Anyone heard of this frank beltrame switchblade?

[iamzim]

I'm pretty new to knives, but this one caught my eye, and after searching, i found it for about 50 dollars (some were as high as 100-150)..

http://www.knives4wholesale.com/9_Italian_Stilettos-9_Black_Tactical_Stiletto_FRANK_BELTRAME.html

I was wondering if it is a good knife, as i have little experience with switchblades.

 

[Confederate]

I ordered a number of switchblades a few years ago and had mixed feelings about them. I'm glad to have them in my collection, but they're not great knives as knives go. They're mostly a utilitarian knife that will get you locked up in most places if you try to carry them. They sharpen easily but don't hold an edge and you're really paying for the mechanism. The basic models with plastic grips went for twenty bucks. If you want different blades (420 to 440), that'll cost you. Ditto with the grips.

I wouldn't pay fifty bucks for the knife, but in these post 9/11 times, ordering items like this is always a bit of a risk, especially if you're ordering from Italy.

My favorite switchblade has a blade of nine inches or so. Massive, but it works and it has stag grips. It stays in my safe.

 

[iamzim]

Well, I purchased a "stiletto" for 30 dollars from a flea market, and about half the time when i open it (it is a switchblade as well), it flicks out, but stops before locking, and i have to push it a tad further or flick it a couple times to get it to lock, so i was looking for something more reliable, and preferably not something that says stiletto, that isn't really a stiletto. I liked that knife because it is slick looking, and i don't care for stag handles..mine looks like blue and black marble for the handle, but is most likely plastic. Just looking around for something inexpensive, but reliable, mostly.

 

[fulloflead]

I had that knife for a while. It's probably worth $50, but don't expect a lot. I've had several of this "stiletto style" button openers and this brand is probably the better of them without getting up into the over-$120 range.

The black is paint. It's a bit thick in places and softens the lines. My lock slider was very hard to move. It's a bit flimsey with considerable blade play; I wouldn't do much with it and didn't. It's a cool $50 toy that you could probably enjoy opening packages of other knives with, but I bet it would loosen up REAL quick if you cut up a few cardboard boxes with it or tried whittling wood.

The one cool part is the "secret" rotating bolster that unlocks the knife. I never could get over how cool that was.

I hear the $50 auto to get is the Mikov, but I've not gotten around to owning one yet.

.

 

[iamzim]

I'm basically just going to use it for showing off to friends, and carrying around for protection. I would like a knife whose spring would last for a long time, and still have a knife like that. It mentions somewhere else that it has a very strong spring, so it shouldn't have a problem opening all the way, like my cheap one now does. I will most likely buy it, as i do not have more than that to spend on a knife, and would like something flashy.

thanks for your help, guys.