Italian knives are made by senior citizens, the men making them range from 65 years old to 87 years old, the knives are made by hand with hammers and anvils and made the same way they have been made for a few hundred years.  They are art work, not cookie cutter machine made knives put together by a 9 year old being fed a bowl of rice.  You will be suporting a dying art form, the modern world of gagets and electronics are taking over, men now do not understand how to craft things, use hand tools or have repect for other people.  So when elderly people put things together by hand, they are not all the same, they are not perfect, they have hammer marks and craft marks, that is what makes them art and what makes them authentic to the way they were made for centuries.  If you want perfection then you need to buy Italian models in person, holding them in your own hand and there is no other way to express that to those picky, disrespectful people who refuse to understand the facts.

$150 is not a lot of money, this is only about 100 EURO for hard working Italian craftsman.

Any knife that is under this amount is a base line entry level product and is not anything special.

 

So face the facts, you get what you pay for and entry level items are not ones for you to cry and have a fit about.

You can't even take anyone out for dinner and drinks for this price so get a grip with reality people on pricing.

Full professional grade is $100 an inch for things, so pull your wallet out for quality otherwise enjoy what life has to offer and quit your crying.

 

There will be no crying about such things as: the safety does not work like I like it to, that the pivot is too tight, or too loose.

Base line products have flaws, plain and simple, they are the entry line item and if they were better then the price would be more, that is simple logic.

 

Slide Safeties are always issues with Italian knives, most are loose so fixing it with a quick fix is merely taking dental floss or string and wrapping it around the safety to give it friction.  If the safety does not work then someone, most likely the idiot you gave it to or you the idiot pressed the button as hard as possible while it was up to open the knife and you bent the tab, now you are fucked the knife has to be torn apart completely and the tab bent up again and then put together and this entire ordeal cost more than it is worth most times.  So ultimate rule on that one is don't be a moron but I realize that is very hard for humans.  If you need help fixing your safety or adjusting it go to www.24-7Knives.com

 

Swoosh marks on the blade, yeah normal when the pivot is tight.  Solution use washers or bearings and it won't happen.

 

Won't open all the way, most times it is because you are too lazy and did not oil the knife at the pivot, In the 1800's the English knew people were retarded and you'll see knives that say OIL THE JOINTS, even 200 years later humans are still stupid and can't understand normal logic.  It amazes me that some of you can even peel your bananas.

 

Has too much blade play, yeah and if you pin the rivet too tight then it won't open, there is a balance for this and the old Italian guys don't make knives like the 9 year old Chinese kids being fed a bowl of rice a day, Italians make more money and most of them are 60 plus years in age so having cookie cutter knives are never going to happen, so there are always flaws and variations with things and something you will have to deal with.

 

So after 10 years of listening to Americans cry and bitch about things most of my models come with screw system pivots this way you can adjust things the way you like them put washers in and even buy bearing systems for them or peen a rivet yourself since you like to be such a pain in the ass about things.

 

Horn & Bone & Natural Handle Scales will warp and move if not cared for.  The knife opens by itself, totally normal when you failed to hydrate and keep the scales, they curl up and pull the liners away from the blade and then the knife won't stay close.  If you have done this then you can oil the horn and put it in a vice for a few days and things most times can be put back, if not time for new handles and alot of work.  So you best use Renaissance Wax or Ballistol or a mineral oil and take care of things.

Stag and bone handles are beautiful to have as knife handles, but being natural materials they contain a certain amount of water content. This may dry up overtime if not well maintained and cause the stag handle to shrink or even crack, leaving the tang of the knife exposed. This is especially true in places that experience a dry climate all year round.

 To prevent this, we have some tips for you on how to "re-hydrate" your stag handles and keep them nice and plump to prevent cracks. Do note that some other natural materials like Ivory and horns may shrink over time and need these treatment too.

Things you need:

• Big container/glass beaker (at least tall enough to fit the knife handle)
• Mineral Oil - FORGET THIS
• Rubbing alcohol - FORGET THIS
• Rags
• Walker Wax or Renaissance Wax (optional) - NOT OPTIONAL A MUST HAVE.

Renaissance Wax Formulated by the British Museum Used On Armor & Swords

Simply Use Walker Wax or Renaissance Wax and that is all you need to know

Steps to restore a stag/bone/ivory handle:

1. Prep the knife handle. Wipe down the handle with rubbing alcohol to remove any dirt, oil and surface moisture.
2. Pour the mineral oil into the beaker. Fill the beaker such when the handle is in the beaker, the oil level passes the tang slightly (ie the whole handle is submerged).
3. Immerse the knife into the oil. Do it with the stag handle downwards (duh!) and the blade sticking out of the container.
4. Leave to stand for 24 hours. This will allow the oil to seep into the pores of the bone and make it hydrated.
5. Inspect the handle. It should have become a little fatter and the gaps and cracks should have become less noticeable.
6. Soak again if needed. If the stag handle has not been fattened to the previous diameter (before shrinkage), soak in the oil for a another day or 2.
7. Wipe clean and store. Or, once oil free, buff renaissance wax into the handle to seal in the moisture.

This treatment should improve the condition of the bone handle. It should be done at least once every 3 months, or a better indicator would be when the handle starts to shrink.

CAUTION: Mineral oil may darken Ivory or natural bones. Use at your own risk and always try on a small patch first.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT HORN IS: