Unusual Ibberson Knife

Very cool!... reminds me of a burnisher... paper work/craft, (as mentioned above) book binding? I did a bit of book binding way back when... a bone burnisher was an invaluable tool. The only reason why I would say 'not' is because of the oxidation (depending on the steel) that it might leave on the paper... ?
 
Wow, the plot thickens! How interesting. I retract my previous guess about the marmite spreader, there's no way anyone would make two... ;)

I will say that they somehow look familiar, but I really have no idea why. Neat stuff, this.
 
Hopefully I can get over to see Stan Shaw before Xmas, and HOPEFULLY he knows! In the meantime, keep those informed guesses coming, it's all good stuff :) :thumbup:
 
Jack Black said:
Hopefully I can get over to see Stan Shaw before Xmas, and HOPEFULLY he knows! In the meantime, keep those informed guesses coming, it's all good stuff :) :thumbup:
Click to expand...

what about the outrageously wild theories? should we keep those coming as well?
:p:D
 
meako said:
what about the outrageously wild theories? should we keep those coming as well?
:p:D
Click to expand...

Cuticle pusher (that's not a matchstriker, it's a very narrow nail file)
Phone dialer
Pistachio splitter
 
meako said:
what about the outrageously wild theories? should we keep those coming as well?
:p:D
Click to expand...

Definitely! :D

r8shell said:
Cuticle pusher (that's not a matchstriker, it's a very narrow nail file)
Phone dialer
Pistachio splitter
Click to expand...

Cuticle pusher was actually one of my first thoughts, and that 'matchstrike' works pretty good as a nail-file!

Pistachio-splitter would be useful, though I don't think they were widely available here until the late 1980's! I remember buying some in a pub around this time, offering them to the people I was sat with. One lad looked at me eating them with some curiosity, then he helped himself to a couple. "Hey, they taste a lot better without the shells don't they?" he said :D
 
Right.
Stamp collectors knife for tamping and smothing of stamps in album pages
Eyebrow styler..
Model railway enthusiasts knife.....could be used to level off ballast
Yes you're right those are stupid.
I still think it's smoking related
 
More good guesses :thumbup: It might be the end of the month before I can get over to Sheffield! :D :thumbup:
 
Ah dinna thunk we'll make it Cap'n
The preposterometer's at warrp factorr 9 alrready.
If ah give 'er anymorre she's gunna blow!
 
Last week I finally got round to asking Stan Shaw about these two knives. I figured if there was anybody alive who could give me a definitive answer, it would be Stan, who worked at Ibberson's from just after WW2.



Stan had a good look at it, even offered to sharpen it for me, but he didn't have any more idea of what it was than the rest of us! :( He said it had been made at Ibberson's before he started working there, in the 1930's he reckoned. He thought the unusual feature on the fixed part of the blade might have been intended for striking matches, but apart from that he couldn't say. So, perhaps we might never have a definitive answer :(

Well, it was good to see Stan anyway :)

Personally, I liked SP's idea about the fixed tool being designed to open cigar boxes, but why not incorporate a cigar pricker, fork, or cutter if it was designed for the cigar smoker? Who knows :confused:
 
Wow Jack - talk about re-awakening ( not that you have to prize open the memory vault-as its still so so fresh ) Fantastic memories- I have been wanting to send Stan - or Stan's daughter the follow up of our visit-just so Stan AND his family can see just how truly we appreciate this fantastic Master of his Craft - what a beautiful guy to talk to - and for all that time amazing! I will remember that for the rest of my life - and the company that was with me :) :thumbup:
 
Campbellclanman said:
Wow Jack - talk about re-awakening ( not that you have to prize open the memory vault-as its still so so fresh ) Fantastic memories- I have been wanting to send Stan - or Stan's daughter the follow up of our visit-just so Stan AND his family can see just how truly we appreciate this fantastic Master of his Craft - what a beautiful guy to talk to - and for all that time amazing! I will remember that for the rest of my life - and the company that was with me :) :thumbup:
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A very timely appearance my friend, great to have caught you, since of course I was thinking of you when I thought of Stan :) I called in on Stan a couple of weeks ago, and finally gave him copies of the photos Sue and I took, but I didn't keep him for long on that occasion as I could see that he was busy. Stan is as well as ever Duncan, and just as friendly and pleasant to talk to. I visited again last week, with ADEE and R.c.s. and it was a treat, he showed us some wonderful stuff he was working on, including a beautiful Doctor's Knife with mammoth covers, and a Coachman's Knife. He was also working on half a dozen Rase knives. I really wish you could have been there Duncan. I don't know if we'll ever find out what this unusual knife was intended for, but I have two of them, and the second one has always had your name on it. I had hoped to find out what it was before sending it, but we can both be befuddled on either side of the world! :D :thumbup:

Jack
 
I still like my theory too. Here's the tool that inspired me- 6" long overall. Mine even has a nick to pull the tacks from the box edge.
lC4cM03t

Woops! No knife!
Here's one.
wyInLGlC
 
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Very interesting SP, thanks for posting the pics :thumbup:
 
I had completely forgotten about this interesting little mystery of yours, Jack.
To find out that Mr. Shaw couldn't penetrate the fog must be rather disappointing after several months!:eek::(
If you ever get a breakthrough, be sure to let us know!

- GT
 
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