Show your *traditional* Boat/Sailor's knives

ZHoovie said:
Thanks for posting & bumping this thread back up!
I believe they are also called a "Clasp Knife" by the British army. I'm not an expert but going by the tang stamp I think it was made in 1950 by H.M. Slater in Sheffield England. The arrow beside the year indicates it was a military issue if I'm not mistaken.
Hopefully someone with more knowledge will either correct me or explain in more detail 👍
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Broad arrow = military issue for sure. I found this cool article when googling around last night: https://threepointsofthecompass.com...ast-from-my-dads-past-his-british-army-knife/
 
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Grohmann DH Russel #3.
Wore this daily for years in the Navy.
 
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b2edhmep said:
British Army Knife with Marlin spike, sheeps foot and bottle/can opener. Made in Sheffield England. It's a well made stout folder. I like it a lot. Marlin spike comes in handy when untying knots in wet rope.
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That looks like a very utilitarian knife. I like it! :cool:👍

I think I'll start keeping an eye out for a cool vintage knife with a marlin spike. I only have a newish Rough Rider.

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Böker Sailor’s Knife exclusively produced for the US market

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Contacted Böker Germay regarding this knife. Was told, that it has been produced exclusively for the US market and Böker Germany has no further information about it. My enquiry to Boker USA ist still pending and I wonder, if anybody here has some knowledge and informations regarding production period, materials used or any historical details for me. Would be graetful for any help in this matter.

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Have a nice weekend and best regards from Germany.
 
Rough Rider RR897.
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I just spent about and hour getting rid of the 🤬🤬🤬 "gods" unblessed and "demons" blessed (demon "blessed" is a "curse", right?) mirror polish on the mark side of the blade, using my "soft"/"meduim" Arkansas oil stone.
I "think" it looks much better with the "brushed" finish.
(Like i have stated before: "I have a pocket size signaling mirror. I don't "need" my knife blade to act as a signaling mirror. 🤨)

440a blade and Marlin Spike.
 
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Rufus1949 said:
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Interesting that the second photo the knife looks exactly like a 1944 Coast Guard Approved life Boat knife, except it does not have a bail? Wait, looking closer I see the hole in the handle where the bail would be. I have a latter version also made by Camillus, and Coast Guard approved but to me, sensibly made of stainless steel, and with a can opener. Made sense, to me as most survival rations in life boats were in cans. It also has an about 6 foot long lanyard, another sensible addition. John
 
John A. Larsen said:
Interesting that the second photo the knife looks exactly like a 1944 Coast Guard Approved life Boat knife, except it does not have a bail? Wait, looking closer I see the hole in the handle where the bail would be. I have a latter version also made by Camillus, and Coast Guard approved but to me, sensibly made of stainless steel, and with a can opener. Made sense, to me as most survival rations in life boats were in cans. It also has an about 6 foot long lanyard, another sensible addition. John
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Agreed, stainless is the desired steel and a can opener for rations.
Also, mine is jigged wood, not sure if that's the most desirable material to use.
 
sf fanatic said:
This was a wonderful gift from Johnnythefox Johnnythefox . I think he said he thought it is a Belgian Army knife 🤷I can’t remember but he can chime in and confirm that. Might not be much to look at but all the blades have gator snaps and have taken a wicked edge.
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It's actually a Belgian NAVY knife, but modelled on the WW2 era British ARMY knife :) Very useful knives, and a thoughtful gift :) :thumbsup:

Here's another Belgian Navy Knife (I have a few), by one of the 3 makers, Colasse :thumbsup:

Colasse 1950 Belgian Navy Clasp Knife 1-1.JPG

The Italian Navy also used the British pattern :thumbsup:

Italian Navy Clasp Knife 1.JPG
 
sf fanatic said:
This was a wonderful gift from Johnnythefox Johnnythefox . I think he said he thought it is a Belgian Army knife 🤷I can’t remember but he can chime in and confirm that. Might not be much to look at but all the blades have gator snaps and have taken a wicked edge.
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Yes it’s Belgium as Jack says,you could drive a tank over it they are tough. 😁
 
Jack Black said:
It's actually a Belgian NAVY knife, but modelled on the WW2 era British ARMY knife :) Very useful knives, and a thoughtful gift :) :thumbsup:

Here's another Belgian Navy Knife (I have a few), by one of the 3 makers, Colasse :thumbsup:

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The Italian Navy also used the British pattern :thumbsup:

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It would be interesting to know who the designer was as they obviously got the design right.
 
Johnnythefox said:
Yes it’s Belgium as Jack says,you could drive a tank over it they are tough. 😁
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LOL! You could open a tank with the tin-opener! 😂
Johnnythefox said:
It would be interesting to know who the designer was as they obviously got the design right.
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Many of the British/Army knives are actually pre-dated by similar (or sometimes identical) civilian patterns produced by the Sheffield cutlery firms. When you feel the weight of the WW1 pattern, not to mention the amount of steel involved, it's easy to see why the Army wanted a smaller knife. I'm guessing (completely), but I imagine parameters were set, and then they worked closely with the Sheffield cutlers. It may have been one person's design, but I suspect not. I've written about the knives, and there's a good Australian website dedicated to them. Unfortunately my memory fails a lot these days, but I've never seen the design attributed to anyone, or even to a specific firm. However, that's the case with most Sheffield knife patterns 👍
 
My maternal grandfather was in the Royal Artillery in WW2, but was also a commando at some point. He gave me his Army clasp knife as a young child, and a couple of years later gave me a Joseph Rodgers Navy Knife. He was never in the Navy, but strangely, he referred to it as his 'commando knife', when asking my grandmother where it was* 🤷‍♂️

Joseph Rodgers 1941 Navy Knife 1-1.JPG

I have a whole cabinet of Army and Navy knives I must photograph at some point :rolleyes:

* - I was only about 7 at the time, and it's possible I missed the part of the conversation where my grandmother said, "You're not giving him that bloody dagger! Give him another knife!" 😂
 
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EMDI said:
Böker Sailor’s Knife exclusively produced for the US market

50577888fu.jpg


Contacted Böker Germay regarding this knife. Was told, that it has been produced exclusively for the US market and Böker Germany has no further information about it. My enquiry to Boker USA ist still pending and I wonder, if anybody here has some knowledge and informations regarding production period, materials used or any historical details for me. Would be graetful for any help in this matter.

50577890mf.jpg



50577891ex.jpg




50577892fn.jpg

50577889cm.jpg


Have a nice weekend and best regards from Germany.
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That stamp is usually associated with 1960's production. I checked a few 1970's US catalogs, and there are no boat knives.
 
Shmo723 said:
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Apologies if this strays too far from traditional - I have this attached to my PFD when I sail. Curious about the history of blunt tip knives to avoid injury / accidents when sailing.
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One tale is they have no points so sailors couldn’t stab a shipmate.
 
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