mini Italians

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big_slim
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mini Italians

Post by big_slim »

Just recently started getting into these little guys, never thought much about them. Now I'm always looking for more lol, currently looking for an original box for the 2 3/4" ones.
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Panzerfaust
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Re: mini Italians

Post by Panzerfaust »

Nice and I have three of the minis in the boxes that I bought in Florence, Italy, in 1995.
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big_slim
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Re: mini Italians

Post by big_slim »

That's awesome, I was in Florence in 2000, it's a beautiful city! Unfortunately I didn't know much about switchblades back then. I might've bought one if I'd ever seen any for sale. None of the stalls/street vendors were selling any that I remember, minis or otherwise, but probably just didn't know where to look.
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Panzerfaust
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Re: mini Italians

Post by Panzerfaust »

big_slim wrote: Wed Oct 13, 2021 3:52 pm That's awesome, I was in Florence in 2000, it's a beautiful city! Unfortunately I didn't know much about switchblades back then. I might've bought one if I'd ever seen any for sale. None of the stalls/street vendors were selling any that I remember, minis or otherwise, but probably just didn't know where to look.
I didn't see many for sale but the street vendor told me a gun license was required to legally own one so that's probably why. Not sure if that applied to minis and I also have a 9-inch that I bought from the vendor. When my cousin visited Italy in 1986, he said they were for sale everywhere and I still have a 13-inch he bought me that he said he purchased at a train station.
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jerryk25
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Re: mini Italians

Post by jerryk25 »

I recall the mini switchblades changed, from 4 front pins down to 3 pins.
Here is Benthos's photo. . . . . some have 3 pins. . .some have 4 pins
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Panzerfaust
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Re: mini Italians

Post by Panzerfaust »

I have two minis I bought in the mid-1980s that have four pins and the ones I bought in 1995 have three. I also have a Japanese mini picklock.
TazmanTom
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Re: mini Italians

Post by TazmanTom »

The. three pin is newer with a two piece backspring and probably not NS bolsters. The fourth pin. I believe, holds in the backspring assembly on the older ones.
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JulesVane
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Re: mini Italians

Post by JulesVane »

TazmanTom wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 2:45 pm The. three pin is newer with a two piece backspring and probably not NS bolsters. The fourth pin. I believe, holds in the backspring assembly on the older ones.
Do the older 4 pin models have NS bolsters?
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jerryk25
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Re: mini Italians

Post by jerryk25 »

there is an older model that is a genuine Latama . . .that most certainly has Nickel bolsters.
these are photos from the other website, of the actual knife on a Sheldon Levy Newsletter.

so there is a very high probability some minis are nickel. . .
but when they changed. . .I couldn't even guess.
I've seen a lot of photos with a dull patina bolster, suspiciously nickel.
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TazmanTom
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Re: mini Italians

Post by TazmanTom »

The early 4 pins are almost certainly NS. Even the Japanese, same size, are NS. I had a couple from Hungary that were also NS. The new 3 pins aren't brass liners either, probably white metal. If you have both, the differences are obvious. There were a very few, very early that were aluminum frames. Super rare. Hope this helps.
Here's a better pic of the Latama you mentioned. The "Holy Grail" of minis.
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JulesVane
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Re: mini Italians

Post by JulesVane »

Great info.! I had no idea about the NS bolsters on the older ones, or a tiny Latama even existed. Thanks guys!
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rithvich
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Re: mini Italians

Post by rithvich »

So yes the 50's daggers are nickel silver, D stamped, slip in spring. Even some of the early swedge blade minis are. So just for conversation purposes I would guess they switched post 58 but that is literally just a guess.

That knife on the newsletter is an unstamped stag dagger. Was in Jerry Skelton's collection and has been in my close to ten years. That's a very old pic you had Jerry. Wasn't taken by me or I doubt Jerry S either.

That latama mini is for sure one of the holy grails and be careful Big Slim as mini collecting can be 10x as addicting as normal switchblade collecting once you get rolling 😂
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Bill DeShivs
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Re: mini Italians

Post by Bill DeShivs »

In the early 1970s, the Italian minis had one-piece liners/bolsters made of nickel plated brass.
The nickel was removed along the top and bottom, so the brass showed.
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TazmanTom
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Re: mini Italians

Post by TazmanTom »

Thanks, Bill. I knew there were some plated then edges polished off, couldn't remember details. Here's a couple more pics of early marked minis. Some swedged, some slip in springs, etc..one on left is a slip joint, doesn't lock open, with steel pins in scales. No hole in lock tab and no locking pin on blade. Fairly rare.
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portlandmike
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Re: mini Italians

Post by portlandmike »

I just got this neat shell wrap mini
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