Superior Italy

This is a forum for discussion on automatic an switchblade knives.

Moderator: The Motley Crew

Forum rules
There are a few things you should know before posting in these forums. If you are a new user, please click here and read carefully. Thanks a lot!
User avatar
MarkT93Cobra
Posts: 97
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2017 10:14 pm
Location: Canton Ms

Superior Italy

Post by MarkT93Cobra »

I just got a nice 9 inch dark buffalo horn with red dot safety marked superior Italy! Any info on value and maker?
User avatar
omega
Posts: 846
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2003 3:05 am
Location: Back in K.C.

Re: Superior Italy

Post by omega »

These were just being discussed over on one of the FaceBook knife pages-

They were made by Andrea Santini in Maniago. Nobody seems to know what became of him, or so that discussion goes.
User avatar
jim d,
Posts: 7666
Joined: Thu May 23, 2002 9:36 pm
Location: Mayberry, N.C. / U.S.A.

Re: Superior Italy

Post by jim d, »

You are exactly right Omega. For a short period of time he was a prolific poster here and shared a good bit of information about his knifemaking. Then for whatever reason, he totally disappeared.

Jim
User avatar
ILikeStilettos
Posts: 1576
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 3:36 pm
Location: Norman, Oklahoma, USA
Contact:

Re: Superior Italy

Post by ILikeStilettos »

jim d, wrote:You are exactly right Omega. For a short period of time he was a prolific poster here and shared a good bit of information about his knifemaking. Then for whatever reason, he totally disappeared.

Jim
As nearly as I can determine, he was impatient to make knives in a big way. He's working for an arms company that supplies the Italian police. He didn't disappear as much as he lost interest in the subject area.
Dave Sause
oldandfat@cox.net
(405) 694-3690

"And you're telling me this because, somehow, I look like I give a shit?"

"Let a smile be your umbrella and you're gonna get your dumb ass wet."
User avatar
omega
Posts: 846
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2003 3:05 am
Location: Back in K.C.

Re: Superior Italy

Post by omega »

Too bad, as the Maniago crews seem to be disappearing in our modern times. Perhaps ALS/Dave Sause needs to send some of his fancy CAD designs to breathe new life into things!
User avatar
ILikeStilettos
Posts: 1576
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 3:36 pm
Location: Norman, Oklahoma, USA
Contact:

Re: Superior Italy

Post by ILikeStilettos »

omega wrote:Too bad, as the Maniago crews seem to be disappearing in our modern times. Perhaps ALS/Dave Sause needs to send some of his fancy CAD designs to breathe new life into things!
There are other folks who can produce from the designs as well. This is why I post them. All it takes is the desire and a customer.
Dave Sause
oldandfat@cox.net
(405) 694-3690

"And you're telling me this because, somehow, I look like I give a shit?"

"Let a smile be your umbrella and you're gonna get your dumb ass wet."
User avatar
arthas
Cutlery Town Warrior
Posts: 1580
Joined: Thu May 23, 2002 6:11 pm
Location: The downtown of the cutlery town
Contact:

Re: Superior Italy

Post by arthas »

Hello!

Mr. Santini created Superior-Italy brand a few years ago and manufactured the knives in cooperation with some Maniago knifemakers. Even though he lived around Rome, so a bit far for Maniago, with time he became a usual presence of the town. He also did a Blade Show, in 2013 if I recall correctly.
Then, all of a sudden, he vanished. It seems he lost interested in the thing.

M.
Fishtail Picklock
Posts: 2207
Joined: Sat May 03, 2003 11:10 pm
Location: Forest Grove, OR

Re: Superior Italy

Post by Fishtail Picklock »

Ah, a "unicorn".

In the swaying vagaries of the automatic knife world, that's how these things seem to take place.

Strange.
Fishtail Picklock
User avatar
ILikeStilettos
Posts: 1576
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 3:36 pm
Location: Norman, Oklahoma, USA
Contact:

Re: Superior Italy

Post by ILikeStilettos »

Back in April of 2014 I bought a 9" Superior dagger from a well known person in our community and posted a review. I still own the knife, but it was easier to find the pictures than the piece, so this is what I am posting.

The thing was that the seller apologized for what he had to charge me to recoup his investment, and in his words, "Superior ain't!" I was new in the community and thought that I was being objective. If you are going to call yourself, Superior, and charge top dollar, then your knife should be beyond reproach, even under magnification (which is what close up photography is.) I was probably too hard on the guy and other collectors took extreme offense about the review and a battle ensued. I'm pretty sure that the entire post got deleted as it was a war of words and no longer about the product. Like many 'Hatfield vs. McCoy' feuds, the hurt feelings linger long after the players are deceased or otherwise moved on. Other things happened with Superior (that I am NOT going to comment on) and they are no longer in the knife business.

So here's the knife, light to transparent scales. Some collectors love transparent scales that show the pins going all the way through, I don't. No foul, just not my cup of tea. It's a tight little knife and has a great snap, but that's only par for the course on a 9". It's a pivot bolster; for the money I would have expected a picklock. Considering that this costed me more than a 10" Campolin 5 mm picklock (as my flaky memory recalls), it was considerably over-priced and this may, in part, account for Superior's demise.

Image

To the best of my knowledge, Antonio Santini was apprenticing under Armando Beltrame, and all the knives were built in the AB shop in Maniago. So that accounts for the ricasso stamp. Note that the scale is a bit narrow at the pommel and the liner is showing.

Image

I was unhappy with the gap between the liner and the backspring.

Image

Down at the pommel on the other side the scales were too wide and some unusual profiling was required.

Image

This is a sexy little knife, and if the flaws hadn't been there, Superior might still be around. Either way, these knives would be in demand by collectors. (They may still be, I haven't a clue. I just don't think anyone will be foaming at the mouth to pay what I would charge.)

Image

The finish work here is rather glaring. Also, those are solid NS bolsters, but they are not fully lined. Again, should have been a picklock and fully lined.

Image

Lots of dings and scratches on the pommel.

Image

Etching a blade along the front top was a big controversy at the time. Raimondo's did it and they're liked. Other moderns with this take a bunch of negative criticisms. I think it's pretty great, love the font and the sharp etch. Again, Santini was drawing attention to himself and I only wish he had been able to live up to his own hype.

Image

That's the story and I am sticking to it. I hope I haven't offended anyone or revealed any secrets. I was just trying to respond to the inquiry and tell what history I remember.

Best regards,
Dave Sause
oldandfat@cox.net
(405) 694-3690

"And you're telling me this because, somehow, I look like I give a shit?"

"Let a smile be your umbrella and you're gonna get your dumb ass wet."
User avatar
john
Posts: 4524
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2009 11:40 am
Location: New England, MA USA

Re: Superior Italy

Post by john »

Hi Dave,
I believe your review is spot on for that particular knife. I feel comfortable saying that the same or similar issues appear on other knives. I can’t imagine your knife is the only one with issues. I agree in general that they were a bit pricey, picklock, and lined bolsters and D stamped lined would have made it “Superior”.
Here are a few photos of my “Santini “
John
Attachments
EE8FAEAB-80D4-4872-AB47-389744D5A0A7.jpeg
EE8FAEAB-80D4-4872-AB47-389744D5A0A7.jpeg (670.6 KiB) Viewed 3746 times
95F498F8-ACB3-42C7-9236-8565D92A4FE4.jpeg
95F498F8-ACB3-42C7-9236-8565D92A4FE4.jpeg (945.15 KiB) Viewed 3746 times
Your friend on the web's most friendly community on knives and blades,
John

Massachusetts Where Everything is Illegal or Taxed
User avatar
ILikeStilettos
Posts: 1576
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 3:36 pm
Location: Norman, Oklahoma, USA
Contact:

Re: Superior Italy

Post by ILikeStilettos »

john wrote:Hi Dave,
I believe your review is spot on for that particular knife. I feel comfortable saying that the same or similar issues appear on other knives. I can’t imagine your knife is the only one with issues. I agree in general that they were a bit pricey, picklock, and lined bolsters and D stamped lined would have made it “Superior”.
Here are a few photos of my “Santini “
John
Thanks for the backup, John. I owe you responses to a couple of emails, it's been moderately crazy around here.
Dave Sause
oldandfat@cox.net
(405) 694-3690

"And you're telling me this because, somehow, I look like I give a shit?"

"Let a smile be your umbrella and you're gonna get your dumb ass wet."
User avatar
john
Posts: 4524
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2009 11:40 am
Location: New England, MA USA

Re: Superior Italy

Post by john »

ILikeStilettos wrote: Thanks for the backup, John. I owe you responses to a couple of emails, it's been moderately crazy around here.
You’re welcome.
I know all about crazy. All is good.
A presto,
John
Your friend on the web's most friendly community on knives and blades,
John

Massachusetts Where Everything is Illegal or Taxed
User avatar
natcherly
Connoisseur dei Coltelli
Posts: 6336
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2004 3:59 pm
Location: Baghdad by the Bay

Re: Superior Italy

Post by natcherly »

That is a very fair review, Dave. When these first showed up, my first thought was, "'Superior' implies relativity, so it is supposed to be superior to what?" I never got a satisfactory answer to that so I ignored them.

Perhaps if he had just named them "ACME". Could have sold tons to Wile...
User avatar
arthas
Cutlery Town Warrior
Posts: 1580
Joined: Thu May 23, 2002 6:11 pm
Location: The downtown of the cutlery town
Contact:

Re: Superior Italy

Post by arthas »

Hello!
ILikeStilettos wrote: To the best of my knowledge, Antonio Santini was apprenticing under Armando Beltrame, and all the knives were built in the AB shop in Maniago. So that accounts for the ricasso stamp. Note that the scale is a bit narrow at the pommel and the liner is showing.
The correct name is Andrea. :D

For the rest, you are absolutely correct: he was mainly an apprentice under Armando Beltrame, even though the thing didn't last more than a few months.

M.
User avatar
john
Posts: 4524
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2009 11:40 am
Location: New England, MA USA

Re: Superior Italy

Post by john »

In defense of Andrea I recall him asking for feedback on blade types, scale material, and the logo Superior Italy went through several changes. I don’t remember if he used any suggestions. I can only guess he may have used a suggestion or two. In any event AB had something to say since he was under his guidance.
I got mine from a collector who sold a lot of his collection. I don’t recall what I paid for it, but recall it was a fair deal.
Anyone remember what these originally sold for?
Does anyone know how many were made?
Your friend on the web's most friendly community on knives and blades,
John

Massachusetts Where Everything is Illegal or Taxed
Post Reply