1944 British army pocket knife

[Jb4046]

A recent purchase I got locally. Pretty happy with this as the blade besides some metal tarnish/pitting shows that at least it wasn’t heavily used after the war like some of these knives.

Both the knife and can opener were pretty stuck when I got so it I cleaned it up with WD40 so it’s pretty smooth now

Made by J clarke & son in Sheffield 1944

Cheers
John

[MAP]

Nice. I like the sheepsfoot style blade

[Rick W]

Nice find mate,
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers Rick

[CBH]

These knives are getting hard to find, they used to be everywhere.
But like everything WWll they are getting bought up and becoming more collectable.
As a young collector you should always remember that the cheap stuff rarely stays cheap.
Nice find.

[Watchdog]

These knives are getting hard to find, they used to be everywhere.
But like everything WWll they are getting bought up and becoming more collectable.
As a young collector you should always remember that the cheap stuff rarely stays cheap.
Nice find.

Very true and these are a great item amongst the "bits and pieces" that make up the whole picture of the soldier.

They do still turn up on UK fairs often in boxes full of dozens that have lain in a cellar somewhere since the war and usually covered in a horrid mess of cosmolene which apart from some blackening of the metal has saved them.

What you have to look out for is that there are also a large number of Ex-Belgian Army items which are identical but unmarked that dealers try to sell as WWII (the type continued in service after the war) British items.

A good British one should be marked just like yours

Regards

Mark

[CBH]

There is also some confusion regarding the Canadian all metal clasp knife with many being made postwar and thus undated, these are often sold as wartime examples but as stated are not.
I’ve been picking these up for the past few years when found cheap enough.
Which is getting harder to find.

[Dos]

Nice pocket knife! I got a similar one, but Belgian made post-war as a gift from my brother for my birthday when i was little. I still have it amongst some other pocket knives.. A bit of a side collection.

Made for or by A.B.L (Armée Belge Belgisch Leger) Colasse ? in the year 1951.

-Dos

[Jb4046]

Thanks for your guys additional comments! I wouldn’t mind getting more of the type in future. The guy I bought it from also had a war time naval one so if I go back for that eventually I will update this thread I reckon

[Watchdog]

Thanks for your guys additional comments! I wouldn’t mind getting more of the type in future. The guy I bought it from also had a war time naval one so if I go back for that eventually I will update this thread I reckon

The Belgian one shown by Dos is a good comparison because it has a marlin spike which a few British ones did have but I have only seen post-war items like that.

The Royal Navy knife is a bigger item and is serial numbered. They were discontinued in the late '70s - early '80s I think (not totally sure) and the blank space on one side is meant for the owners details though these are usually crudely scratched in if they are there at all.

The British Army stopped, re-started, stopped and re-started again about three times during my service.
The earliest of the all steel knives had a marlin spike and the current issue item has a locking blade so that one is illegal for everyday carry.

Here's a pic of a few I have lying around (ask your old man I bet he has one somewhere with or without the spike);

L-R My first issued knife from the '70s (because of the stop start thing I ended up with one without spike too), WWII British Army, Royal Navy and generic WWI type (not issued but widely owned in the trenches) It has nickel scales on top of the steel.

These are all typical "soldiers kit" and seem to have an air about them far beyond what they physically are.



Regards

Mark

[BrodieBartfast]

The Indian-made versions seem to have the marlin spike much more often than the British ones do. Though their overall appearance is much cruder, they’re appealing in their own right, and every bit as functional.

B.B.