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Help Me ID This One, Please
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2026 11:03 pm
by 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
Re: Help Me ID This One, Please
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2026 11:30 pm
by BestVintageKnives
Paladin wrote: ↑Thu Mar 05, 2026 11:03 pm
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.
Re: Help Me ID This One, Please
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2026 11:35 pm
by 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).
Re: Help Me ID This One, Please
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2026 11:39 pm
by 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
Re: Help Me ID This One, Please
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2026 11:41 pm
by BestVintageKnives
Bartlow wrote: ↑Thu Mar 05, 2026 11:35 pm
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.”
Re: Help Me ID This One, Please
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2026 12:17 am
by bestgear
Re: Help Me ID This One, Please
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2026 2:46 am
by Paladin
Thank you for that, Tom. Good to know.
Ray
Re: Help Me ID This One, Please
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2026 2:09 am
by boots2112
It's a sweet looking knife, nevertheless.
Re: Help Me ID This One, Please
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2026 2:37 am
by Paladin
boots2112 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 04, 2026 2:09 am
It's a sweet looking knife, nevertheless.
Thank you, Boots.
Ray