Help Me ID This One, Please

[Paladin]

Guys,
At last week's show I picked up this Italian-style switchblade. I did it with minimal knowledge and on a whim so be gentle with me. It works good and had stag handles.
The tang is stamped D.E.S. (over) GARANTIE and I am unable to get the stamp to show up very good in my photos. Is this familiar to anyone here? About how old might it be.

Ray

[BestVintageKnives]

Guys,
At last week's show I picked up this Italian-style switchblade. I did it with minimal knowledge and on a whim so be gentle with me. It works good and had stag handles.
The tang is stamped D.E.S. (over) GARANTIE and I am unable to get the stamp to show up very good in my photos. Is this familiar to anyone here? About how old might it be.

Ray

1980s era. Made for the European market. Any Italian switchblade made after about 1975 isn’t considered vintage anymore. They would be considered the modern era.

[Bartlow]

DES was or is a German distributor of knives. David Everts, Inh. Jul. Everts. Founded in 1808. Solingen in 1922. Brand name: 'D E S' and the Eiffel Tower. Your knife is a recently made Italian one marked for the German seller/distributor. It probably has an OAL of right at 8" to comply with the German law in effect at the time (now German law does not allow automatic knives at all for regular people).

[Paladin]

Thank you BestVintageKnives and Bartlow. I sure appreciate your help on this. I just checked the OAL and it is just a hair over 8 inches.

Ray

[BestVintageKnives]

DES was or is a German distributor of knives. David Everts, Inh. Jul. Everts. Founded in 1808. Solingen in 1922. Brand name: 'D E S' and the Eiffel Tower. Your knife is a recently made Italian one marked for the German seller/distributor. It probably has an OAL of right at 8" to comply with the German law in effect at the time (now German law does not allow automatic knives at all for regular people).

Are we sure about that? “Garanite” is French for “guaranteed quality.”

[bestgear]

There’s this Ray: https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/ca ... -old-stock

[Paladin]

Thank you for that, Tom. Good to know.

Ray

[boots2112]

It's a sweet looking knife, nevertheless.

[Paladin]

It's a sweet looking knife, nevertheless.

Thank you, Boots.

Ray