Don't Need No Bolsters!!!

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Tyson A Wright said:
That's fantastic - can you please tell us a little about this one? Thanks!
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Sorry Tyson, I missed your post until now. That is a British NAAFI knife, made after WW2. That one was made by Herbert Robinson, but they were made by other Sheffield manufacturers, and in 3 different patterns, that I know of. Here's one of the other patterns (the third is a Sheepsfoot and Pen), made by Needham.

Needham NAAFI Knife 2-3.JPG

The knives take their names from the institutions on British military bases, ships, etc run by the Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes. Conscription, or National Service as it's known here, continued until 1963, so there were a lot more men in the services, and pocket knives were among the many items that NAAFIs sold to them. The Sheffield cutlery manufacturers were still tooled up for making folding knives for the British Army, and the NAAFI clearly wanted a good, strong knife, which had a military character. As you can see, they don't look too different to the Army knives that were issued during WW2.

Richards 1944 Clasp Knife 1.JPG

WRodgers Clasp Knife 3.JPG
 
Jack Black said:
Sorry Tyson, I missed your post until now. That is a British NAAFI knife, made after WW2. That one was made by Herbert Robinson, but they were made by other Sheffield manufacturers, and in 3 different patterns, that I know of. Here's one of the other patterns (the third is a Sheepsfoot and Pen), made by Needham.

View attachment 3196781

The knives take their names from the institutions on British military bases, ships, etc run by the Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes. Conscription, or National Service as it's known here, continued until 1963, so there were a lot more men in the services, and pocket knives were among the many items that NAAFIs sold to them. The Sheffield cutlery manufacturers were still tooled up for making folding knives for the British Army, and the NAAFI clearly wanted a good, strong knife, which had a military character. As you can see, they don't look too different to the Army knives that were issued during WW2.

View attachment 3196783

View attachment 3196785
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Thanks, Jack. I love those scales (they look like Bakelite to me), but I'd never seen a single blade sheepsfoot with them. Interesting background.
 
Tyson A Wright said:
Thanks, Jack. I love those scales (they look like Bakelite to me), but I'd never seen a single blade sheepsfoot with them. Interesting background.
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It's Bexoid Tyson, and was produced by the British Xylonite Company. The Sheffield cutlers still refer to any black plastic material as Bexoid (and to any white plastic material as Xylonite) :thumbsup:
 
Jack Black said:
Thanks for the kind words Charlie, it was a great thread idea 🙂👍

An Antonini on a Martini! 😁

Definitely! I sometimes come across penknives with a 'hole' from where someone has hit a live cable, and very occassionally with 2 blades like that because the owner didn't learn their lesson the first time! 🫣
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Never saw it until you pointed it out :D
 
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