Quality

[Mario]

Quality when it comes to Italian and Chinese stilettos is usually a crapshoot. I have a few modern Chinese ones that are almost on par in quality with the Italians. It depends on what kind of steel they use, the type of heat treat, the conditions they were stored in before being sent to the dealers/stores, etc. Some issues can sometimes be fixed with a little cleaning/oiling. I should probably also address the debates people have about whether you should store them open or leave them closed. Bill has gone on record as stating it doesn’t matter if they’re stored open or closed. The springs can last a long time as long as you don’t play with the knives excessively (repeatedly opening and closing as it heats up the springs and increases the likelihood of failure). Hope you find this info useful.

[button_man]

The springs can last a long time as long as you don’t play with the knives excessively (repeatedly opening and closing
as it heats up the springs and increases the likelihood of failure). Hope you find this info useful.

My stars! I cannot imagine opening / closing a knife enough times and at sufficient speed to HEAT UP the springs!
Seems to me that it certainly could place a lot of STRESS on the springs (both kick- and back-) ......but heat them up?

If I sit here and open / close a stiletto ten times, how much will the temperature of the kickspring rise?
If it was even five degrees, I would be astounded. So, what happens when August rolls around and
the temp of my knives is 85 instead of the current 65? Do the springs start decomposing?
This all seems very doubtful indeed......

[Bill DeShivs]

Bend a wire coat hanger 6 times in the same spot rapidly. Touch the bend.
Then, get back to us.

[Luke_of_Mass]

Storing them open vs closed is one debate that has reputable sources on either side - rapidfiring is an entirely different issue and basically everyone can concur it's the worst thing you can do to an automatic knife. Except maybe running it over with a car or sharpening it on a cinder block.

[button_man]

The coat-hanger does not seem like a valid comparison to a knife spring. The hanger is far more resistant to bending than spring steel, and will generate far more heat from the energy expended to overcome this resistance. Also, bending a hanger will cover a far greater arc of movement than compressing and releasing a spring a few millimeters, which will greatly affects the exothermic result.

If I bend a coat-hanger very slightly - - the same distance that a switchblade spring is compressed - - and release it; and do that six times, the miniscule amount of heat generated would not be detectable by touch. You might detect a rise of a fraction of a degree with laboratory equipment, but that would probably be about it.

I suppose that if somebody opened and closed a knife as fast as they possibly could, dozens and dozens of times, it could heat up the spring.....
but even so, how much would the spring heat up? Would it be too hot to touch? I don't want to try it with any of my knives; but it just doesn't seem rational that the spring would heat up enough to actually affect the steel. I guess we won't know for sure unless somebody actually does it.

I'm not trying to be argumentative here, but the heat thing just does not seem reasonable to me. I just went and bent a wire hanger back and forth slightly ten times.... about the same arc of movement as a knife spring..... and I couldn't feel any temperature difference at all.

[sammy the blade]

If you have a need to fire a knife over and over and over again get a cheap Asian made stiletto and when you break the spring you won't be out much. You can buy another cheaper than you can have a spring replaced in a Italian stiletto. Just a suggestion.

[Luke_of_Mass]

I rapid fired a Milano from 2008-2014 and eventually the spring broke. I've never had that happen on an Italian. I have, however, had the trigger sears wear down and prevent the knife from staying closed. It's basically a piece of metal the size of a couple toothpicks on the modern knives. Only a matter of time, and the little knives go WAYY faster.

Wear on the trigger sear is probably more likely to end up wrecking your knife from rapidfiring. Springs are probably more likely to get weaker than break (in my experience). A lot of Italians from the early-90's or late-80's aren't too far off from Asian knives, unfortunately. And the better Taiwanese pieces are actually nicer than Frank's "Switch" models with the screw-on scales, IMO. At least they stay together.

We will have to see if the next generation chooses to stay in the business once all the old artisans are gone, otherwise quality could tank again. Ultimately it depends on us to give them a reason not to move on. But letting knives slip through with major problems isn't a great way to keep people's business. All part of a big circle.

[sammy the blade]

I had one of Frank's switch models and it was junk. I had one from Asia years ago that had stiletto on the blade that was a better knife. The safety sucked but they pretty much all do. If the Italians don't fix the quality issues won't be long till no one will buy a production stiletto from them. They will be hanging themselves.

[Billyfish]

We will have to see if the next generation chooses to stay in the business once all the old artisans are gone, otherwise quality could tank again. Ultimately it depends on us to give them a reason not to move on. But letting knives slip through with major problems isn't a great way to keep people's business. All part of a big circle.

This is one of the reasons that after I started to get interested in switchblades again I started collecting good examples from the Maniago Cutlers.
This kind of affordable craftmanship is rapidly disappearing from our world.

[button_man]

I just bought (another) of the largest Hubertus (10") although I already have one, because it's from back when they were made really well. I paid 200 for my first one and 300 for this one (ouch) but they don't seem to turn up very often and as time passes there will be more recent Hubertus knives on the market and fewer of the older, quality pieces..... so, I decided to grab it even though it seems sort of pricey right now. And the spring! The knife almost flew out of my hand....! The spring is far stronger than on my first one.... kicks like a mule. Fit and finish are superb. No complaints at all on this fine knife.

[jim d,]

button_man, I too have a 10 inch Hubertus (bought ~2005) and it will jump out of your hand if fired and not held tightly. If I remember correctly, strong springs seemed to be the the rule.

Jim

[sprink]

How about a picture of the 10" Hubertus, I'm sure I have seen one but can't picture what it looks like .

[texasmad]

There are a lot of variables with Italian knives especially those bought in the States, I know Frank used to ship the knives and blades separate so depending on who put them together once they got here had a lot to do with final quality because there is a certain amount of skill involved when "pinging" the top bolsters and blade in place and that's also when you tweak the spring which is also a delicate operation or you can end up liner gap or a spring that protrudes out when shut.

[jim d,]

sprink - look in Blade Pictures from Nov. last year.

Jim

[button_man]

sprink ~ Here are some photos.... I bought it together with a beautiful 11" Pascotto Special Edition picklock with fabulous abalone scales;
this is why you see two knives in the pictures. My wallet was a lot lighter at the end of THAT day, believe you me....!