UK Woodscraft knife?

[Man of Tanith]

So Grandads hatchet and other items such as his fishing rod and tackle and his pocket knife have got me thinking about a UK woodsman's tool pre Uncle Ray making the mora/woodlore/scandinavian grind knife so popular.
What would a UK based woodsman of carried as a fixed blade?
Im genuinely curious as all i can recall from my youth were the gods awful survival knife ala rambo which is later than the era i'm thinking

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Mesquite]

What sort of era are you looking at Sam?

 

[Man of Tanith]

Well the chief was born in 1922 so i'd say 1930's onwards to keep it within his lifetime.

 

[Mesquite]

Similar age to my FiL.

Didn't you mention he was in the navy at some point?

If so then he would have come across knives like this. I know my FiL carried one when he was in the Merchant navy and after as it's packed away somewhere upstairs. So it's not too far to think he might have used similar in the woods

 

[wicca]

Made in Sheffield. Every Boy Scout carried one, as did many kids who played in the countryside. Bushcraft was called camping in the 1950's and 60's. and you had to put 4 pennies in a telephone to make it work, so no internet like Bushcrafting now...Terrible couldn't get anyone to ..like you..No videos see..

 

[Man of Tanith]

Oooh thats a good call....
Ill have me a dekko via google

 

[g4ghb]

Billhooks mate

 

[Man of Tanith]

Billhooks mate

How very dare you!
Oh.... wait.....

Yeah theyd of been in the mix and ive a couple of the chiefs lurking around but im sure a belt knife or fixed blade would of been in the mix too

 

[sunndog]

Made in Sheffield. Every Boy Scout carried one, as did many kids who played in the countryside. Bushcraft was called camping in the 1950's and 60's. and you had to put 4 pennies in a telephone to make it work, so no internet like Bushcrafting now...Terrible couldn't get anyone to ..like you..No videos see..

Yep, exactly that. I'v got one exactly the same that was my dads in the 50's

Rodgers or rogers of sheffield seems to ring a bell

Or just old kitchen knives for the serfs

 

[Mesquite]

Yeah theyd of been in the mix and ive a couple of the chiefs lurking around but im sure a belt knife or fixed blade would of been in the mix too

Billhooks are great bits of kit but a really terrible choice for game prep

 

[Janne]

Billhooks are great bits of kit but a really terrible choice for game prep

Penknife, your own fingernails will do the job!

My dad was a Scout pre ww2 and a member of Hitlerjugend during the war. Scout again after WW2 until the Commies banned them.
His pre ww2 Scout knife was like his HJ knife, except no Swastica on the handle but the French Lilly (? - Scout emblem) .
I was a Scout in 67 when the Commies allowed them again and then a Pioneer in late -68 when the Scouts were banned again.
Same knife design. Different emblems on handle, the Pioneer knife had the sickle hammer emblem.

Those knives looked like a scaled down bayonet almost.
Fine for all bushcraft needs.

Maybe that shape was generic all over Europe? The Brit Scouts, what knife did they have?

 

[sunndog]

Janne, the knife in wicca's post was extremely common as a scout knife over here

 

[Man of Tanith]

This is the chiefs pen knife and now mine
I dont know if the scouts had a generic knife? Mind i know there wasnt a scout troop in Bromham when he was of the age to join so i doubt he would of had one specifically from his time in the scouts

 

[oldtimer]

I was born in 1941. I had a knife very similar to the one in Wicca's post when I was a child. It was by William Rodgers of Sheffield. I used this as my camping knife until it was stolen by a school mate in about 1957. Thank you Nicholson! I replaced it with a knife similar to the one in Mesquite's post. William Rodgers did one like this called the Green River knife and another in the same materials called the Bushman's Friend. I still have it but the blade has long since been worn away by constant sharpening and after long service as a filleting knife it is now honourably retired. In 1965, my wife bought me a William Rodgers knife again called a Bushman's friend. This was very similar in design to the Hitler youth knife as was a hollow ground hunting knife. I used it for many years in many countries but retired it because I was afraid it would attract attention from law enforcement officers and for sentimental reasons I didn't want it confiscated and travelled with a succession of SAKs. I still prefer a fixed blade and through the Bushcraft UK forum discovered the Mora in particular and scandis in general. My main knife now is a beautiful little Brushletta resulting from a blind swop on this forum, which lives in the possibles pouch, backed up by a SAK as EDC. Hope this helps.

I share Wicca's wistfulness.

 

[Broch]

It was my Grandfather (a keen hunter and fisherman as well as a poacher and carpenter) that introduced me to Frost's knives in the 60's. He'd had one for a long time before that. Mine, from about 1970/71 is very similar to the one he showed me as far as I can remember; I think his was slightly more plain. I never did find out what happened to most of his hunting and fishing gear

 

[Janne]

Interesting the UK scouts had that! Good choice!
The handle on the ones (Scout, HJ, Scout and Pioneer have handles which are a tad to thin. Full tang though.
Checkered black Bakelite scales.

 

[Man of Tanith]

Thank you old timer
Im having this discussion elsewhere and someone i know over on IG suggested the old romany knives known as a churi which was a modded kitchen knife

 

[g4ghb]

Billhooks are great bits of kit but a really terrible choice for game prep

Obviously not choosing big enough game then Steve

 

[Janne]

The steel on those knives was good except on one HJ knife got in -44 which was made from some kind of alloy.
The brit knives seems to have a proper steel in the blades.

 

[Mesquite]

Obviously not choosing big enough game then Steve

Whipsnade took a very dim view when I asked if I could do some big game hunting there.