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Ystranc

Ystranc

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A couple of Sheffield made British army clasp knives with marlin spikes for rope work, Two of them is are Joseph Rodgers & Sons while the other, made by Francis Newton is really rare (like rocking horse poo). I've only ever seen one other and it was in pieces.
The one on the left is a 1938 Rodgers, the middle one is an F. Newton while the one on the right is a 1941 Rodgers.
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Struggling to find any info on this blade, what I have found was rather vague. Also there not cheep, any links mike ?
 
The barrel knives are rarely cheap, they run from about £140 in this condition up to about £300 for a mint one. They vary in size starting at 2" and go up to about 5", strangely the small ones are more valuable.
I posted some pictures on the forum ages back about a 4" barrel knife but I can't find them .
 
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I've got a 'pussers dirk' still, I'm sure I had a couple but I've maybe given them away, I can only put my hand on one.
 
I've always been interested Barrel Knives, I saw a really nice one at the Ardingly Antiques Fair in Sussex once, thought, I'll get that on the way back down the aisle of stalls...walked back and gone!! Idiot..:(
 
:D Ha! Could well have been. My Mrs had wandered off up the row of stalls, so I thought I would catch her up and then go back for the knife....But an Eagle eyed bargain hunter had swooped...:lol:

As an collector perhaps you can answer something that has always puzzled me about the issue knives. I understand why the war time models always appear to have steel lanyard shackles, but many of those made outside of hostile times seem to have shackles of Copper, or at least non-ferrous metal. Surely the ease of bending it to shape isn't the reason, or to make it look pretty?...
 
My guess would be, that in war it’s built for use so has to be sturdy. And non war time , it’s to sell .
 
The copper bail was standard before and during WWI but was discontinued because copper soon became a scarce commodity during WWII.
There was no set time that the copper bail switched to steel but it was around 1940-41.
 
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Thanks for that. I realised the disuse of Copper during wartime was a supply / scarcity reason, but often wondered about it's use at other times. I've got a copy of a Swiss army Knife that was made in Japan, not China. It dates from the times, the very early 1960's I think, when the Japanese had just started to copy Western stuff...like British motorcycles...:D

The blades are stainless steel, handle scales red plastic and the lanyard bail....brass!

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The all stainless steel navy knife without the scales was based on the design by Capt. Currey...still produced today, retailing at about £27, it was also the basis of the stainless Burma knife that was adopted by the Army in the 1950's
 
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A think I have posted up this knife before But I can’t remember what kind of knife it is, it was one of 3 knifes I received from a lovely old lady I do maintenance work for.
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Here's the one I've got, I think its a fairly modern one but apart from an NSN there are no markings on it.

IMG_20200121_070325.jpg


It needs a sharpen, I can't remember ever using it. About 25 years ago I was grateful I had one in my pocket as I ended up with my finger caught in a hedge trimmer :)oopsy:) and used the marlin spike to wedge the jaws open. On the bright side, I got a week off work for it.
 
Bam said:
Here's the one I've got, I think its a fairly modern one but apart from an NSN there are no markings on it.

View attachment 20174

It needs a sharpen, I can't remember ever using it. About 25 years ago I was grateful I had one in my pocket as I ended up with my finger caught in a hedge trimmer :)oopsy:) and used the marlin spike to wedge the jaws open. On the bright side, I got a week off work for it.
Click to expand...
On the whole I think I'd rather have gone to work...😳
The knife looks mint 👍
 
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