unknown liner material

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button_man
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unknown liner material

Post by button_man »

I just dug out these knives, which I bought so long ago that I have no idea where I got them or how much I paid. I think I bought them right around 2000 to 2005..... right in there somewhere. I am virtually certain that the "Italy" stamps (which actually seem to be etched, not stamped) are fake and the knives were made in China.

My questions are:

1. The liners and bolsters appear to be steel, but a magnet will not stick.... so what are they made of?
2. Were genuine Italian knives ever assembled with screws, as you see here? Or rivets only?

Thanks everyone....!
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Mario
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Re: unknown liner material

Post by Mario »

Don’t know about the material, but I know a lot of the Italian kit knives that people imported and assembled themselves back in the day would come with screw-in rivets. Perhaps these were old kits from China? They are really nice. I especially like the marble handled ones.
sammy the blade
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Re: unknown liner material

Post by sammy the blade »

The hole in the tangs aren't drilled all the way through which isn't the case of the China stilettos I've come across. They probably put screws in it for easier assembly. I think they're Italian but I've been wrong before.
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Bill DeShivs
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Re: unknown liner material

Post by Bill DeShivs »

Those are genuine Frank Beltrame "Switch" kits.
The liners are Zamak- a zinc alloy that is easily cast.
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button_man
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Re: unknown liner material

Post by button_man »

Thanks to all for the amazing info..... I would have bet the rent that they were fakes from China.
I do know for sure that I did not assemble them myself.... they came to me just as you see them here.
(Could these have come from Edge Co.?)

And Bill ~ do you have any idea of the time from in which FB offered kits?
Am I right in feeling that such items have not been available for quite a few years...?
button_man
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Re: unknown liner material

Post by button_man »

ack! typo! .....that should have been "time frame" -- once again, I am posting without benefit of coffee..... a sure path to ruin.....
button_man
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Re: unknown liner material

Post by button_man »

At the same time that I acquired the FB kit knives pictured above, I also bought a couple small OTFs with a "snakeskin" paint job -- shown here with a 'Lightning' OTF for size comparison. Has anyone seen the "snakeskin" OTFs, or know anything about them?

Back when I bought these knives I was intoxicated with the idea that after wanting switchblades my entire life, I could FINALLY get my hands on some!
At the time, I was not really concerned with information. But my latent OCD has kicked in and now I am eager for every scrap of information that I can get my hands on....
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Bill DeShivs
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Re: unknown liner material

Post by Bill DeShivs »

I believe Frank Beltrame still sells that model-possibly in slightly different construction.

Your snake skin OTF is Italian, and is called the "Concord" model.
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sammy the blade
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Re: unknown liner material

Post by sammy the blade »

Seems to me that the lightning came out in the early 2000's give or take a couple years. Pretty decent for what they are, I have one from the days that I still had hair on the top of my head. That's been awhile back!
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Re: unknown liner material

Post by button_man »

Bill, I just received a photo from another collector who owns an AKC model of this knife, as shown..... since my snakeskin knife is totally devoid of markings, could it have been made as an unauthorized copy of the AKC? Of course, 20 years ago, the Italian makers were not as aware of the marketing benefit of branding their knives; and knives from the major makers seem to have often just been marked "made in Italy". Still, it seems somewhat unusual that this knife is a genuine Italian OTF and is COMPLETELY sterile.

(Pictured next to the AKC is another OTF from the same era.... I thought this other one was more in line with what they called the 'Concord' model....?)
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Bill DeShivs
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Re: unknown liner material

Post by Bill DeShivs »

The Concord has been around longer than AKC company has existed.
I could be wrong on the name, but your knife is Italian.
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button_man
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Re: unknown liner material

Post by button_man »

Thanks very much Bill.... it's a relief to know that I stumbled onto Italian knives (even if by accident) rather than fakes from China!
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Re: unknown liner material

Post by TRYKER »

i belive the concord were made by the ''SPARRON'' (sp) company
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sammy the blade
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Re: unknown liner material

Post by sammy the blade »

button_man wrote: Thu Dec 31, 2020 1:40 pm Thanks very much Bill.... it's a relief to know that I stumbled onto Italian knives (even if by accident) rather than fakes from China!
Hope you got them at a China price!
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Bill DeShivs
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Re: unknown liner material

Post by Bill DeShivs »

Spadon.
Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler
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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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