I have developed a particular liking for old, Sheffield horn-handled knives, and high on the list is the early version of the British Admiralty Pattern… Read More »Attributed Admiralty Pattern 301, Type II folding knife
Linking an object to its previous owner is always rewarding. In the case of ex-military items, the usual marking is a service number and if… Read More »Attributed Boer War pattern knife #1
Rummaging around the dustier regions of a local antiques warehouse, I happened upon a leather case which, on inspection, contained this pair of binoculars. A… Read More »1930s 5×20 binoculars by Spindler & Hoyer of Göttingen
One of the holy grails of knife collecting is the SOE knife, produced for the WW2 Special Operations Executive. It has a long locking blade… Read More »H. Rowbotham & Co. electrician’s knife based on the SOE knife profile
It seems that in auctions a higher-value, more interesting piece is often accompanied by a less exciting piece and they are sold as a pair.… Read More »Pocket knife by H. M. Slater of Sheffield
Another weighty folding knife built to the Boer War pattern, this time manufactured by Brookes & Crookes of Sheffield, and effectively identical to the same… Read More »Boer War pattern knife by Brookes & Crookes
Older fleams tend to bear the initials of the the reigning monarch, GR for George III or IV, WR for William IV, or VR for… Read More »Regency period veterinary fleam
This knife was the most expensive item which I won recently in a Sheffield-based auction. It looked good in the catalogue and I was very… Read More »Victorian sportsman’s folding knife by Joseph Rodgers & Co.
Possibly the best-quality fleam that I have bought, freshly arrived from an auction win. Cow horn scales over a brass liner, with three blades, each… Read More »Georgian veterinary fleam by Webster of Sheffield
The classic pattern of knife issued to troops during (and before) the Boer War consists of a clasp knife with a single blade, a marlin… Read More »Attributed Boer War pattern knife #2 (Update)