Vintage Sterile 18cm Italian Flat Guard Picklock 1940s Offset safety Rare automatic knife

Vintage Sterile 18cm Italian Flat Guard Picklock 1940s Offset safety Rare automatic knife w extra large button. This is a very unusual old Italian switchblade. We've only seen a couple of these in all our years of collecting/studying switchblades. It measures 18.2cm (7 3/16 inches) open and just under 4 inches closed with brass liners and nickel silver bolsters, button and safety cap. The safety on this knife is NOT centered as are most, but is offset to the right. Possibly a prototype, or special order knife from the 1940s which is dated by the flat finger guards. The bayonet style blade is 98% full or better and very Dark with patina and has no markings. The genuine horn scales are mostly honey, cream and green in color and in very good condition. Very unusual WIDE locking tab on this knife. The knife works well with blade tip is just above the liners closed, good snap and good lockup with less than 1/16" movement at the tip. Does not rattle if shaken with blade open. Safety works.