Requesting knowledge from the knowledgable

Wood Splitter

Wood Splitter

Joined
Jul 16, 2011
Messages
993
I'm very quite new to traditional blades, but I'm trying to learn as much as I can. I currently own four vintage traditional blades, two Lamploughs(?) an unknown Sodbuster and a Case XX riggers knife from my grandfathers time in the Air Force. The one Lamlough, the electricians knife, is also from my grandfather.

I was hoping someone might be able to identify the make of the Sodbuster and give me some info on Lamplough. I've tried searching for quite some time, but keep coming up empty handed.

Thanks in advance for any help! I hope these pics are enough.

















 
Sod Buster is a German Eye Brand. I don't know how to date it, I just recognize the tang stamp.
 
afishhunter said:
Sod Buster is a German Eye Brand. I don't know how to date it, I just recognize the tang stamp.
Click to expand...

I'm no expert, but I just Googled "D.R.G.M." and the first hit led to a page with info:

"The acronym D.R.G.M. with or without punctuation stands for Deutsches Reichsgebrauchsmuster, meaning that the design or function of an item was officially registered inside all of the Germany states and not only locally registered as it was the case before the introduction of centralized registration. Note that many people quote this acronym as standing for Deutsches Reich Gebrauchsmuster, which is grammatically wrong and also ommits the letter 's' after Reich. This results in shifting the weight of pronounciation on 'Deutsches Reich' alone, but this acronym has nothing to do with the Third Reich as many sellers want to imply so to catch the attention of certain 'collectors'.

D.R.G.M. registration was introduced 1891 and if you are dating items you should hold in mind that even during Allied occupation up until 1949, registration procedures remained untouched and still used the D.R.G.M. registration documents, which of course explains why D.R.G.M. marks can be found on products actually manufactured up until 1952 as the registration itself was valid for three years. As from the end of October 1952, all registrations were definately marked with 'Deutsches Bundesgebrauchsmuster' (D.B.G.M.) or simply with 'Gebrauchsmuster' or 'Gebrauchsmusterschutz', see below."

So... sometime between 1891 and 1952?

Nice knives, and welcome to the forum. :)
 
r8shell...

That is incredible, thank you very much! I bought that Sodbuster for $10 at a garage sale a few years back.

I'll likely be purchasing a GEC #53 tonight as a daily carry. I'm rather looking forward to it.
 
If my tang stamp cross reference is correct, that knife was made between 1979 - 1981
 
Very nice collection of knives. The Case knife looks like military issue to me, probably made under contract to the Canadian Government. They were also made with a Sheepsfoot blade, and in both cases earlier knives are marked 'M.S. Ltd XX', the 'M.S.' standing for 'Metal Stampings'. American companies made clasp knives for the Canadian forces in WW1, WW2, and post-WW2. The design is taken from British military clasp knives, you'll find similar examples here I think - http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1094371-Military-Clasp-Knives
 
Correct on the Case Rigging knife, made for Canadian Navy but i am uncertain as to dates, but WW II or earlier.
Your Eye Brand Sodbuster is certainly more recent than 1952, but they are hard to date by markings because they were frequently changed, older markings being re-used. The blade did have an etch on it which is needed to make an educated guess as to years of manufacture. Yours could be 1980-90. Carl Schlieper is the other name for Eye Brand knives.
Lamplough is a lower end knife that i THINK were made by Richards (England) & Richartz (Germany). If i am correct yours is likely from the English branch of this company.
It would take a lifetime of study to learn a fraction of what could be learned about knives. This means you never get bored.
But this knowledge is difficult to obtain as much of what collectors pass along as 'information' is actually 'mis-information'.
Part of the problem is that all knife manufacturers made whole knives and/or parts for each other but always kept these dealings secret. Reading tang markings only tells you what a knife company wants you to believe, not necessarily who made the knife.
If you have always been fascinated by knives you will love collecting Traditional style knives and likely it will be life long hobby for you.
kj
 
kootenay joe said:
Correct on the Case Rigging knife, made for Canadian Navy but i am uncertain as to dates, but WW II or earlier.
Your Eye Brand Sodbuster is certainly more recent than 1952, but they are hard to date by markings because they were frequently changed, older markings being re-used. The blade did have an etch on it which is needed to make an educated guess as to years of manufacture. Yours could be 1980-90. Carl Schlieper is the other name for Eye Brand knives.
Lamplough is a lower end knife that i THINK were made by Richards (England) & Richartz (Germany). If i am correct yours is likely from the English branch of this company.
It would take a lifetime of study to learn a fraction of what could be learned about knives. This means you never get bored.
But this knowledge is difficult to obtain as much of what collectors pass along as 'information' is actually 'mis-information'.
Part of the problem is that all knife manufacturers made whole knives and/or parts for each other but always kept these dealings secret. Reading tang markings only tells you what a knife company wants you to believe, not necessarily who made the knife.
If you have always been fascinated by knives you will love collecting Traditional style knives and likely it will be life long hobby for you.
kj
Click to expand...

I stand corrected. That's what I get for doing a quick Google when I have insufficient knowledge to filter through the information. :o Sorry.
 
Here is a similar knife to your rigger's knife. This one is WW2 RCAF issue. Note the tang stamp and sheepsfoot blade.




The very knowledgeable member Smiling-Knife in this thread http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...y-Clasp-Knives/page4?highlight=military+clasp says that mine is a Case pattern M346, dating 1942-45. Most of the ones I have seen with spear blades have been older. The bail looks as if it may be copper - can you confirm? If so, that would also suggest an older knife. If your grandfather's service was in WW2, then your knife may be a pre-1942 pattern. (This is speculation on my part, I have nothing to confirm it.)
 
iSaur said:
Here is a similar knife to your rigger's knife. This one is WW2 RCAF issue. Note the tang stamp and sheepsfoot blade.




The very knowledgeable member Smiling-Knife in this thread http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...y-Clasp-Knives/page4?highlight=military+clasp says that mine is a Case pattern M346, dating 1942-45. Most of the ones I have seen with spear blades have been older. The bail looks as if it may be copper - can you confirm? If so, that would also suggest an older knife. If your grandfather's service was in WW2, then your knife may be a pre-1942 pattern. (This is speculation on my part, I have nothing to confirm it.)
Click to expand...

This Case mark was used on knives made by Grohmann in Pictou Nova Scotia. According to Levine.
 
Pipeman said:
This Case mark was used on knives made by Grohmann in Pictou Nova Scotia. According to Levine.
Click to expand...

The postwar Case factory in Nova Scotia (not Grohmann, although I've seen speculation that Grohmann took it over or acquired some of the trained workers) used a different stamp. See this thread http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/927566-Let-s-see-your-Marlin-spikes!/page2. Smiling-Knife says (post #33) "According to Ron Flook's British and Commonwealth Military Knives book, the knives made in Nova Scotia post WWII (1948-49) were marked M.S. LTD XX."

The wartime knives were made in the US and stamped "CASE XX METAL STAMPINGS LTD".
 
iSaur said:
The postwar Case factory in Nova Scotia (not Grohmann, although I've seen speculation that Grohmann took it over or acquired some of the trained workers) used a different stamp. See this thread http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/927566-Let-s-see-your-Marlin-spikes!/page2. Smiling-Knife says (post #33) "According to Ron Flook's British and Commonwealth Military Knives book, the knives made in Nova Scotia post WWII (1948-49) were marked M.S. LTD XX."

The wartime knives were made in the US and stamped "CASE XX METAL STAMPINGS LTD".
Click to expand...

I took the mark info from Levines 4th+, he states that the full mark was used
, by Case for the Canadian government, in pictou NS.1948- 50s
I guess Bernard could be wrong, But I'm not telling him :D

Best regards

Robin
 
Nice knives Wood Splitter. Case M346 knives with Case XX on the stamp were made 1940-42 in Bradford for the US Navy according to Flook's book British and Commonwealth Military Knives. All examples of the 346 shown in the book have a sheepsfoot blade; albeit this is not a definitive source on Case knives. Your model with a spear blade is much more like the British Army pattern 1905-1939. Very interesting.
 
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