Military or just funky?

[dskjl]

Picked this up at a local gun show, what is it?

 

thanks,

 

 

[dskjl]

[dskjl]

[Wake1941]

The top looks like a hunting/commercial made 40s periods. The blade looks like a British commando knife blade copy. The broad arrow mark is much sloppier than the ones Ive seen

[dskjl]

It looks like it’s been together forever but it’s also just so funky I don’t know what to think.

[dskjl]

I think I found the manufacture, Sheffield, William Rogers, I have been searching the web and the brass nut pommel and the pattern with the brass and red rings I think we have a winner.

 

Here is an example from the web.

[dskjl]

[doyler]

I would agree its English.

 

You will encounter several makers who had similiar patterns as well as patterns that more resembled the Commando knife pattern blade.

 

I have two such knives.One from a 508th PIR surgeon and the other from a 113th Cavalry veteran.Both I presume private purchased in War time England.

[doyler]

Here are the two I mentioned.Both identical patterns.Both made in Sheffield.The Top example is a Taylor Eye Witness Brand.

 

 

 

[dskjl]

Thank you brother, great looking pieces.

 

i picked mine up at the Honolulu Gun show for cheap on gamble that it was wartime. Your two, although a bit different certainly provide a glimmer of hope for mine.

[doyler]

Here is a photo of several knives in the hands of these troops.

 

Shown is the same type stiletto / knife in the soldiers hand second from left.There is also a smaller skinning type knife in the first soldiers hand.

 

[Ray42]

I find that photo hilarious, I can just imagine the guy one the left saying: "look at my knife guys", to which the third on the right replies "that's not a knife, THIS IS A KNIFE!"

 

Its always cool to see what non-standard gear the GI had in the field.

[dskjl]

Here is a photo of several knives in the hands of these troops.

 

Shown is the same type stiletto / knife in the soldiers hand second from left.There is also a smaller skinning type knife in the first soldiers hand.

 

Britknives2.jpg

Great pic, thanks.

[Vanski]

Has a little of a "Western" flavor.

[dcollector]

On 12/12/2019 at 9:36 AM, Ray42 said:

 

Its always cool to see what non-standard gear the GI had in the field.

 

Those guys are British Home Guard, older, ex-soldiers, or fellows who couldn't, too young or too old, or didn't fit the bill for regular army, but able to be mobilized for part time civic duty. There weren't enough weapons at that time (1942), so those blades would have been brought from home, donated, pulled from storage, etc.,

 

If you're interested in a fun old TV show about Home Guard, try "Dad's Army" - my grandmother was in the Home Guard, it was an honorable way to chip in.

Home Guard began around 1940, as a secondary force to deal with a German invasion of mainland Britain, a very real threat at the time.

 

(From Wiki) For public (and enemy) consumption, the government maintained that large stocks of Lee-Enfield rifles remained from the First World War, but the actual total reserve stockpile amounted to 300,000, and they had already been earmarked for the expansion of the army by 122 infantry battalions. Instead, the War Office issued instructions on how to make Molotov cocktails and emergency orders were placed for Ross rifles from Canada. In the absence of proper weapons, local units improvised weapons, especially grenades, mortars and grenade projectors, from whatever came to hand, and the legacy of self-reliant improvisation in the face of what was interpreted as official disregard and obstruction was to remain as a characteristic of the Home Guard throughout its existence.

 

The OP's knife, could have been a private purchase, identical to the one in the picture, which was likely also a private purchase. Weapons were also handed in to local police to be ear marked for Land Army and Home Guard use, they were desperate times. 

[sactroop]

People forget that we made P14 Infields for the British in WW1 and they had some of them distributed to the home Guard.  We also sent them P17 Infields we used during that war in 30-06 under Lend-Lease.  The Home Guard was also issued those.  The individual units of the Home Guard that were issued P17's typically painted part of the forearm red and stenciled the numbers 30-06 on it so as not to try and load it with British 303 ammo.

[John Parker Jr.]

On 9/30/2019 at 4:18 AM, dskjl said:

Picked this up at a local gun show, what is it?

 

thanks,

 

 

I've seen a similar one, but on ricasso it has marked UN.

I will search that picture and add it here.

[John Parker Jr.]

Found the pictures, have a look.

The scabbard has 1945 engraved