Military Clasp Knives

Great knives guys, I must admit there's something so plain & unadorned but just damned cool about the all steel ones that really appeals to me.
It would be interesting to know which is the more efficient can-opener, the older or later pattern. I may at some point do a back to back test next time we've some baked beans to open.
Happy Friday to all, I'm off to have some Brakspear Bitter I have just poured :D
Cheers
Dave
 
Thanks Dave :thumbup:

Etchy said:
It would be interesting to know which is the more efficient can-opener, the older or later pattern. I may at some point do a back to back test next time we've some baked beans to open.
Happy Friday to all, I'm off to have some Brakspear Bitter I have just poured :D
Click to expand...

I doubt it's the WW1 pattern! :D

As for the bottle-opener, it can be so efficient it takes half the bottle-neck away with the cap! :eek:

Have a good evening :) :thumbup:
 
Hello all
I picked this one up the other day, WW1 gift knife (I think). Hope the pics work ok.
Cheers
Dave
ww1knife002_zpse5d742fe.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
ww1knife005_zpscfec487c.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
ww1knife006_zps0509ff8f.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
 
That's a nice knife Dave. J.U.James & Sons were originally based on Denby Street, Sheffield, where my eldest daughter went to nursery :)

I picked up a Wade & Butcher 1941 the other day, but the tin-opener blade is broken, and only really bought it as a trader had picked it up for me. I'll try and post some pics later, but it's not much to look at.
 
Here's that Wade & Butcher. I don't know how anyone possibly managed to break that beefy tin-opener, but the knife has clearly seen a good deal of use and abuse. Still tight as a drum in spite of the hard use though. Sadly, not much I can do with the remains of the tin-opener blade I don't think :(





 
Hello
Cheers for the info on J. U. James & Sons Jack, I really like stuff like that :thumbup:
Shame that can opener is broken on the Wade & Butcher, someone must have been trying very hard to break it, they're not exactly flimsy, whoever broke it is perhaps not the sort of person to meet on a dark night :eek:
Still a fine thing though, at least it's been used :)
I spotted a couple of knives on a car-boot the other week, one that looked like a 301 Admiralty pattern clasp knife. However after pouncing on them & examining them I found that to my disappointment on both knives the main blades had been removed. Not broken or snapped but totally gone/ ripped out :confused: Why anyone would do that I don't know but as they were pretty manky otherwise & not overly cheap I didn't bother.
Dave
 
You're welcome Dave, I'm just referring to Mr Tweedale - though for some reason he neglects to reference my daughter's nursery! :D

The firm was founded by James Unwin James (1847-1920), spring knife maker and hafter, of Myrtle Road in the Sheffield inner-city suburb of Heeley. By 1919, the company had moved to Egerton Lane, and subsequently to Mary Street, and eventually Broad Lane. As well as producing pocket knives, the company also sold stainless table cutlery, such as carving sets, and after WW2, razor-blades were marketed using the 'CHIN-CHAT' brand. It was defunct by the early 1970's.

Yes, I really couldn't guess how anyone managed to snap the tin-opener, they're generally even tougher than the blades.

Sorry to hear about the 301's. Sometimes you really have to wonder about the knives you come across, the vendors seem to think the blades can just be replaced!
 
My first clasp, the DAK is for size comparison.

It's an A.B.L. Colasse from 1951. There was minimal rust, it cleaned off in a few minutes. Some pitting, but that gives it character.
It was almost as blunt on the cutting side as on the back, but that was fixed easily with a little ceramic help.

The spring is the strongest I've ever encountered, even after oiling. I just clipped my fingernails and the one on my index finger almost tore off.
(Edit: This seems to be normal..)

It will go in the van for some hard and dirty use while at work and maybe some camping.

187d85fa-8259-414d-8060-16fc0d516475_zps2090033d.jpg
 
Last edited:
Congratulations QJerry, looks like you got a nice one there :thumbup:

I got three new ones for Xmas, all different patterns, need to take pics :)
 
Wow, that's in great shape S-K, and a very special find my friend, congratulations :thumbup:
 
OK, I admit it. I am untrained in posting photos here. How do I post a picture of my Marbles "Camp Knife" (their version of the Camillus 1760 "Demo" knife)?
I don't have photo bucket or anything like that.
 
Thanks, should have known that.
Can-openers are actually something of an interest of mine, so I decided to try out the one on my new clasp knife.
It's not hard to figure out, it works upside down from what you would expect at first.

Works like charm after 63 years.
20141230_235627_zps23897b51.jpg


Now I have to eat peaches for a few days with dessert...

20141230_235754_zps07282475.jpg
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top