LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

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Mantiques
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LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

Post by Mantiques »

I purchased this knife at a sale last week. It is marked LATAMA ITALY on one side of the blade and PATENT 35958 on the other. It is also marked PATENT on the button. Open it measures 13" long. It still operates fine and has several chips on the handle.

I have read that these square buttons are rare. I can not even find a picture of a square button wavy blade. I have read the company history at http://www.stiletto-italiano.com/eng/latama.htm

E-Bay will not let us post stilettos. I was wondering about the value of this knife and the best place to auction it.

Any help would be appreciated.

Phil
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Tom19176
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Re: LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

Post by Tom19176 »

you can sell it on shaperdeals...It is a 13" kriss blade square button and it seems to have a swivel bolster release as compared to a pick lock. I just looked at the Latama Legend book and Switchblades of Italy as a reference as I did not think they were made as swivel lock lock releases.....It is rare and fairly collectible.

http://www.sharperdeals.net/
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omega
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Re: LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

Post by omega »

Definately rare. I had read that there were a few 13" square buttons produced with a kriss blade, but had never seen one, photo or otherwise, until now.

As to value, who knows..... its whatever the auction tops out at. SharperDeals auction is about the only venue around for a knife like this one. I'm guessing $1000 or more on a good day and that would seem to account for the condition of the horn scales with the multiple bug-bites. These knives are seldom seen in the marketplace, so its anyones guess as to value.

You might be tempted to have it restored, but most serious collectors would probably want it unmolested. There's only a couple of guys I would trust such a rare restoration to anyway. One of them is a resident expert right here in this forum.

Whatever you do with it, don't be in a huge hurry. This knife is only going to appreciate.

As a point of curiousity, can you disclose what you had to pay for this piece and where it came from?
niceguy2
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Re: LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

Post by niceguy2 »

Seems more and more of these are popping up in the last few years ..... cool knife !
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Bill DeShivs
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Re: LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

Post by Bill DeShivs »

Do nothing to the knife, except oil it.
If you are unable to register at http://www.sharperdeals.net/
I can sell it there for you for a small fee. There are many here that will vouch for my honesty and integrity.
Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler
http://www.billdeshivs.com
Factory authorized repairs for:
Latama, Mauro Mario, LePre, Colonial, Kabar, Flylock, Schrade Cut Co., Presto, Press Button, Hubertus, Grafrath, Kuno Ritter knives, Puma, Burrell Cutlery.
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omega
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Re: LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

Post by omega »

Bill DeShivs wrote:Do nothing to the knife, except oil it.
If you are unable to register at http://www.sharperdeals.net/
I can sell it there for you for a small fee. There are many here that will vouch for my honesty and integrity.
Bill DeShivs is THE guy and the resident expert I was referring to in my post. You are 100% safe if you elect to have him handle the auction for you (in the event you can't get registered for some reason).

Good Luck!
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jim d,
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Re: LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

Post by jim d, »

Bill DeShivs wrote: "There are many here that will vouch for my honesty and integrity".

Yes, absolutely!! Bill is way beyond trustworthy.

Now, understand this, you have acquired a knife that is more than collectible, and a place like ebay is not the way to reach the right market. 99.999% of the folks there would have no idea of what it is. You need to get it in front of the right audience if you want to sell it.

Jim
Tom19176
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Re: LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

Post by Tom19176 »

I can vouch for Bill on his offer!
METALGOD
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Re: LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

Post by METALGOD »

personally i would not fiddle fart around trying to get registered at sharperdeal auction or deal with their bullshit, try (http://www.gunbroker.com) they charge same fees as SD and there are alot of collectors at gunbroker.com who collect this type of knife , also due to owners of sharperdeal auction not letting certain collectors register at their site you would be limited to what you can sell it for at sharperdeal so my suggestion is gunbroker.com , also why pay auction fees and then have to pay someone else on top of that to sell the knife for you too when you can do it yourself for less fees involved . the knife is super rare and can go upwards of 3500 dollars easy, if im not mistaken there are only around a dozen maybe 15 in existence. i remember years ago a guy paying $10,000 for a 13 square button Latama.
orangeboy
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Re: LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

Post by orangeboy »

Tom19176 wrote:you can sell it on shaperdeals...It is a 13" kriss blade square button and it seems to have a swivel bolster release as compared to a pick lock. I just looked at the Latama Legend book and Switchblades of Italy as a reference as I did not think they were made as swivel lock lock releases.....It is rare and fairly collectible.

http://www.sharperdeals.net/
Hi Tom. Everyone should read the Square Button chapter in the Latama Legend. The entire history of the Square Button including the swivel bolster models and even the patent drawing for the swivel bolster model is right there. Every sentence is jam packed with newly found and newly updated info on the Square buttons. Never before has so much been known about them.

It was also discovered that the Square buttons are not prototypes and nearly 1000 of them were made. Nearly 30 of them are now known. And every year it seems at least 1 or two new ones turn up.

It's sad to see when collectors who aren't in the know and never really buy vintage knives, never spend any money on vintage knives and with no intention of buying a knife are so quick to tell a non-collector an unrealistic sky high price. Most of the sellers who come are are one hit wonders and they are interested in nothing but a cash grab and all you are doing is making fellow friends and collectors pay out the ass for a knife that some non-collector found for $5.
Last edited by orangeboy on Sun Jun 04, 2017 1:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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DonC
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Re: LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

Post by DonC »

Great find. I second the notion of taking your time selling it and not touching it apart from a careful touch of light oil to the pivot.
I'd take Bill's offer to sell it for you if you're not knowledgeable with the in's and out's of selling a relatively rare knife on an auction site.
Best of luck on whatever direction you decide to go.
DonC
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DonC
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Re: LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

Post by DonC »

Take a look at this thread from a recent successful sale by someone who was pretty much in your shoes.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=24822
DonC
Tom19176
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Re: LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

Post by Tom19176 »

orangeboy I SAID I did not know they were made with swivel releases UNTIL I read the book. Was that not CLEAR? SO before you knock me and knock my statement please read that I found out they were made that way and I told him he had one. I have never knocked you, and I took the time to get the books out for reference as I noted. I read pretty well and I am not nasty to others....I also did not tell him he won the lottery, but I said he had a rare and collectible knife. Responses like yours are why I don't like posting much.....
orangeboy
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Re: LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

Post by orangeboy »

Tom19176 wrote:orangeboy I SAID I did not know they were made with swivel releases UNTIL I read the book. Was that not CLEAR? SO before you knock me and knock my statement please read that I found out they were made that way and I told him he had one. I have never knocked you, and I took the time to get the books out for reference as I noted. I read pretty well and I am not nasty to others....I also did not tell him he won the lottery, but I said he had a rare and collectible knife. Responses like yours are why I don't like posting much.....
Hi Tom. You're a good guy and I should have clarified. The last part of my earlier comment was not directed at you. I like you and you have good things to post. :)
Italian and USA Doctorate in Cutlery Research, PHD
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Tom19176
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Re: LATAMA Square Button Switchblade

Post by Tom19176 »

Thanks
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