic Rizzy that was in many movies has been replaced by too many styles to say there is one popular model now. Today's movies also favor guns over knives.
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JulesVane
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Re: Movie Switchblades

Post by JulesVane »

I don’t know if I agree that no modern switchblades will ever be collectible in the future. There’s all kinds of modern made pieces that are already hard to find, much less 50 years from now. Limited editions and makers like Renzo Pascotto, etc. New “collectors” (especially in friendly States), are carrying, constant opening/closing, breaking these knives today. They aren’t exactly taking care of them in display cases. I’m not talking about a more common $60 Frank B, but there are a lot of modern pieces that someone will be very hard pressed to find 50 years from now.
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whippersnapper
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Re: Movie Switchblades

Post by whippersnapper »

I don't see too many young people interested in knife collecting. In a few years old guys and our culture will be completely canceled.
sammy the blade
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Re: Movie Switchblades

Post by sammy the blade »

The way things are going in a few years we all may be cancelled.
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JimBrown257
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Re: Movie Switchblades

Post by JimBrown257 »

I think this
whippersnapper wrote: Fri Jul 17, 2020 4:00 pm I don't see too many young people interested in knife collecting.
and this
Panzerfaust wrote: Fri Jul 17, 2020 12:17 am They were harder to find in the 1980s.
are directly related. It seems like the most important stage for any knife collector was being a kid and seeing a switchblade in a movie but not being able to get your hands on one. While spoiling us, the internet also destroyed a lot of industries.

Also, Johnny Law's lax attitude towards autos in the last few decades sure hasn't helped make kids want them. Maybe if we make some fake FB stories about federal taskforces cracking down on switchblades that will spark some interest in them.
Mario
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Re: Movie Switchblades

Post by Mario »

whippersnapper wrote: Fri Jul 17, 2020 4:00 pm I don't see too many young people interested in knife collecting. In a few years old guys and our culture will be completely canceled.
I actually disagree with this. I’m always on YouTube watching people’s videos where they show off their knife collections and there are LOTS of really young kids into knives who have quite impressive switchblade and balisong collections. I think the knife collecting culture will be around for a good while.
sammy the blade
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Re: Movie Switchblades

Post by sammy the blade »

Being an illegal knife was what drew me to them. They are legal in my state but you don't see them in a lot of stores, a few gun shops and pawn shops is about it around here.
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JimBrown257
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Re: Movie Switchblades

Post by JimBrown257 »

Mario wrote: Sat Jul 18, 2020 7:35 am I’m always on YouTube watching people’s videos where they show off their knife collections and there are LOTS of really young kids into knives who have quite impressive switchblade and balisong collections. I think the knife collecting culture will be around for a good while.
I was just about to mention that. On those Youtube videos, half the comments are "Wow, were can I find something like that??"

We should all make a point of starting conversations with those casual observers and if they seem like decent people (or at least not six year olds) then lead them to the forums.

The other thing I noticed is that about 70% of the members here originally found this site because they were looking for a specific knife and an internet search gave them a link to the Buy & Sell section here. Then after clicking on the link, they just kind of stuck around. If we all made a point of expanding the selection on the Buy&Sell forum we could pretty easily double the number of members here.
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