A new Maniago

[peter44]

Hi Midnight,
A 25cm version of the 45cm Siciliano would be awesome (mine has custom guards)
John

Hello John, knifeshop has the 11" siciliano by campolin in stock, dont know if youve seen these yet . Peter.

[reggieh]

I would buy the modern rizzy and i think alot of other people would too.The rizzys i have had were flawed by the zinc button/release mech .Maybe a better material for that would be good. The ones from bell seemed to be a little better in that respect but worse in others.

[JimBrown257]

The ones from bell seemed to be a little better in that respect but worse in others

...Are those the Korean ones? I have seen the Korean knockoff called a "Bell" before.

I am actually working on one of those right now, trying to tighten the guards (a defect they all seem to have as the guards are unusually thin). I've got the guards nice and tight but now I have to buff/sand/smooth out a few dings in the guards.

I'm really pleased with the job I did on the guards. It was my first foray into guard tightening.

[Midnight Drums]

Hi Midnight,
A 25cm version of the 45cm Siciliano would be awesome (mine has custom guards)
John

Hi John,
Those custom guards are cool!
Did Mr DeShivs do those?

I won the bidding on the new design Siciliano today on SD auction.
Can't wait for it to get here!
It has a white horn handle, and is 12 inches long.

It is cool that the guys in Maniago are coming up with new designs.
The one that I just bought was the first and only one of that style that I had ever seen.

Mike

[reggieh]

Yes bell was the korean version. There is also a version from tiawan. My first one was the japanese one but the bell soon became my favorite.

[JimBrown257]

Yes bell was the korean version

...About seven years ago, when you could still buy autos on Ebay, those Korean swing guards were easy to find. Usually for around $30 but if someone had a no reserve auction, you could get one for $15 if you were lucky. Then, about four years ago, I drove to California and stopped in a few border towns (Juarez, Nogales and Tijuana) and practically everyone of those ubiquitous trinket stores had a big box full of Italian style knockoffs and Korean or Tiawanese Rizutto clones. They were $5 each. Of course, you had to poke around to find one in decent condition (most didn't even fully snap open) as they were used and they had been stored closed for years.

Now, however, I can't seem to find any of the Rizzy clones online (it's weird how the availability of switchblades works like that: they're everywhere one day then they're completely gone the next). It's too bad as I'd really like to get another. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I just fixed the loose guards on my Korean by peening the pin. Those loose guards seem to be a manufacturing defect as everyone I've seen has them.

One other thing about those Korean Bells: when you could find them online, I often saw them advertised as "Korean army issue knife". I just can't see any military giving soldiers that kind of knife as a practical item, either for utility or combat reasons. Even if they were going to issue automatics, it seems like they'd choose a different kind of knife.

[AKcollector]

a good shot shell puller leverlock with a drop point blade that costs less than $100

[JimBrown257]

I've been thinking it would be cool if someone came up with new designs for swing guards (I mean the actual guards, not the knife itself). It would be fairly easy to put them on existing knives and interesting/novel guards are always fun to see. They can really add some class to a blade.

I'd like to see something like lightning bolts or bones (they could each be at slight opposing angles like a Jolly Roger flag) or guards in the shape of Italian switchblades so you had a switchblade with little switchblades for guards.

[jarvis]

I'm probably in the minority but I would like to see a well made usable pocket knife. NS bolsters and decent blade steel that will stay sharp. Unlike the Speed hunters, I would like a slimmer profile...Maybe something like these lockbacks were. Either with the lock back, or button open/close and available in the usual scale materials like horn, stag, acyrlic, wood etc.

Totally agree with Whippersnapper on a lockback like this one, especially since the knife in the picture is mine.

[JimBrown257]

Jarvis who made that knife? And is that a Medici?

I've seen that exact "rostfrei" stamp on a few different blades recently (same font printed diagonally). Are all the knives that have that stamp made by the same manufacturer?

[jarvis]

Jarvis who made that knife? And is that a Medici?

I've seen that exact "rostfrei" stamp on a few different blades recently (same font printed diagonally). Are all the knives that have that stamp made by the same manufacturer?

I have no idea who made it. I've been told it's circa 60s some time. It's not a Medici, though it's about the same size. There are some interesting little differences in the various versions of this knife (overall size, with or without bottom bolster, swedge blade, shape of the backspring tab, etc.)

[JimBrown257]

I've been told it's circa 60s some time. It's not a Medici, though it's about the same size.

...So what qualifies as a Medici; does it have to be a swinger? Besides for the top bolster and absent guard, that one looks just like a Puma Med.

Also, it's interesting that is a blade from the 60s (is that confirmed or just what you heard?) because I've noticed that exact stamp on three knives in the last few weeks. Of course, it could be a case of just never having noticed it until now. Here's a link to one being discussed over at SD (it's the pic in the OP):

http://www.sharperdeal.biz/forums/viewt ... =38&t=5869

[Panzerfaust]

I also would like to see nickle silver bolsters on a Frank B standard 11-inch stiletto with the classic 1950s blade grind AKA bayonet blade.

[JimBrown257]

I also would like to see nickle silver bolsters on a Frank B standard 11-inch stiletto with the classic 1950s blade grind AKA bayonet blade.

...Do you mean on a swing-guard or regular Italian? It always seemed to me that 9" was the standard Italian stiletto but the standard Beltrame swinger was 11". Although, I don't know how official words like "standard" are with these things.

[Panzerfaust]

I also would like to see nickle silver bolsters on a Frank B standard 11-inch stiletto with the classic 1950s blade grind AKA bayonet blade.

...Do you mean on a swing-guard or regular Italian? It always seemed to me that 9" was the standard Italian stiletto but the standard Beltrame swinger was 11". Although, I don't know how official words like "standard" are with these things.

By standard, I mean regular Italian, and a swivel bolster would be fine. The 11-inch is considered by many collectors to be the classic stiletto. Italian swingguards did not come out until the 1960s.