Fancy Navy Fork and Ash Trays

[bryang]

I found these at a Nashville estate sale and couldn't leave them behind.

 

 

The fork is petite and most likely an item used in an officer's club.

 

 

The front has a tiny anchor and rope on the front, among the fancy scroll work, with a tiny "U.S.N." incorporated into the design on the back.

 

 

[bryang]

Some pretty cool ashtrays.

 

When I saw the "Property of the U.S. Navy" on the dark glass item, I wasn't sure just what the hell this this was, until I flipped it over and realized that it's an ashtray.

 

Difficult to read, the inner portion is marked:

 

ZEPHYR AMERICAN CORP

SWIVODEX

TRADE MARK

PATE. PENDING

NEW YORK N.Y.

 

 

Also a pair of tin (I think) ashtrays marked WORLD WAR TWO 1945

as well as 20mm SHOT.

 

It took me a moment to realize that the "20mm SHOT" referred to the large hole, which I think is the diameter of what the 20mm round would make.

 

I'm wondering if these were a wartime item distributed for certain occasions.

 

 

 

 

Bryan

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Charlie Flick]

Neat. I like them all.

 

Even though I have never been a smoker, for reasons I can't fully explain I have always liked the military related ashtrays. So few people smoke today (thank God) that ashtrays are heading in the direction of buggy whips. Even so I always enjoy seeing nice examples like those you show.

 

Regards,

Charlie

[Dave]

That's a seafood fork. Not sure when it dates from, but I think it could be anywhere from WW2 to the 1960s. My in-laws gifted me with a 20-place set of this exact silverware, but I don't think it had the seafood forks (it's in a box somewhere in storage...not like I'd use it daily anyway!)

 

Neat piece!

I like the ashtrays as well!

Dave

[MastersMate]

In the Coast Guard Marine Safety field, that particular three tyned fork resembles Neptunes' trident. It is most prominent on the Marine Safety qualification insignia.

 

The old Lifesaving Service had a motto, 'You have to go out, the book doesn't say anything about having to come back'. The Marine Inspectors had a similar take on that motto. " You have to go out for lunch, but the book doesn't say anything about having to come back." The Marine Safety insignia is appropriately nicknamed, the "shrimpfork" insignia..

[bryang]

Some really good feedback - thanks!

 

 

 

Here's how old I am:

 

I didn't learn to smoke until I went into the Army. Back then we smoked pretty much anywhere and everywhere. I retired in '08, and you'd have to seen the looks on the younger Soldiers faces when I told them all how as an 18 year old Paratrooper we smoked aboard the aircraft - strapped into our parachutes - until the Air Force Crew Chief passed along the large coffee can for us to put out our cigarettes a few minutes before we went through the process of getting up and ready to jump.

 

I got so good that I could light my cigarette in a UH-1 flying with open doors.

 

I like the ashtrays because to me they represent an era I was familiar with. That being the case, it was for the best when restrictions were placed on when and where military folks could smoke - I gave it up back in '93 when I returned from Somalia.

 

 

 

 

 

Now - The fancy, shmancy Navy fork: We in the Army always suspected that Sailors were coddled and spoiled rotten aboard their shiny luxury ships - with air conditioning, steak dinners with ice cream, laundry service and soft, cushy beds with clean sheets - while we Soldiers had to just "suck it up" and live under the worst, most austere conditions ... choking down cold, mushy, God-awful foul-smelling and tasting field rations.

 

Fancy little seafood forks! I suppose that all young Sailors are trained on the proper placement and appropriate order and use of cutlery at the table - Salad fork, escargot fork, crab and lobster prongs, dessert fork, butter knife, steak knife, soup spoon, etc .......

 

 

Bryan

[hbtcoveralls]

The black item isn't an ash tray, it's the bottom section of a WWII Navy Ink well. See this worthpoint link

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-s-navy-inkwell-military-glass-26652191

I had one of these years ago, unfortunately, you're missing the ink resivior, If you watch these are on the table at the signing of the surrender on the USS Missouri

Tom Bowers

[firefighter]

I have one of those 20mm shot ashtrays.Mine actually has a 20mm projectile.