Posted 4 years ago
everettvh
(1 item)
I'd be grateful for any help in identifying a tool I've inherited.
This pocket knife was my dad's; he was a dairy farmer for many years. The knife has two odd attachments aside from the standard blade. The spike is solid steel, round with a slight curve, and 3 inches long. The lobster-claw like attachment was sharpened on both sides of the upper, curving 'finger' of the claw. It is 2 1/2 inches long.
There are no manufacturers markings on the knife. It may have been made for vegetable farming/harvesting/processing, as it may have been given to my father by his father-in-law, my grandfather, who had a small potato and vegetable farm in Sarnia, Ontario. The tool may have come from the Netherlands.
I'll be glad for any help you can provide.
You have a grafting knife. My dad owned a perennial and tree nursery and carried a very similar ( USA made) knife.
Well the one side looks like a marlin spike. So maybe a knot/rope tool?
Marlinspike is a tool used in marine ropework.
I didn't think I had a grafting knife because the curved spike is not a blade at all, as it's cross section is perfectly round.
The suggestion from dav2no1 was very helpful. Further searching for a pocket knife with a marlin spike led me to this photo of the exact same knife:
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/540432024016715761/
So it's a WWII-era navy-issue rigging knife. I'd like to know how the claw (or 'rabbit foot') blade was used. Perhaps as a cutter?
Also, based on other photos, I was able to find the faintest outline of script at the base of the rabbit foot blade. I'll clean it up tonight and see where that leads.
Well perhaps I'm learning something. My dad was in the navy during WWII but carried this knife to do grafting of fruit trees and ornamental trees.
Nice knife, I never saw one with the claw before. I posted two similar knives about six months ago which I have just refreshed so you can compare them.
It is Bosun mate rigging knife (Navy). Many around for sale. See: eBay # 164325588250
have owned several of various qualities and makers,
So here's what I've figured out. It is indeed a navy issue pocket knife from WWII. There is a mark on the blade that has an upwards pointing arrow and reads '1944 Richards Sheffield.' The claw-like attachment is a can opener. It's likely that my grandfather acquired it at the end of the war when the Canadians liberated Holland.
Thanks to everyone for their interest and help.
Standard British army clasp knife.
Glad my info helped and you got it figured out. I happened to have a Sheffield rigging knife with a separate Marlin Spike. For years I had no idea what it was. So I did some research. That's why, when I saw your knife, I thought it looked like a marlin-spike.