All About Pocket Knives

I picked up this ACK in a flea market a few weeks ago. I'm a newbie regarding switchblades and I recently read a couple of posts on counterfeit or maybe Chinese knock-off AKC's. So now I'm starting to think this may be a knock-off? I didn't give a king's ransom for this knife so I'm OK with whatever you experts think. At least I know my Latama is real!

Yes, unfortunately it's a Chinese fake.

The most glaring characteristic that tells me it's fake are the stainless steel liners. The Italians used/use brass liners on their classic stilettos.

Since the liners are stainless steel, that means the "AKC Italy" tang mark is fake.

If an Italian-style stiletto has stainless steel liners, it's a safe bet that it's Asian. But the Asians also use brass liners, so brass liners do not guarantee a genuine Italian knife.

The Taiwanese also make Italian-style stilettos, but I don't believe that they use fake branding (like AKC Italy). Fake branding is very much a Chinese thing.

The Campolins (Italians) do sell knives with stainless steel liners under the "AKC World" brand, but those knives are made in China.

Also, you didn't show the spring, but if the spring in a stiletto switchblade is a round wire spring, like a thick piece of grey/silver coat hanger wire, that's Asian. The Italians don't use round wire springs.

Killgar wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 10:42 pm Yes, unfortunately it's a Chinese fake.

The most glaring characteristic that tells me it's fake are the stainless steel liners. The Italians used/use brass liners on their classic stilettos.

Since the liners are stainless steel, that means the "AKC Italy" tang mark is fake.

If an Italian-style stiletto has stainless steel liners, it's a safe bet that it's Asian. But the Asians also use brass liners, so brass liners do not guarantee a genuine Italian knife.

The Taiwanese also make Italian-style stilettos, but I don't believe that they use fake branding (like AKC Italy). Fake branding is very much a Chinese thing.

The Campolins (Italians) do sell knives with stainless steel liners under the "AKC World" brand, but those knives are made in China.

Also, you didn't show the spring, but if the spring in a stiletto switchblade is a round wire spring, like a thick piece of grey/silver coat hanger wire, that's Asian. The Italians don't use round wire springs.

I edited my post to show a pic of the nice, round wire spring. I thought it would be good for others to see what you are referring to. Like I said, I didn't pay all that much for it. . . which should have been the 1st clue I guess. I really appreciate the response.

One other clue that I am aware of, Big Al, is the single dot ( . ) that's stamped inside the big A on the AKC tang stamp. To my understanding it denotes it's an "AKC World" brand knife, which as it's been said, is not made by AGA Campolin but by an Asian company instead. Nothing wrong with your knife at all, mine has worked flawlessly for close to 5 years now, as long as you know what it is and isn't, and it sounds like you do with your Latama comment. What you have is an auto knife enthusiast's beginner knife.

BigAl62 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 07, 2025 12:25 am
I edited my post to show a pic of the nice, round wire spring. I thought it would be good for others to see what you are referring to. Like I said, I didn't pay all that much for it. . . which should have been the 1st clue I guess. I really appreciate the response.

You're welcome.

Madmarco wrote: ↑Fri Mar 07, 2025 5:31 am One other clue that I am aware of, Big Al, is the single dot ( . ) that's stamped inside the big A on the AKC tang stamp. To my understanding it denotes it's an "AKC World" brand knife, which as it's been said, is not made by AGA Campolin but by an Asian company instead. Nothing wrong with your knife at all, mine has worked flawlessly for close to 5 years now, as long as you know what it is and isn't, and it sounds like you do with your Latama comment. What you have is an auto knife enthusiast's beginner knife.

Marco, the "AKC World" knives are marked "AKC World" (example below). Neither the Campolins, nor any other Italians had anything to do with BigAl62's knife. It's an unauthorized Chinese fake with false branding.

One easy way to tell which knives are genuine "AKC World" knives, authorized and sold by the Campolins, is to go to their retail website knifeshop.com and look at the knives listed under the "AKC World" brand.

The pic below is of an "AKC World" curved stiletto. They don't sell straight fixed-guard stilettos under the "AKC World" brand, or under the "AKC Italy" brand (the official AKC Italy website is akc.it). But they do sell "AKC World" swing guard stilettos at knifeshop.com.

One might see the same "AKC World" knife designs marked "AKC Italy", but those are the unauthorized ones made and sold by the Chinese before the Campolins decided to start selling them, and had them marked "AKC World" to distinguish them from genuine Italian knives.

Like Killgar said, this is a Chinese fake. Three points I look at when determining if a stiletto marked “AKC” is Italian or Chinese:

1. Are the liners stainless or brass? If they’re brass it’s Italian. If stainless, it’s Chinese.

2. Are there two pins on the back handle scale near the top bolster or a single pin? If it’s a single pin, it’s Italian. If two, it’s Chinese.

3. Is the leaf spring a rounded wire spring held in by a pin or is the leaf spring a thick solid piece that’s integral with the backspring? If it’s a round wire spring it’s Chinese. If it’s a solid one piece spring it’s Italian.

Hope this info is helpful.

Killgar wrote: ↑Fri Mar 07, 2025 7:39 am

BigAl62 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 07, 2025 12:25 am
I edited my post to show a pic of the nice, round wire spring. I thought it would be good for others to see what you are referring to. Like I said, I didn't pay all that much for it. . . which should have been the 1st clue I guess. I really appreciate the response.

You're welcome.

Madmarco wrote: ↑Fri Mar 07, 2025 5:31 am One other clue that I am aware of, Big Al, is the single dot ( . ) that's stamped inside the big A on the AKC tang stamp. To my understanding it denotes it's an "AKC World" brand knife, which as it's been said, is not made by AGA Campolin but by an Asian company instead. Nothing wrong with your knife at all, mine has worked flawlessly for close to 5 years now, as long as you know what it is and isn't, and it sounds like you do with your Latama comment. What you have is an auto knife enthusiast's beginner knife.

Marco, the "AKC World" knives are marked "AKC World" (example below). Neither the Campolins, nor any other Italians had anything to do with BigAl62's knife. It's an unauthorized Chinese fake with false branding.

One easy way to tell which knives are genuine "AKC World" knives, authorized and sold by the Campolins, is to go to their retail website knifeshop.com and look at the knives listed under the "AKC World" brand.

The pic below is of an "AKC World" curved stiletto. They don't sell straight fixed-guard stilettos under the "AKC World" brand, or under the "AKC Italy" brand (the official AKC Italy website is akc.it). But they do sell "AKC World" swing guard stilettos at knifeshop.com.

One might see the same "AKC World" knife designs marked "AKC Italy", but those are the unauthorized ones made and sold by the Chinese before the Campolins decided to start selling them, and had them marked "AKC World" to distinguish them from genuine Italian knives.

Thanks for posting the correct information, KG, I wasn't% certain what I posted was accurate.

Madmarco wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 5:10 am
Thanks for posting the correct information, KG, I wasn't% certain what I posted was accurate.

You're welcome Marco . AKC is a complicated brand and it's hard to keep all of the variations, real vs fake, Italian vs Chinese, straight .

Several years back I tried to compile some kind of definitive guide on how to tell the difference between a real AKC knife and a fake, but I ended up going down a rabbit hole that went around in circles.

I found about eight different "AKC" tang markings (there might be even more), a statement from Angelo Campolin himself (which wasn't really any help), and several people who were sure how to tell the difference, posting comparison pics and even video tutorials, but who only contradicted one another, as well as contradicting other evidence I had found.

After going around in circles for awhile, and not being able to find any kind of definitive source of information, I came to the conclusion that such a guide wasn't possible and I abandoned the idea.

With many knives marked "AKC" there are telltale signs that make it clear that they are fake, but there are others where I wouldn't even want to guess.

And then there is the whole mish-mash of AKC Italy and AKC World, demonstrated in this thread, which only complicates things even more regarding what knives were made where, for who, and by whom.

Read the knife, not the markings.
If the knife meets the required criteria, then consider the markings.

Great advice, fellas, many thanks.