robrinay Posted June 10, 2018 Share #1 Posted June 10, 2018 I bought this knife cheap at a car boot sale a few years ago. I believe it to be a survival knife from either WW1 or WW2. Sadly the sheath was missing. Am I correct in my assumption and would the sheath have been metal or part metal with a protruding lug and flat bar to convert the knife blade into a wire cutter. The makers mark shows it to have been made by Wadkins Leicester who made and still make industrial woodworking machinery - not cutlery. Im guessing their war effort included the manufacture of these knives? I emailed them but as with many Companies theyve been bought out in recent times and do not have an archive of items made historically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundance Posted June 10, 2018 Share #2 Posted June 10, 2018 Can you show a picture of the maker's mark? Good looking knife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Posted June 10, 2018 Share #3 Posted June 10, 2018 Sort of had a theater-made feel to me. Handle looks like stacked bakelite or something similar - even in a couple of familiar colors. I could be all wrong, but maybe had a different kind of handle to start. Good luck in your research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMariner Posted June 10, 2018 Share #4 Posted June 10, 2018 Appear without a doubt to be a theater made knife from the WW2 era, would not have been in a metal sheath with wire cutter, those are only seen usually on modern bayonets by that I mean late 50s-present times , I dont know of any from ww2 with that on there! Cool theater made knife though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robrinay Posted June 23, 2018 Author Share #5 Posted June 23, 2018 Thank you for your replies folks and sorry for my late response but Ive been on holiday. It may well be a theatre made knife - made from a machine blade from a woodworking machine? Here are the pics that were requested above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robrinay Posted June 23, 2018 Author Share #6 Posted June 23, 2018 And the makers mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robrinay Posted June 23, 2018 Author Share #7 Posted June 23, 2018 And a crisper pic of the whole knife Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horseclover Posted July 3, 2018 Share #8 Posted July 3, 2018 The maker's mark is likely of a British firm. The bottom of the mark reads Leicester. I am unfamiliar with many US towns of Leicester (lester) other than a small town just west of Worcester Massachusetts. As you mention the knife turned up in a boot sale, that would be another indication of a Sheffield area British origin. Cheers GC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horseclover Posted July 3, 2018 Share #9 Posted July 3, 2018 I cannot make out the first letter of the top og the mark. I'm going to go and get blind here https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/content/dam/sheffield/docs/libraries-and-archives/archives-and-local-studies/collections/Cutlery%20and%20Silverware.pdf bah no hits in a search of letters There was a Hanky mill in Greenville, outside of Leicester Massachusetts that made machine knives but can't connect the word on that makers mark shown. Cheers GC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmooser Posted July 4, 2018 Share #10 Posted July 4, 2018 I have a couple with tool steel makers names on them, as well as sawblade manufacturers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilian Posted July 5, 2018 Share #11 Posted July 5, 2018 I cannot make out the first letter of the top og the mark. I'm going to go and get blind here https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/content/dam/sheffield/docs/libraries-and-archives/archives-and-local-studies/collections/Cutlery%20and%20Silverware.pdf bah no hits in a search of letters There was a Hanky mill in Greenville, outside of Leicester Massachusetts that made machine knives but can't connect the word on that makers mark shown. Cheers GC You may have overlooked that in his first post the topicstarter has already correctly identified, though misspelled, the maker's mark as that of British firm Wadkin (without s) of Leicester, England, makers of woodworking machinery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horseclover Posted July 6, 2018 Share #12 Posted July 6, 2018 You may have overlooked that in his first post the topicstarter has already correctly identified, though misspelled, the maker's mark as that of British firm Wadkin (without s) of Leicester, England, makers of woodworking machinery. Ah so. I guess I was just too busy looking at the pictures. Nevermind GC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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