The new lower-cost AGA F-16 D/A OTF stilettos.

[Fishtail Picklock]

I have been eying one of these. For the price from Blade Play, these seem to be nice. I wonder how much use they can endure?

Does anyone have one of these, and if so, is it just a toy, or is it a durable knife?

[sammy the blade]

There was a thread on these awhile back and it seemed the guys that had liked them. They haven't been out that long so nobody really knows how long they will last.

[JulesVane]

I got mine (black) from Bernie here. Very nice little OTF. Double springs and mighty sharp. No complaints.

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=25240

[Fishtail Picklock]

Does the 440A steel hold a good edge? If it does, the knife could prove useful. I'm getting to the point where I prefer that purchases prove of use rather than just residing in a drawer.

[JulesVane]

Ahh Fishtail...the key word there is "hold" (a good edge). I can attest to the very sharp edge as it arrived, but alas, mine lives amongst the rest of it's Italian cousins in a glass display case. Sorry, not much help there.

[Fishtail Picklock]

Colonial Knife Company's 440A steel is well-tempered and is hardened to 58 HRC. (This is why I asked). Their assisted opening knife is an excellent bit of kit. If the AGA F-16 is worth carrying for light work, it could be handy as well as fun. I carry three knives at a time. (Trust me, each and every one of them are quite useful).

[john]

I always carry two. One that I can use in general public places. My other knife would freak out the mall shoppers. Then I’d have the mall police chasing me on their Segways.

[Fishtail Picklock]

I always carry two. One that I can use in general public places. My other knife would freak out the mall shoppers. Then I’d have the mall police chasing me on their Segways.

... and dusting the powdered sugar off their uniforms!

No more information?

[Fishtail Picklock]

Well, I bit this afternoon. I ordered an AGA F-16 D/A OTF Stiletto. ($39.99 + $3.99 for shipping). I'll let everyone know how this knife works out.

[Tom19176]

Lets us know your thoughts! The general assumption on these is that they are Asian made for AGA .....At the $40 mark I think they are a good deal, but I have not held one yet....I love the design....

[sammy the blade]

I believe Bill said they are Italian made, but I could be wrong.

[Fishtail Picklock]

I looked on the AGA Campolin website and all indications were that these knives are made in Italy. We should be consulting the folks at Campolin to understand what's taking place and the true source of the knives in question.

[Tom19176]

Actually Bill said ( see link) He hopes there Italian but fears they are Asian. The handle design, blade grind, and button also say Asian to me.....They are half the cost of the for sure real Italians.....I suspect made in Asia for them.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25071&start=15

[Fishtail Picklock]

I liked the knife but didn't want a "flashy" unit, so I bought the "military" version (black handle/inserts). We'll see how this works out.

[Fishtail Picklock]

It arrived in today's mail (post to you, Ian). The 440A steel seems better than the standard 420 steel that they use in their side opening automatics. The knife is solid and tight. After a few passes over my Spyderco Sharpmaker the stiletto blade took an extremely sharp edge. The action is very tight and requires firm thumb pressure to launch the blade. It fires and closes hard.

While "the proof of the pudding is in the eating" I believe that the knife was an excellent purchase for the $43.98 I paid to Blade Play and ordered it on Monday. It came today (Friday the 22nd) at 9:30 am. They were quick and courteous. I highly recommend buying from Blade Play because they handle thing right and their Customer Service is beyond reproach.

I'll give AKC a "conditional" A rating on the knife. We'll see how it pans out.