Unusual Ibberson Knife

Jack Black

Jack Black

Seize the Lambsfoot! Seize the Day!
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I picked this wee Ibberson up today in a local market. Despite it's diminutive size, it's nicely made, and the 'spud' is also an extension of the back-spring rather than a separate piece. At first I took it to be a budding/grafting knife, but now I'm not so sure. For a start, there's what appears to be a match-strike along one side of the extension, most unusual, and while the edge opposite this isn't sharpened, there is a pronounced taper to a letter-opener type edge (something first noticed by ADEE). Then there's the end of the 'spud', which has a definite shape, it's pretty handy as a blade-opener. I'm beginning to think this might have been a special of some kind, perhaps for Ibberson reps to gift to dealers, or a souvenir at the annual Sheffield Cutler's Feast, or even something for the lads in the shop (the factory). Perhaps I'm just thinking too hard. Has anyone else seen anything like this before? I'd be grateful for your thoughts folks :thumbup:

Jack









 
Pocketknifesheaths said:
Cool - :thumbup:

Could be a pipe smokers knife - Clean the pipe bowl and you have a place to strike the match?
Click to expand...

True Al, could be, and it certainly wouldn't surprise me if they'd been used for that. The opposite side of the end is flattened in a very specific way though. Hard for me to get a pic as it's so shiny, but I'll have a try! :o

I guess I now have something else to add to my list of things to ask Stan Shaw! :D
 
Interessting point of view, Al. It could be a pipe smokers knife. But that rounded and blunt tip is not that useful on pipes, imho.

I use to clean my pipes with a tipless blade (sheepfoot, spey) from the "cake" that is produced while smoking. On the bottom of the pipe there is also cake that needs to be removed. But it could be a tool for scraping. :confused:
Maybe some kind of a painters knife? The inforced tip could be useful to open paint cans not to break the tip. While the edge could be useful to remove paint rests from objects.

Just my two Cent.
 
Jack Black said:
It's that kind of tip I think Andi, but a bit small for paint tins.
Click to expand...

Indeed quite small for that. A flathead screwdriver is a great tool for that task.

Whatever tool this is - it´s quite interessting. Without any question.
 
This is an Ibberson smoker's knife that I found a while back, and passed onto Duncan. Doesn't mean they only made one type of smoker's knife of course. I've really never seen anything quite like the knife I got today though.











 
Hows about a cigarette smokers knife -as has been mentioned a match strike that actually looks as though a match could be lit on it -most are too short and the knobby bit at the end for poking the baccy down into the paper tube for rollies.
I see now it is flat on one side. Perhaps to form the paper around?
 
Here's the other side of that tip (taken about ten minutes to upload for some reason).

 
meako said:
the knobby bit at the end for poking the baccy down into the paper tube for rollies.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I thought of that too, but that end does look designed for light prying. I can't really think of anything smoking-related that would require that, but then I've not smoked for a long time. It could just be a general-purpose gent's knife I suppose?
 
Thanks for your help guys :thumbup: I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight thinking about this! :eek:
 
opening of the tobaccy tins?
those scratches would support that theory.
 
meako said:
the original tube popper?
Click to expand...

I think that's what it's going to get used for! :D :thumbup:

I've never seen a bespoke blade-opener in use in Sheffield, but that's the kind of end it is I think - but of course that's just a complete guess! :D
 
UUUURRGH then it would get all grunked up with that foul smelling crud:D[video]http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=3&ved=0CCQQtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Do6-8k4vfKbw&ei=Kn1iVNTVOuXEmwXilIKoBQ&usg=AFQjCNFCUIfJE4cy9db0oZmU1nC74aOwOg&bvm=bv.79400599,d.dGY&cad=rja[/video]
 
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