Is this a British Army Clasp Knife?

[leigh kitchen]

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.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi, the zinc handled knife is WW2 Royal Naval issue.

Cheers, Ade.

[leigh kitchen]

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.

[Jon9]

so how many diffrent type of claft knifes where they?

best regards

Jon.

[Adrian Stevenson]

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.

[andundiek]

Hello John,Leigh and Ade.

Thanks for the information about the knives!
I have to see if I can find a blackhandled one wih spike to have one of each sort I guess collecting never ends...........

All the best, Eric

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

[Adrian Stevenson]

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.

[Jon9]

So this Commando lock knife open by a click of a button? how does the mechanism of the knife work. I have never come across on of these.
best regards

[Jon9]

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

it was a product which was made in 1945 so is its one of the early types. the knife i have is made in sheffield and dated 1951 so it was one of the late types.

heres some pictures of it below

best regards

Jon,

[K Bandow]

picture

picture

[Jon9]

these another picture below on my page

p.s. how much did you pay for you clasp knifes ?

i payed £15 for the one in the picture

best regards

Jon.

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

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Karl, the knife you have shown is Belgian, note the "ABL" marking to the blade. The Belgian Army used a lot of British pattern gear post war.

Cheers, Ade.

[Jon9]

Adrian Stevenson the knife is mine!! karl posted it for me

regards

Jon.