Ethnographic folding knives

Billman · 30th September 2013, 02:20 PM

Salaam Ibrahiim

Your rusty folder looks like a UK military style jackknife - you may find the makers name, year and MOD (WD) broad arrow (/l\) on the shoulder of the main blade. The can opener is typical of British Army knives - maybe a left over from wartime. Handles were often a black fibre board, sometimes jigged to look like bone or antler, but usually with an impressed diamond pattern - occasionally you do find real bone or antler handles ones, but these would have been bought privately, not issued..

They were also issued to British Commonwealth troops, so you may find Australian and Canadian ones - most UK ones would have been made in Sheffield, possibly also in Birmingham...

Several types of opener were fitted - later ones have a can opener incorporated. As a boy I thought the spike was for getting stones out of horses' hooves - I much later learned it is very useful when splicing ropes...

Regards

Bob

30th September 2013, 02:20 PM	#16
Billman Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 129	Salaam Ibrahiim Your rusty folder looks like a UK military style jackknife - you may find the makers name, year and MOD (WD) broad arrow (/l\) on the shoulder of the main blade. The can opener is typical of British Army knives - maybe a left over from wartime. Handles were often a black fibre board, sometimes jigged to look like bone or antler, but usually with an impressed diamond pattern - occasionally you do find real bone or antler handles ones, but these would have been bought privately, not issued.. They were also issued to British Commonwealth troops, so you may find Australian and Canadian ones - most UK ones would have been made in Sheffield, possibly also in Birmingham... Several types of opener were fitted - later ones have a can opener incorporated. As a boy I thought the spike was for getting stones out of horses' hooves - I much later learned it is very useful when splicing ropes... Regards Bob Attached Images