riggers knife

[Jim Maclean]

Thought I would take advantage of this opportunity to share a photo of my knives. The large all metal knife is stamped with a large C broad arrow and is not dated. The others are all WW2 dated.

Those are the beauties on the left but with stainless grips rather than checkered. Much better than the larger navy types. That's also the style of can opener on my Grandad's knife. I must dig it out of the packing case in the garage and photograph it.

I was always told the spike was for getting Boy Scouts out of Girl Guides

[wolf76]

I was always told the spike was for getting Boy Scouts out of Girl Guides[/QUOTE]


Now thats funny!

[byterock]

The C broad head would be the Canadian marking if I am not mistaken.

Which I think means it was also produced in Canada.

[Infanteer]

The C broad head would be the Canadian marking if I am not mistaken.

Which I think means it was also produced in Canada.

Yes, the C broad arrow is the Canadian military acceptance stamp but it does not necessarily mean the item was made in Canada, only that it was an item of Canadian military property.

[Infanteer]

I have found photographic evidence in the Canadian National Archives that shows both large and small knives as well as plastic grips and plain metal grips being used by Canadian infantry soldiers during WW2. It would seem that the idea of certain knives being navy issue or army issue is not totally correct. Apparently soldiers were issued whatever was available.

[Nick B]

My understading is the grey knife I have here is for Navy use, It has a metal handle and is larger than the black handled knifes.

[mietek]

The grey one is referred as Navy, but all which I have are without manufacturing date.
Is it possible that the "grey", with metal handle, were produced after Pattern 1903 without black handles? (this one from which we started discussion)

Do you have Navy, with metal handles, with manufacturing dates? What is the earliest one?
When they were introduced? Around 1939/1940? As looks that Pattern 1903 were produced upto 1938.

[Nick B]

I only have that one and its dated 1943.

[byterock]

Infanteer is most likely right about the issue of knives like this.

But there is also the fact that many times items like these were "Acquired" by soldiers who just found them useful, either in the traditional way or bought on civy street.

One would have to check the TOE or TOI (if they still exist for such items) of the unit in question to see if such an item was suppose to be on stock and available for individual issue.

[Infanteer]

I should clarify that the metal gripped knives that I am refering to are the ones with the smooth scales like the one that wolf76 started this thread with. Looking at black and white photos it would be rather difficult to determine if the checkered scales are plastic or metal. The knives with metal checkered scales could be navy issue, I don't know, but the other variations with and without the marlin spike appear to all have been issued / used by the army. I think that there are likely enough variations and maker marks that someone could write a book on these things.

[mietek]

Looking at black and white photos it would be rather difficult to determine if the checkered scales are plastic or metal. The knives with metal checkered scales could be navy issue.

The difference is also in size: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mietek...e2.jpg&.src=ph
First from left is Pattern 1903 (produced till 1938), so the navy posted by wolf76 is same size but without grips.
Middle - it is navy with metal grips, smaller compare to 1903.
Right typical ww2 size.

[Infanteer]

Mietek, I was unable to open your photos to look at them, but like I mentioned earlier, you can see in the period photos that both large and small knives were being used by the army so I'm still not comfortable in declaring all large size knives as navy issue. Maybe your point would be clearer to me if I could see your photo.

[Nick B]

Hi

Just adding mietek's photo into the thread,

I mainly posted my photo to show what I knew as the navy knife, (this is not to say they did not use different patterns as well)

Cheers

Nick

[Jim Maclean]

The middle knife shown in Nick B's last post is indeed the exact same knife that I got for my brother from RN slops in 1969/70. Definitely RN. There were no other options. The knife on the left appears to be similar to Grandads though the slabs were flat and of some sort of fibre. Same pointy blade though. Probably RN though Ex-spurts may wish to differ.

Apparently the latest issue jack knife in the RN is a locking type. I have no further info. Can't wait to get my mitts on one though .