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Best known for producing Italian-made switchblade knives, Latama Cutlery Inc. of New York patented the design for these pyrophoric pocket knives in 1954. Like other Latama knives of this era, the blades for these devices were made in Italy.

Latama lighters were manufactured in Austria by Viktor Bohdal. The mechanism of the Latama full-automatic lighter is based on the Samba design patented by Josef Edenburg and Bohdal in 1941.The form of the wand of the Latama striker is similar to the Frotto. (EB)