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This just in Italian bling!
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:10 am
by SwedgeHead
Just arrived and I thought I'd have some fun with the pics.
I might have 1 or 2 autos hiding around, but this would be the 1st I've bought in decades, and I thought , well, if you're going Italian it's gonna need some style. So here's a Frank B Maniago 11" . Very nice knife, solid, no discernible wobble and fires and functions really well, I like it ! Actual family photos too, my uncle is the mob boss looking dude, and dad walking and riding... hope they appreciate it too, looking down.
Re: This just in Italian bling!
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:14 am
by Samb
That's a sweet one.
Re: This just in Italian bling!
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:23 am
by RoyS
Very nice,
Abalone is certainly eye catching, have a couple myself.
Cheerio,
Roy
Re: This just in Italian bling!
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 1:00 am
by Madmarco
Nice knife S.H.!

Re: This just in Italian bling!
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 1:13 am
by SwedgeHead
Thanks folks. I wasn't particulary thinking of an auto, but with a couple Italian knives coming into the collection, my heritage took over a bit and I figured I'd run with it, a stiletto just felt right. I danced around with Latama, but chose this one, saving some $ for a fine vintage piece later down the road. Posted this in a seperate thread, but here's the Italian trio.
Re: This just in Italian bling!
Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2023 10:59 pm
by GRKeith2023
Very nice!!

Re: This just in Italian bling!
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2023 1:55 am
by prober996
Swedge, I picked up what looks like the identical knife today at a show. The blade is marked "Frank P Italy". Is yours?
Re: This just in Italian bling!
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2023 2:23 am
by cody6268
SwedgeHead wrote: ↑Thu Jan 26, 2023 1:13 am
Thanks folks. I wasn't particulary thinking of an auto, but with a couple Italian knives coming into the collection, my heritage took over a bit and I figured I'd run with it, a stiletto just felt right. I danced around with Latama, but chose this one, saving some $ for a fine vintage piece later down the road. Posted this in a seperate thread, but here's the Italian trio.
Nice!
I'm curious if either of your Italian Army knives is marked--mine are from Bianchi out of Compobrasso and Visconti out of Canzo (so far, the only one I've been able to dig up any info about--Canzo had a scissor manufacturer on every street corner from the '50s-70s, and I presume it came out of one of them). I see a lot that are unmarked, but so far, I've not been able to find a single one from any known Italian cutlery firm.
Re: This just in Italian bling!
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2023 4:53 pm
by SwedgeHead
prober996 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 1:55 am
Swedge, I picked up what looks like the identical knife today at a show. The blade is marked "Frank P Italy". Is yours?FrankP_4.jpgFrankP_5.jpg
Hey Prober, that's a nice knife right there, looks like the same 11" model as mine but no, I still have mine - it's a keeper.
It's a Frank B. Nice find thanks for sharing.
Re: This just in Italian bling!
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2023 5:06 pm
by SwedgeHead
cody6268 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 2:23 am
SwedgeHead wrote: ↑Thu Jan 26, 2023 1:13 am
Thanks folks. I wasn't particulary thinking of an auto, but with a couple Italian knives coming into the collection, my heritage took over a bit and I figured I'd run with it, a stiletto just felt right. I danced around with Latama, but chose this one, saving some $ for a fine vintage piece later down the road. Posted this in a seperate thread, but here's the Italian trio.
Nice!
I'm curious if either of your Italian Army knives is marked--mine are from Bianchi out of Compobrasso and Visconti out of Canzo (so far, the only one I've been able to dig up any info about--Canzo had a scissor manufacturer on every street corner from the '50s-70s, and I presume it came out of one of them). I see a lot that are unmarked, but so far, I've not been able to find a single one from any known Italian cutlery firm.
Hey Cody,
Here's an update , the family grew since my original post.
It's my understanding that these Italian Army and Navy-sailor knives are copies of a british design but here are a few for ya.
Top two are Bianchi Campobasso, then a Visconti Canzo, and the sailor with Marlin Spike is a Coricama.
Bianchi is a known brand but a lot of their stuff doesn't have the Campobasso township name, I'm not clear yet if there are 2 or more Bianchi makers in knives, firearms and other goods, different provinces or towns I think.
This knife is the first I had ever head of Visconti Canzo, but of course Coricama is a founding cooperative out of Maniago and well known.
(COltelerie Riunite di CAslino edi MAniago or Cutleries united of Caslino and Maniago)
I read somewhere that a lot of these went unmarked as not to lead the war efforts to the towns they were being manufactured in... I can buy that.
Then we have the Frank B abolone stiletto and an early 1960's Rosa Uliana Primo OTF which I just got from our AAPK Store.
(and there is a AGA Campolin Maltese on it's way to join the family soon)
Keep the pics and stories going and enjoy !
Swedge
MOLTO BENE !
