I think that the scales on the "zincker" are something like aluminium are'nt they? I have one with a copper loop. I can't remember if it's undated or WWI, but I'm sure I've seen photos of identical knives labelled as Boer War period. The blank on the side is for the squaddies name & number to be stamped, can't remember if mine has those details. By the 70's army jacknives were no longer a general sort of issue, although RE & others were still getting them. I bought my own, the flat sided stainless steel type with the spike for getting boy scouts out of horses hooves, when I joined the army - my mother had it etched with my name no., regiment etc (unfortunately the wrong regiment - "RF" instead of "RRF") & that came in very handy as I lost it & retrieved it from other squaddies numerous times. In the 70's these knives were scarce enough to check out if you saw another squaddie with one. I picked up a few more, ahem, unnamed ones over the years, with & without spikes. They're not much good, the cutting edges of the blades are too soft & bendy, & the spines snap too easily. I think that this type were first introduced about 1944. I'd aquired one of the old black chequered grip ones when I was a kid, a far better knife, even if it did soon aquire a fine coating of rust. The blunt nosed blades were apparently introduced in an effort to reduce injuries in barrack room brawls etc. Obviously it never occurred to anyone except squaddies that bayonets are a far more attaractive proposition if you want to create an impression by carving a little artistry such as the Mark Of Zorro on somebody's back in the barrack room.
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Is this a British Army Clasp Knife?
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I suppose it's worth mentioning that both the black chequered grip types & the slab sided stainless steel types are faked, although perhaps a better term would be imitated rather than faked. I've never seen the zincky type faked though. I'm trying to remember which book has those labelled as Boer War - Pte Tucker's Boer War Diary? One was at auction about 15 years ago with markings to a pre WWI cavalryman.
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Hi Jon, clasp knives form a collecting theme in their own right. Production ran into the millions! There were over 50 makers. So it is impossible to list minor variations here. But there are 3 basic types:
Three peice with main blade, can opener and Marlin spike with steel bolster (As per mine)
Three peice with moulded bolster
Two peice with main blade & can opener and moulded bolster.
Got hold of the book "British & Commonwealth Military Knives" by Ron Flook. This will give you a good insight in these knives and also FS knives etc too.
Cheers, Ade.
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This is an interesting thread. My knife is shown below, it's marked on the blade "J.E. (or B.) (illegible) Sheffield 1945". I bought it because it looked military, but had no clue what it was. It looks like some of the clasp knives shown, but it only has the one blade. Anyone? Thanks.
FredAttached Files
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Hi Fred, the knife you show is interesting. I cannot give it a positive ID; but there is a similar knife shown in Ron Flook's book which I mentioned in my previous post. This knife has a different blade, but other than that it is the same. Ron does not know of it's exact use or issue but it is listed as a "Commando lock knife ?" due to that id being placed upon it by a US collector. It does use the same body as the "SOE tyre slasher knife" so it might have some special forces connection?
Any date or markings on it?
Hope this helps a bit?
Cheers, Ade.
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This is an interesting thread. My knife is shown below, it's marked on the blade "J.E. (or B.) (illegible) Sheffield 1945". I bought it because it looked military, but had no clue what it was. It looks like some of the clasp knives shown, but it only has the one blade. Anyone? Thanks.
Fred
heres some pictures of it below
best regards
Jon,
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Hello Ade/Jon,
Thanks for the info – if it has a special forces connection (SOE or OSS) that would be cool.
The knife just opens normally, no pushbutton opening. The only markings I can see are the “J.E. (or B.) (illegible) Sheffield 1945” on the blade near the handle.
The protruding piece of metal on the top of the handle is the lock release.
When I found this at an antique market, I was hoping it was an English airborne knife, but I guess airborne knives can typically be opened with 1 hand.
Regards,
Fred
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