Looking for this

[Wdalew5]

I am currently looking for an 8 inch wasp body with bolster release. I like bolster for the ease of closing with one hand. Any ideas where to look?

[whippersnapper]

I don't think a production stiletto has ever been made like that.

[Wdalew5]

Custom would work just fine also ...... Hehe

[whippersnapper]

If you had a 8 inch knife to mangle, somebody like straydog could probably do it fairly reasonable. Or Bill D if he's not swamped. Nemo said he is also taking in work.

I guess you could look around for one of the older button 0pen/close knives that have somewhat of a wasp shape. They aren't swivel bolsters, but they still close easy with one hand. They aren't real common, but they seem to be around in the 7 to 8 inch size.

[Wdalew5]

Wow... Nice knife.... I still might have Piklock pat make me a custom 7 .

[whippersnapper]

Yeah, that would work ...But I don't know if Pat knows how to make a swivel bolster knife. You might have to get in touch with his brother, swivel bolster Pete. jk

[Wdalew5]

I already asked pat.. No bolster.... Dang dang dang

[Razor_54]

Yeah, that would work ...But I don't know if Pat knows how to make a swivel bolster knife. You might have to get in touch with his brother, swivel bolster Pete. jk

LOL.

[JimBrown257]

But I don't know if Pat knows how to make a swivel bolster knife. You might have to get in touch with his brother, swivel bolster Pete.

...Does this site have something like a hall-of-fame for great posts?

Anyways, I have been looking at these bolster release stilettos recently. Is this bolster release set-up a new design or have I just not noticed them until now? It seems like the two-pins-on-the-tang thing is actually more simple than the traditional button stiletto. Should we expect to see more of them in the future?

There is something I have noticed that piqued my curiousity. I have seen four or five dealers selling identical 9" bolster releases with price ranging from $30 to $240. The thing is, they are all using the exact same picture (which I've attached). It makes me wonder if they really have them on hand or why they wouldn't take their own pictures.


Btw, is the "Wasp body" different from the standard Italian-style shape, where it bulges out near the bottom before getting skinnier again? I see that they often describe those little keychain switchblades as "wasp body" but I don't seem to see many others described that way. Is the knife in the picture below a wasp body? If not, what is that shape called?

-J

[dark2023]

There is something I have noticed that piqued my curiousity. I have seen four or five dealers selling identical 9" bolster releases with price ranging from $30 to $240. The thing is, they are all using the exact same picture (which I've attached). It makes me wonder if they really have them on hand or why they wouldn't take their own pictures.

They most likely all have the same stiletto.

They are an old style and they aren't very popular, but there is apparently a company that makes them.
I'd be wary of ones for $30, sounds like their either from a foreighn country and will cost a to ship, or they may be trying to steal your money.
Can you post a link?

Also, the wasp body gets narrower again near the base.
They are rare and unique.
Here's an example.

wasp13_MED.jpg (60.16 KiB) Viewed 5309 times

[whippersnapper]

Just to be clear the term "bolster release" is often used for a standard stiletto that only closes by swiveling the bolster. Sometimes that confuses people.

Anyways, I have been looking at these bolster release stilettos recently. Is this bolster release set-up a new design or have I just not noticed them until now? It seems like the two-pins-on-the-tang thing is actually more simple than the traditional button stiletto. Should we expect to see more of them in the future?

I'm not a knife maker, but if you can make a blade with two tabs that line up correctly, I would say it's probably simpler mechanism with less parts, so maybe easier. Just a guess though.

There is something I have noticed that piqued my curiousity. I have seen four or five dealers selling identical 9" bolster releases with price ranging from $30 to $240. The thing is, they are all using the exact same picture (which I've attached). It makes me wonder if they really have them on hand or why they wouldn't take their own pictures.

I know knifeshop has them and I think it is their original picture. The others are probably "borrowing" the pic. Wether they actually have them in hand is anybodys guess. 30 bucks is a heckuva deal though...I'll take one in stag.

Btw, is the "Wasp body" different from the standard Italian-style shape, where it bulges out near the bottom before getting skinnier again? I see that they often describe those little keychain switchblades as "wasp body" but I don't seem to see many others described that way. Is the knife in the picture below a wasp body? If not, what is that shape called?

Wasp usually just refers to knives that are tapered in on the back. To my knowledge they are more common on more vintage stilettos, and of course the key chain ones you see. The handle just has more of a bugs body shape.

I have no idea if the shape of the knife you posted has a specific name other than just being a standard Italian stiletto shape. Most newer ones have that shape.

There's guys here that know alot more than me and they will probably chime in.

[whippersnapper]

I type so slow, dark got in ahead of me with a good post.

[JimBrown257]

I'd be wary of ones for $30, sounds like their either from a foreighn country and will cost a to ship, or they may be trying to steal your money.

...According to Talkblade's "good list", plus numerous good reviews on this site, they are on the up-and-up. They are based in Europe so that adds $37 to the S/H.

The one that goes for $240 is on Assisted Knife but it is "on sale" for the low, low price of $155 (AK has some cool knives but the prices are outrageous; you'd have to really want something and it would have to be really rare to buy something there).

And, Whipper: Assisted has the only stag bolster-release I've seen, it's a Jndiana (how is that pronounced?). It is going for $175. That might seem like a lot but it actually is on sale from $255. With those kinds of savings, you'd be losing money if you didn't buy it!

Also,

Just to be clear the term "bolster release" is often used for a standard stiletto that only closes by swiveling the bolster. Sometimes that confuses people.

...So what is a "picklock"? I've heard it's called that because you pick up the lock. But from the pictures, they look just like the standard stiletto bolster-unlock system. However, they are often sold under different sections. SKM has a Italian stiletto section and a Pick Lock section but they look like the same things.

Here's a link to their Pick Lock knives. http://www.skm.to/c/itpl5/italian_pick_lock_9.html

The real stag 9" looks exactly like the one in the Italian Stiletto section but it costs $15 more. It doesn't seem like SKM would use some trickery to sell the same thing for more money.

What's the deal with that? What differentiates a Pick Lock from a regular stiletto?

[Tom19176]

As for picklocks...Look at the top bolster. It does NOT swivel. The tab on the top of the back spring it wider then a swivels release ones, and you have to "pick" the tab backwards with your finger to unlock the blade. The swivel bolster was a new way to easily close them and they stopped making the harder to close pick locks, which of course made them collectable and dated them to before the 70s, until the demand made a few makers make "new production" pick locks....How is that for a run on sentence? Get the idea now?

[BTB0923]

Is this bolster release set-up a new design or have I just not noticed them until now?

They've been around a long time, you've only just noticed them. Previously stated, but I'd like to emphasize that it might be better if they were referred to as bolster open/close since bolster-release is the term used for standard modern Italian-style stilettos that only close via the bolster release.