Italian Stiletos

Frank · 15th July 2005, 05:46 AM

Hi

Can someone give me some explanition how the modern Italian pocket stileto came about? I mean it's history.

Best Wishes

Frank

Chris Evans · 17th July 2005, 06:31 AM

Hi Frank,

I was hoping that someone more knowledgeable would throw light on this subject. Unfortunately I do not speak Italian and as such I am reliant on the very scant material published in English and the Spanish cross references in association with the navaja.

With the above said, I think that the Italian stiletto parallels the story of the Spanish navaja, much like a piece of music played in a different key. For the navaja, see:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...anual+baratero

The only reason that the Italians went for folders (over fixed blades) is that just like the Spaniards they faced weapon bans. These came first under foreign domination and once the Italian state was formed in 1861 and completed by 1870, the authorities, as elsewhere, were constantly trying to establish law and order, a formidable task in a new nation trying to unite disparate and formerly autonomous states. I am told that in 1870 the Gioglitti law was passed, which forbade the carrying of knives with a blade length over 10cm. In those days, Italian law was not behind in harshness to those of other European nations, especially when it came to law and order.

It is held by the Spaniards that they invented folding knives and following their bans, their best cutlers went elsewhere, many to Italy, and introduced to their hosts the navaja concept. Later, and in some regions, the navaja evolved into the narrow bladed stiletto that we know today - The stiletto can also be found in France.

The automatic stiletto, the best known representative of the breed is very much a 20th century development, that in most part, was a response to the US market. A good history of the automatic folder is "Switch Blades of Italy" by Tim Zinser, Dan Fuller and Neal Punchard. I might add that an auto stiletto was made towards the beginning of 1800, but this genre only became numerous a century later.

The Italian stiletto, despite that it is not representative of folding knives used in that country, at least in numbers, like the navaja in Spain, has gained a certain identification with the nation as a whole and especially with its southern regions.

The association of stiletti with Sicily in particular, stems from the inability of the authorities in that region to stamp out criminal activity, especially by the Mafia. However, in my estimation this is in all probability largely overstated by the national myth makers and Hollywood. After all, criminals, especially the Mafiosi had far better weapons at their disposal.

As a knife, their quality varied widely. Some made during the 19th century were rather poor and others very well made. In the 20th century most were intended for export or the tourist trade. As a rough generalization, the principal weakness of the folding stiletto lay in its very narrow blade making for a very weak hinge area and it does not take much to break one at that point.

As a practical weapon, the manual opening models suffered from the same disadvantage (over fixed blades) as the navaja, namely weakness and slowness. The automatics appeared faster, but in my experience were just as slow to open on account the difficulty in locating the firing button and gripping the handle so as to allow the blade to open.

Books that are said to be worth reading:

LA PASSIONE DEL COLLEZIONISTA and FATTI DI COLTELLO, both written by Luciano Salvatici

Hope that this helps

Chris

Frank · 19th July 2005, 06:06 AM

Chris

Thanks for that lerned information. Are there any historical manuals in fighting with stiletos?

Best wishes

Frank

Chris Evans · 19th July 2005, 08:34 AM

Hi Frank,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank

Chris

Are there any historical manuals in fighting with stiletos?

The short answer is that I do not know. Maybe some other forumite can help us out here.

Cheers
Chris

15th July 2005, 05:46 AM	#1
Frank Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 23	Italian Stiletos Hi Can someone give me some explanition how the modern Italian pocket stileto came about? I mean it's history. Best Wishes Frank

17th July 2005, 06:31 AM	#2
Chris Evans Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 681	Hi Frank, I was hoping that someone more knowledgeable would throw light on this subject. Unfortunately I do not speak Italian and as such I am reliant on the very scant material published in English and the Spanish cross references in association with the navaja. With the above said, I think that the Italian stiletto parallels the story of the Spanish navaja, much like a piece of music played in a different key. For the navaja, see: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...anual+baratero The only reason that the Italians went for folders (over fixed blades) is that just like the Spaniards they faced weapon bans. These came first under foreign domination and once the Italian state was formed in 1861 and completed by 1870, the authorities, as elsewhere, were constantly trying to establish law and order, a formidable task in a new nation trying to unite disparate and formerly autonomous states. I am told that in 1870 the Gioglitti law was passed, which forbade the carrying of knives with a blade length over 10cm. In those days, Italian law was not behind in harshness to those of other European nations, especially when it came to law and order. It is held by the Spaniards that they invented folding knives and following their bans, their best cutlers went elsewhere, many to Italy, and introduced to their hosts the navaja concept. Later, and in some regions, the navaja evolved into the narrow bladed stiletto that we know today - The stiletto can also be found in France. The automatic stiletto, the best known representative of the breed is very much a 20th century development, that in most part, was a response to the US market. A good history of the automatic folder is "Switch Blades of Italy" by Tim Zinser, Dan Fuller and Neal Punchard. I might add that an auto stiletto was made towards the beginning of 1800, but this genre only became numerous a century later. The Italian stiletto, despite that it is not representative of folding knives used in that country, at least in numbers, like the navaja in Spain, has gained a certain identification with the nation as a whole and especially with its southern regions. The association of stiletti with Sicily in particular, stems from the inability of the authorities in that region to stamp out criminal activity, especially by the Mafia. However, in my estimation this is in all probability largely overstated by the national myth makers and Hollywood. After all, criminals, especially the Mafiosi had far better weapons at their disposal. As a knife, their quality varied widely. Some made during the 19th century were rather poor and others very well made. In the 20th century most were intended for export or the tourist trade. As a rough generalization, the principal weakness of the folding stiletto lay in its very narrow blade making for a very weak hinge area and it does not take much to break one at that point. As a practical weapon, the manual opening models suffered from the same disadvantage (over fixed blades) as the navaja, namely weakness and slowness. The automatics appeared faster, but in my experience were just as slow to open on account the difficulty in locating the firing button and gripping the handle so as to allow the blade to open. Books that are said to be worth reading: LA PASSIONE DEL COLLEZIONISTA and FATTI DI COLTELLO, both written by Luciano Salvatici Hope that this helps Chris

19th July 2005, 06:06 AM	#3
Frank Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 23	Chris Thanks for that lerned information. Are there any historical manuals in fighting with stiletos? Best wishes Frank