The humble British Jack Knife

**reneblacky** · 07-08-2013, 10:42 AM

by Spitace41

It does looks like it has been modified. Don't know why this would have been done, not seen one before? Maybe the owner was envisaging having to use it in close combat

Also could make for easier tucker?

**Spitace41** · 07-08-2013, 10:43 AM

Good point

**harryamb2** · 07-08-2013, 08:56 PM

nothing Humble about the jack knife Ade.1000 & 1 uses.

**thorne83** · 08-04-2013, 06:39 PM

Here's my grandpa's, 1944 dated, which went through Normandy and North-West Europe. He was a military chaplain and he evidently added the RAChD badge at some point to stop others taking it!

Cheers, Tom

**Jerry B** · 09-03-2013, 02:59 PM

by agv44

Nice knives mr. Stevenson

. After the war they send a lot of this knives to Norway. Here are mine. Both the big ones are made by sheffield in 1944, and the small ones are marked 1943.

Regards Arvid

The two bigger examples on the left are both the Royal Navy version which do not have a tin opener, but have a flat head screwdriver instead. Early versions, ie pre 1941 have a copper loop instead of the steel version seen from then on. My early example of the RN version and as is quite common for the RN version it is named to its owner, W.G.ALLEN.

**Moshemotom** · 09-08-2013, 02:27 AM

Hi Guys

I was thinking of adding one of these to my collection when I noticed this thread and just had a question regarding date and inspection stamps on the knives.

I've found one for sale for a decent price, only it doesn't seem to have either a Broad Arrow stamp or a manufacture date. It was made in Sheffield just like most examples, by a Company called 'J Fenton & Sons Ltd'. Another thing which seemed a little odd was its lack of tin opener, which I seem to notice on the vast majority of them. Were any of these made for the civilian market or did this one just slip through the inspection net?

I hope it does turn out to be a military example because it looks like a really nice one, I'll wait for those of you who know your stuff on these knives to fill me in!

Thanks in advance for any replies
Tom

**Time Bandit** · 09-09-2013, 03:22 PM

It's more than likely a commercial item but you never know. Both the can opener and a screwdriver were part of the military spec and since this has neither nor any military inspection/issue markings I'd tend to go with it being a commercial made knife. I do have at least one military marked knife without a screwdriver but I don't think I've any that have no can opener...I'd imagine your average soldier probably wouldn't care much if the screwdriver was missing but he'd be non too impressed if he couldn't get his can of scran opened 'cos he had no can opener on his knife!
However like I said earlier you never know, might of been carried by some soldier even if it wasn't his issue knife.

**Jerry B** · 11-29-2013, 05:31 PM

Picked up today, arrow marked & 1940 dated example with the copper suspender loop. Maker is hard to read in the pics, Harrison BROS & Howson Sheffield.

**greatwhite** · 12-10-2013, 02:00 PM

Managed to pick up what i think is the naval version, made by J Robinson & sons 1942,
cost me a tenner, bargin for such a piece of history

A nice addition to the collection.

**Blackpowder44** · 12-10-2013, 10:50 PM

I beiieve your knife is a military issue knife from the Boer war period. The tin opener on military knives came into use in about 1913. Your knife appears to have chequred horn grips and is a very good example. Somewhere on this site is a series of pictures of my collection of jack knives. John.