I am now a hoodlum!

I guess Grease will be making a comeback? In all seriousness that knife is a beaut, Texas just repealed that stupid switchblade law couple years back, and I have yet to get one. I probably would never carry it, but it'd be nice for historical purposes.

I've carried one since I'm 14 years old. I'm 71 now.

Grew up in NYC.

We couldn't get guns so it with the Italian knife as our choice.

AFS

Reminds me of Henry Fonda in the movie 12 Angry Men and all the 1950's-1960's hype of curing juvenile delinquency by banning switchbaldes, comic books, mail-order guns. (Video games had not been invented yet.)

You're definitely going to need a motorcycle jacket and some Brylcreem.

I have one too, though I've never carried it. They're not very practical for everyday purposes. The only thing I know about knife-fighting is "don't do that."

You're not a hoodlum until you use it.........lol Ever see "Blackboard Jungle"?

When I was a kid in the Bronx, the local candy store had cardboard displays with a dozen switchblade knives hanging on the wall for sale, legal then. All the cool kids had them, used to stand in front of our city project apt. building flicking 'em open.

Of course, for the local rumbles, there were also garrison belts with large brass buckles you could swing, car antennas you could break off to use as whips, and metal garbage can lids. Zip guns were also being produced by the more ambitious and inventive.

Every time I see an Italian stiletto I think to myself. 'Isn't that just like a Whop, brings a knife to a gunfight!' — Foot Patrol Officer James Malone in 'The Untouchables'.

Eventually you'll get tired of snapping the blade open all of the time — Hopefully before the spring breaks; and ...... the spring always breaks! (Don't ask how I know!)

hso said:

That's true for cheap switchblades, but that is a good quality manufacturer and should cycle thousands of times before breaking the spring (which you can order replacements for).

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Ahh, come on! For many years I kept one of the finest knife collections on the East Coast. A $75.00 switchblade will break just as fast as a $300 or $400 dollar one will. The weak point is in the pivot and spring. First the blade will start to get loose; and eventually it will begin to open very sloppily, and with a lot of play. Then, if the knife continues to be use, the spring usually goes next. (I've ruined many of them; the only way to keep a switchblade in good condition is to open it as seldom as possible.)

Be careful with them, especially when letting a novice handle one. My cousin (40+ years old) thought them cool when Texas relaxed our knife restrictions. He had stuck himself in the palm of his hand and bleeding like a stuck pig within 3 steps of the gun show table he bought one from. We still give him flack over that, and the seller still remembers us, LOL.

Not normally an idiot, but everyone is a rookie at first and they look like something a lot of people want to play with.






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Sig Bill said:

Right, don't be playing with it. Also I greased where it counts.

I'm a greaser as well.

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Well, then, you're showing more self-discipline than I was ever able to muster! I've owned some beautiful 'made in Italy' Italian stilettos — one with a 6 1/2 inch blade, pretty buffalo-horn scales, and all. None of them lasted more than 4 or 5 years; and, in the end, I understood 'Why' Ernie Emerson has never made one.

Switchblades are not knives for either the long haul or heavy duty use. Nevertheless, as a young Sicilian male I too found myself, somewhat naturally, drawn to the design. If you don't snap it open a lot then your switchblade may last a lot longer than any of mine ever did. (You can also get one of today's numerous custom knifemakers to tighten up — not the blade-stop, but — the knife's pivot pin for ya; I've done that, too.)

While switchblades will never be strong knives (An Emerson 'Big Bulldog', a Becker 'Companion', or a Randall-Made 'Model 14' are strong knives that, even with hard use, are capable of outliving the original purchaser; but, hey, switchblades ARE FUN to fiddle around with; and I hope you enjoy yours!

Like everything else........not legal in New Jersey.

xXxplosive said:

Like everything else........not legal in New Jersey.

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None of the fun stuff is!

Hopefully we will get the auto ban repealed this year.

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Legal to own here but not to carry.

Barry the Bear said:

I guess Grease will be making a comeback? In all seriousness that knife is a beaut, Texas just repealed that stupid switchblade law couple years back, and I have yet to get one. I probably would never carry it, but it'd be nice for historical purposes.

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What is the law in Texas? My grandson lives in Texas. He collects knives. I wanted to give him an old classic switch blade. He said they were banned in Texas? It sounds like he could own the knife?

We could always own them, but we could not carry them as they were considered an "illegal knife" now thanks to people from Kniferights.org , we in Texas can now carry them like any other type of knife.

Texas law. No longer than 5 1/2". Not double edged is ok.