Knife expert required - possible military connection

[unclealec]

My friend Nobby has asked me to help him find out some details about this knife.



It is marked:

"NON XLL

JOHN ALLEN & SONS

SHEFFIELD

Origin, aplication, and value would be appreciated.

TIA.

[JasonM]

Looks like a Navy Jack knife to me. Blade plus Marlin spike.

[sweets]

Not sure whether it is issued, but that is the same pattern as a Royal Navy Jack Knife (ie issued to Jack Tar) - with a single blade, Marlen spike and pry lever at the end. Sorry, no idea on value

[BillyCasper]

I’ll go with JasonM & Sweets, Royal Navy rope knife early 20th c.

Having said that, I don’t really know, ETCHY is the expert on here.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[the.admiral]

Hope this helps.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30001899

Describes what you have perfectly.

[ETCHY]

Hello

Yep Navy issue jack knife. It'll be Joseph Allen & Sons i'd think not John ( made knives up to 1959 I think). Not that common a maker of this pattern in my experience. Most of these seem to be made by Rodgers.

A lot weren't marked with any kind of Broadarrow or date, heavy rugged pattern made up until the mid 1980's by various other makers

Yours looks to have a copper bail so that's earlier. If that's in line with the normal Army type knives I'd reckon that means early 1940's at the latest.

Cool old thing, blade looks ok too, look after it.

Yours isn't an Admiralty pattern 301, it's the later pattern whereby the marlin spike lies along the back, 301's have it in a cut out notch on one side. The pattern you have came in about 1940 (replacing the 301).

Hope that helps a bit.

Cheers

[unclealec]

Many thanks guys, I will pass this on.

[Kirk280]

The expertise on this forum constantly amazes me!

[Chinnock]

I have a similar one my grandad had in WW2. He was a horse “whisperer” of sorts, having looked after pit ponies in the Welsh mines from the age of 12.

He told me the best thing that happened to him was WW2, as it got him out the mines!

Used his marlin spike for cleaning out the hooves apparently.

Became a well respected horse trainer / breaker in his day.