This one's special!

[Hoodoo]

Just recieved this from Bushwacker Bob as a Gift!

I made a simple remark in one of Patrick's tutorials that I liked his knife and Bushwacker Bob decided I had to have one. He's a good bloke, that fellow!

I'm sure many of you are familiar with this knife, but I'm not. I've seen a few here and there but never handled one. This one has great walk and talk--a lot more than some fairly expensive folders I have. And being an ex Navy guy, I got a warm spot in me for the marlin spike. Spent many a watch with a botsun' mate, learning to tie knots.

I'd love to know more about this knife so please feel free to elaborate.

Thanks Sean. I owe ya. This one's special.

 

[Schwert]

That one is special two ways...as a gift and as a neat example of a boat knife. Not sure I have ever seen an opener blade like that one.

How does the can opener function, and what is that great background in the image?

 

[Ahjno]

My dad had one just like that, when he was in the navy (centuries ago - they just started to use engines instead of the wind ). - On a regurly base he tries to find it, but no joy yet

Edit: Like that background too! Looks like an old birth certificate (but probably isn't) - it's in french (duh ). Almost in the same style as the old certificates used at the mainland during the time of Napoleon. Have seen loads of them myself when I put my family tree together.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Not sure I have ever seen an opener blade like that one.
How does the can opener function?

Schwert,
If I can interject. The British military folding knives have always lacked a bit of....finess, shall we say. They don't believe in delicately cutting the top of a can open, more a sort of semi-controlled "bludgeon some steel out of the way until the user can get to the contents".
It's a very rugged can and bottle opener in one, that can also be modified as an aircraftmans skin knife (a kind of micro chisel/plane used to cut sheet aluminum alloy) or a host of other "user designed" instruments.

Very nice Hoodoo

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[bambodoggy]

I've got several of these knives and use them as EDC knives....in fact I think it was these I mentioned in either the old EDC thread or the Best Folder thread.

They are bomb proof and come in several different guises... I've got the Navy issue one like Hoodoo has now and also the RAF one that doesn't have the black scales or the marlin spike.

Imho they are one of the best folders ever made and will well out last the owner, I've got them dated from before the second world war!!!

To answer Schwert's question the can opener works really well and can also be pressed into service as a fork if needs be.

Cheers,

Bam.

 

[bambodoggy]

The British military folding knives have always lacked a bit of....finess, shall we say. They don't believe in delicately cutting the top of a can open, more a sort of semi-controlled "bludgeon some steel out of the way until the user can get to the contents".

Lol....couldn't have put it better myself

 

[scruff]

my dad's got one of these too. he has some navy links.

its a true workhorse of a knife. i just wish i could get my hands on it more often.....but he always has it with him.

 

[Buckshot]

I've always wondered...
What's the idea of the Marlin spike?
Surely not to spear Marlins

Cheers

Mark

 

[leon-1]

Marlin spikes are used when tying knots (Marlin spike Hitch) and the like, they are also used when splicing rope. You use them to open and hold the seperate strands of the rope apart.

 

[Jared]

I've always wondered...
What's the idea of the Marlin spike?
Surely not to spear Marlins

Cheers

Mark

To poke into particularly stubborn knots

 

[ilovemybed]

I've always wondered...
What's the idea of the Marlin spike?
Surely not to spear Marlins

Cheers

Mark

Isn't it kind of like a awl, but for separating strands in a rope to aid knot tying and splicing? Kind of like a Fid...

 

[Hoodoo]

I wish I could say that the background was truly interesting but alas...go to any crafts store where they sell scrapbooking supplies and you can find sheets of paper that have an old timey look to 'em.

Bombproof! Yup, that's the ticket.

 

[Stew]

I think I've got one of these with a broken opener in the garage.

Maybe I'll have another look at it.

 

[bambodoggy]

I think I've got one of these with a broken opener in the garage.

Maybe I'll have another look at it.

You've got a "broken" one! lol Now that I would like to see, breaking one of these is seriously hard work lol

Bam.

 

[CLEM]

My dear old dad had one of those knives for years! i dont know if it was from his time in the forces however but i do know he liked that knife and rated it highly.

 

[Andy]

the makers description is

"3 Piece Army Clasp Knife.
Stainless Steel Blades.
Bexoid Scales."
now what on earth is Bexoid?

They make something along the same lines but with just a knife blade

 

[Stew]

now what on earth is Bexoid?

http://bakelite_world_2001.tripod.com/itsbakeliteyouknow/id14.html

 

[Stew]

I've just found the one from the garage.

It's very similar.
The blade is very worn and the opener doesn't have the bottom prong (snapped off). It doesn't seem to have had a bottle opener as part of the design and there's no marlinspike.

The tang is marked:
1940
VENTURE
HMSLATER

 

[spamel]

Found two on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/C-1940-BRITIS...oryZ4719QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-ROYAL...ryZ66533QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Not in brilliant condition, but I'm sure they could be pressed into service. I like the look of them myself, but as I'm off to the "desert" for six months next week, I think I'll wait till I get back!

 

[philaw]

This seems like a good place to squeeze in my question about sea-going penknives. I'm in the process of learning to sail, and would like to pick up a knife with a marlin spike, and also want a (legal) EDC to replace my opinel. Why not kill two birds with one stone, thinks I?

I found a link (now lost) to the US navy penknife, which looks very similar to the UK one. Could anyone with experience please point me to a good all round knife? I went camping on the beach this last few days, and as expected my mora got tarnished just looking at the sea, so I'm also curious to know if people use sheath knives at sea, and which ones they go for. Does anyone know?

Also, I finally found a chinese style machete, with a 10" blade, and it did a good job of chopping up wood for the barbecue until some clown in the group decided to use a stone to chop on. I now have a serrated machete! Luckily it only cost 63p or I would've got mad.
I'll try to ge a pic of it uploaded.