Found this old pretty cool letter opener but could not figure out the tooth design. A

[Masonman007]

 

[digger460]

Interesting find, but looks like it would be uncomfortable to use as a letter opener. Any markings on it? Looks like it might be an early "Leathermen tool" Nice find

 

[vpnavy]

Kind of neat - makes you wonder about the teeth though! Thanks for sharing...

 

[against the wind]

Is that a cherub / angel on the handle?? Anything on the other side?? Strange design for a letter opener.
Nice save

 

[trapperart]

Cool find congrats

 

[Oddjob]

View attachment 1312860

What you have is designed after the Ferro. The Ferro is the heavy metal piece on the front of a Venetian Gondola's that traffic the 118 lagoons and many water ways.
View attachment 1313056

I can not see your image to well but it clearly is a Ferro, now that design should be a Winged Lion. The letter opener is not a very common letter opener anymore. I was just in Venice last week and will return there on Sunday to our family beach house in Punta Sabbioni, which is not even a five minute boat ride from Venice.

The design you have has not been sold since the produced since 1968; there is another design that is out, but not been produced since 2001. This is because tourist would purchase them but could not take them home even in their checked bags. You will not find a single tourist shop that sells these now in Venice. Such a shame too because the Ferro is a wonderful piece of art and history, and when you see or ride the Gondola for your first time, it is not the tacky interior you remember, it is not the typical sexist Gondalieri you remember yelling at all the pretty ladies, even in time you forget the 100 dollar price tag. But the Ferro always stay with you.

Very cool find, ow did you come into this? Would there be any chance in seeing a cleaning picture of the item and perhaps more close up. Did you look for the artist markings?

 

[Oddjob]

Sorry, I saw that I did not complete my statement on the Winged Lion. This is the Lion of St Mark. All around the province this is proudly displayed in many forms in public.

 

[Masonman007]

All I found so far for markings is "Italy made"

 

[Masonman007]

Thanks so much for the info. I'll have to try and clean it up a little. Dug it up on the side of an old house

 

[Oddjob]

Thanks so much for the info. I'll have to try and clean it up a little. Dug it up on the side of an old house

Well thats a pretty cool find, and a very expensive find as well if you have it cleaned professionally. I believe there are only 6 styles of these. I saw a full collection sell at auction for 19K in Euro about 5 years ago. I have a very thin long style one my self, not worth very much at all and was a gift from a friend. Mine would sell for close to 2K. Yours I would need to see the blade designs and which way the Lion of St Mark is facing to say. But you could flip it blind for close to 1500 bucks.

If you want to know a great deal more about it then contact Istituzione per la conservazione della gondola e la tutela del gondoliere, Send them some cleaned up pictures, ask about its history and who made it. They have a full set on display there. Do not mention how you got if you plan on selling it; let them be the first to step up. Chances are they will refer you to one of the many galleries around the city unless the person who writes you back knows a person looking for exactly that one. No worries, they do speak English and several other languages as well.

I wish I could help more, but the fact is I do not know many people who would spend that sort of cash on a letter opener, a fishing pole or gun yes, but not a letter opener.

You may want to return to that home site and keep hunting, see if you can dig up old tax records on who owned it back in the 60's and 70's.

 

[tomsneck]

That thing is sweet. Wouldn't sell it if it was me.

 

[Oddjob]

That thing is sweet. Wouldn't sell it if it was me.

I would not sell it either.

 

[stefen]

Italian version of the Swiss Army knife...