When you think of Italian Stiletto, the image of Italian mafia pressing a button to shoot out an extremely pointy menacing blade comes to mind.
The Italian Stiletto is a multipurpose pocket knife that has traditionally been associated with gangsters, mafia, and bad boys. It was one of the first types of knives that were made into switchblades. Hollywood movies featured these knives with gangsters and mafia. It actually led to the passing of Federal Switchblade Act.
**Please check your local laws before purchasing a switchblade.
In reality, The Italian Stiletto Knives is a very beautiful knife with a very rich history. It is worth owning, collecting, and used as an EDC (Everyday Carry).
68.8% of men and 31.2% of women in the United States are pocket knife owners, for a total of 35,595,000 households that own an outdoor or pocket knife. This said, knife shopping is an important task for many across the country.
For those who are looking for style, aesthetics in design, or a sharp knife that suits their taste and preference, this ultimate knife shopping guide will help you get the most out of knife shopping.
This guide also features information on knife designs, blade types, triggers, and all the essential attributes that make the Italian stiletto stand out from other automatic blades.
A Brief History of the Italian Stiletto
The Italian stiletto knife was first sighted in Italy during the 15th century, where it was used primarily by knights, soldiers, and skilled craftsmen as a multipurpose tool. The stiletto was named after a Roman writing instrument used for engraving tablets and clay works with designs, drawings, and inscriptions.
It was forged from a single metal sheet, with a grip wrapped around the handle and a body sharp enough to cut with a little pressure applied. At the time, the handle was typically wrapped in leather to give protective covering and support to its user. Today, due to the massive scientific and technological advancements, the Italian stiletto is made with more sophisticated materials – like carbon fiber, steel, or reinforced glass – that provide durability, beauty, and sharpness.
Size Does Matter
Just like any automatic switchblade, size and length are two crucial components to consider when knife shopping – the handle, and the blade. The Italian stiletto comes in at an average length of 7 inches with a 6-inch blade, making the standard size 13 inches overall. Custom-designed stilettos may feature up to a 12-inch blade with a handle of 8 inches, for an overall body length of up to 20 inches.
Handle Materials
Like the size of your stiletto, the handle material is another area where you have a wealth of variety and options.
Because the handle is the primary point for design implementation, you are probably not looking for another boring design that lacks grip strength or has poor quality production.
Here are a few of the most popular Italian stiletto handle materials:
● Metal: Italian stiletto handles are available in several metal finishes, such as aluminum, stainless steel, copper, iron, and brass. These are the most purchased types of metal handles in North America due to their elegant appearance.
● Synthetics: Most synthetic handles make use of Micarta, a thermostat composite material that is combined with transfused layers of epoxy resin. This serves to make the handle durable and light to maximize portability.
● Keratin: Keratin is made from combining higher polymer and strong rubber, which provides long-lasting water-proofing to keep out sweat and moisture.
● Wood: Wooden handles on the Italian Stiletto knife are one of the finest sets of handles, as most designers dedicate to carving and engraving designs on the body. After designing they are waxed to give a lustrous glow with beautiful wooden finishes.
● Abalone: These handles are made from (as the name implies) sea snails and marine mollusks that give a colorful vintage appearance to the blade.
Original Features
Unlike many other Italian or American automatic switchblades that dominate the market, the Italian stiletto knives are distinguishable by these original features listed below:
1. Fixed or Folding Stiletto
Before setting out to buy a blade, you must first decide which one would suit your intended purpose. Either a fixed or folding stiletto.
When it comes to fixed blades (otherwise known as heavy-duty blades), they are easily accessible. With just a flip of the scabbard, the blade comes right out, in a ready-to-use condition. The fixed stiletto blades are easier to maintain compared to the folding ones.
Folding, on the other hand, is known for its simplicity in terms of the locking and retreat mechanism installed. Because of its quick and easy release mechanisms, the folding Stiletto is a more preferable version.
Types of Triggers
The Stiletto, like most automatic blades, comes with triggers that are simple to operate. For our list, here are the 3 most popular triggers you can find:
1. Hidden Release
The hidden release could appear in different styles, but you must keep in mind that their locations are always the same. You can find them at the front bolster on the handle.
2. Press Button Release
This is one of the most popular pocket knife releases. It is activated by pressing the button incorporated on the handle. The press release buttons are usually found on the handle’s body, edges, or at the surface center.
3. Assisted-Opening
Assisted openings can be helpful when it comes to safety, as the Stiletto blade is quite sharp. The handle comes with a button that when pressed releases the blade to allow you to manually raise the lever when the blade passes through the scabbard.
The assisted opening triggers are built for precautionary purposes. They provide a safety lock mechanism that prevents accidental opening of the blade.
Blade Shapes
While a majority of the blades have a similar shape, these are the 3 most common types for any intended purpose.
1. Tanto
The tanto blade has a sharp-angled tip that resembles a pencil or the head of a samurai sword. This blade only has one side sharp enough for cutting, while the opposite side is completely blunt and flat. It is safe to manually push the blade inside its scabbard cage.
2. Pen
Just like the name, the shape of this blade resembles a pen, having two sharp sides, but portable and lightweight enough to fit in your pocket.
3. Drop Point
The drop point blade slopes down the spine from the handle. It is a straight blade that when pulled or triggered comes straight out.
Shop for Italian Stilettos at Tacknives
If you need a high-quality, in-house designed portable knife, look no further. You can always find the best at TacKnives. We provide a large catalog of knives to choose from, all with affordable prices and slick designs that will replace any of your existing pocket knives.
Our knives and switchblades range from Butterfly, Spartan, Karambit, Italian Stiletto, and folding pocket knives.
Need to learn a bit more about our knives to find a suitable companion for your work? Check out our blogs or shop directly to pick from our distinctive knife collections.
