Trying to Identify 3 Different Stiletto Knives Including a Black Beauty

[sqlshawn]

Hello!

I'm trying to identify 3 different stiletto knives find out more information in general on them.

1. Rizzuto Estileto Milano
- Appears to be a plastic handle and is an auto-opening knife. I did some reading on this form and other sites and it seems that this is a lower quality knife that was made in China but I'm not sure if I have this correct.

2. A "Made In Italy" Switchblade
- It appears visually similar to the smaller stiletto but does not have a "Black Beauty" mark. The handle appears to be made of buffalo horn. It is an auto knife.

3. Small "Black Beauty" Stiletto
- This knife is a manual open and is marked as a Black Beauty and Made in Italy.

From the reading, I've done on this form it sounds like there is a lot of complexity when it comes to these types of knives and trying to identify what their history! Any assistance is appreciated!

Cheers,

Shawn

[jim d,]

Welcome Sqishawn,

Knife 2 looks to be an original (pre '58 ban) picklock, and yes the handles are horn which was the norm. The Made over Italy stamp is known. Precious few switchblades have the coveted Black Beauty stamp. My understanding is that most of the actual switchblades sold in response to the Black Beauty magazine ads had other stamps.

Knife 3 appears to be a manual Black Beauty stamped knife. Many collectors like these.

My understanding is that knives from the Black Beauty ads, both manual and switchblade models came in a few sizes. I'll leave it to our Rizzuto fans to respond to Knife 1.

Jim

[Bill DeShivs]

Not a Rizzuto fan, but yours was made in Japan.

[ChadEntwistle]

3 very desirable knives! Wow.
For sale?

[sqlshawn]

Thank you, Jim and Bill, for the info!

I did a little more reading on the Rizzuto and it looks like it was probably made in the 1960's or 70's. Does that sound right?

Any insights on when the Black Beauty would have been manufactured?

Chad, yes I believe I am going to put them on the market. These were something my father had but I'm not sure where he obtained them from. I don't think he really knew much about them regardless. I find them interesting but I don't believe I want to get into knife collecting. I am trying to learn something about them and research what a reasonable price is and then probably I'll put them on the market in the near future.


Shawn

[button_man]

Shawn ~ Before pricing out your knives, you need to inspect them thoroughly. Anyone paying serious money will want to know if the autos open strong and lock up tight every time, and if the safety slides work as they should. Also, whether the blades have any 'play' or wobble when open (there will be some on the Rizzuto, guaranteed). And one of the most common problems with older knives: is there any 'blade peek'? In other words, does the tip of the blade "peek" out over the liners when the knife is closed? (see attached photo) You need to describe each knife in painstaking detail, especially if there are any functional problems or condition issues. Welcome and good luck!

[sammy the blade]

True dat, you don't want unhappy buyers or returns.

[jim d,]

Sqishawn indicated the purpose of the post was to obtain information, not to sell (at least not here and now), given our rules for selling. Button_man makes some good points about selling or buying in general.

Jim

[Bill DeShivs]

The 2 Italian knives were rusted, and were "cleaned" with a wire wheel.

[fastr19]

I bet that Rizzuto could get some serious interest.

[sqlshawn]

Good tips, thank you. There is blade peek on the Rizzuto when it is closed. Is that something that is fixable? I didn’t notice any “wobble” on the Rizzuto when it opens, it seems pretty tight but I probably don’t know what to look for. I would say the #2 Italian feels like it’s got a stronger mechanism and has more force. They seem pretty reliable on opening and the safety’s do work.

I picked up the “Switchblades of Italy” on Kindle as a quick starter. Are there any other recommendations for sites or books I should review for these? Sorry for asking so many questions, there’s probably most of the answers in the forms here and I haven’t spent enough time reading older posts.

Cheers,

Shawn

[whippersnapper]

The peek can be fixed but there aren't many repair guys who will probably do it (maybe jimbrown257 who is a member here).
memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=7090
Reason being is the rizzutto knives are kind of a crap made knife. They do have a nostalgic "cult" like following by some so that makes them somewhat valuable. I'm talking under a couple hundred bucks valuable. You aren't going to retire on the proceeds. Paying to get it fixed probably isn't worth the value increase in my opinion. Now if you were keeping it because you were a collector, that might be different.

The made in Italy switch isn't really very valuable either in my opinion. Under $200 but probably closer to $100. Not rare and like Bill said, it looks to have been cleaned with a wire brush.

The gem of the bunch would probably be the black beauty manual opener even though it isn't an automatic knife. Like the rizzutto there are nostalgic collectors who want a black beauty tang stamped knife. It seems like one sold for several hundred dollars a few years ago, but I believe it was in much better condition.

You probably have searched and seen the old Black beauty ads that used to appear in 60's-80's comic books and magazines. My understanding was most of those knives came over here stamped like your made in italy. I wouldn't be surprised if your knife wasn't one of those magazine ordered knives.

The few that actually were stamped "black beauty" seem to be few and far between. Even the later non autos that were sold after the switchblade ban.

This is all just my opinion as far as value and history-what I have seen, and read, over quite a few years of hanging around.

[button_man]

I picked up the “Switchblades of Italy” on Kindle as a quick starter.
Are there any other recommendations for sites or books I should review for these?

You may find "The Latama Legend" by Punchard, Cioffero, Fuller, and Halucha to be helpful in assessing Latamas.

While not germane for these particular three knives, you should seriously consider "Antique American Switchblades" by Mark Erickson:
hundreds of gorgeous full-color photos, and an amazingly detailed section on grading that made my jaw drop.

These books are not inexpensive, but they are certainly worth obtaining for the serious collector.

[jim d,]

I agree with button_man, here are a couple more. Switchblades Exposed by Doug Growth and Bob Chopra describes the operating mechanisms of many switchblades in decent detail, along with accompanying photos. It is a good source of information. The Art of the Switchblade by Neal Punchard and Dan Fuller has superb photos of the finest examples of classic and rare switchblades along with photos of old ads, patents, logos, and related information, as well as great descriptions containing historical context. In my opinion, it is the ultimate coffee table switchblade book.

Jim

[whippersnapper]

If you're not interested in getting into knife collecting, I sure wouldn't recommend the expense of buying any more available books. They won't tell you anymore about your particular knives then you can find out from the knife forums and internet. Again, just my practical opinion based on what you have said your plan was.

If you change your mind about collecting knives, then by all means buy more books.